hop songstress Speech Debelle won the Barclaycard Mercury Prize Tuesday for her album “Speech Therapy,” a work inspired by a period the young rapper spent homeless. Debelle's warm vocals and clever lyrics won out over 11 other acts, including Kasabian and Bat for Lashes, to scoop the prize - a 20,000 pound ($33,000) award which typically goes to outsiders over more established acts. “I feel so good,” the 26-year-old said after her win. “It feels better than I imagined. My family's here. My friends are here. I'm from south London. I don't get emotional - I'm emotional.” This year's shortlist was a typically eclectic mix, including fellow south Londoner Florence + the Machine, synth-heavy La Roux, and haunting electro-folk group Sweet Billy Pilgrim. Others in the running were The Horrors, Glasvegas, Led Bib, The Invisible, Lisa Hannigan, and Friendly Fires. Critics have praised Debelle's honeyed delivery and moving narratives. Debelle has so far sold less than 3,000 albums although Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot predicted a “big surge in interest.”
