From So Solid garage to the mainstream. (A&R Focus Romeo).

When one of the nation's leading commercial radio stations admits that Ja Rule has replaced Robbie Williams as its favourite airplay artist, it is a sure sign that the rise of urban music is complete. Not only has it reached the mainstream, it has actually become the mainstream.

The dominance of the genre means producing acts which can cross over to a mainstream urban audience has become 2002's A&R holy grail. Clever market-focused labels have been quick to see the rewards of aligning pop acts--such as Blue and Liberty X--with the urban audience, although the count of true home-grown urban stars remains low, despite the success of Craig David and, more recently, Ms Dynamite. So the search for this year's homegrown crossover star goes on.

The prospect of solo careers from members of what is undoubtedly the UK's highest-profile urban story of 2001, So Solid Crew, has been on the cards for some time. With the mothership now effectively on ice--So Solid Crew are not expected to release any further material as a group in 2002--it is time for many in the collective to pick up the baton, forging solo careers from the trademark garage sound. And, Harvey, Lisa Mafia and Asher D have launched, or are all in the process of launching, their own solo careers.

In the meantime, another of the infamous crew has been plotting a more unexpected musical chapter. "It's gonna surprise a lot of people," admits Romeo, one of So Solid's key members, who has been busy steering his own destiny, experimenting with styles beyond the garage heartland. "I want to portray the kind of music I want to listen to and I don't just listen to garage, so the album is a mixture of different beats and different sounds."

Whether meticulously-planned or a happy accident, it is clear from one listen that the sound of Romeo solo has the all-important crossover magic, which even eluded So Solid, to some extent.

"He's coming from the coolest gang in town, but he's not aggressive--it's accessible British urban pop," says Relentless Records founder Shabs, who is overseeing Romeo's transition from garage MC to urban star. Having previously launched ...