Robert Del Naja

{{npov|date=November 2024}}

{{short description|British musician and graffiti artist (born 1965)}}

{{EngvarB|date=February 2018}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Robert Del Naja

| background = solo_singer

| image = Robert Del Naja@Barcelone (cropped).jpg

| caption = Del Naja in 2007

| alias = 3D, Delge

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|01|21|df=y}}

| origin = Bristol, England

| genre = Trip hop

| occupation = Musician, singer-songwriter, graffiti artist

| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|keyboards|sampler|guitar}}

| years_active = 1984–present

| associated_acts = {{flatlist|

}}

Robert Del Naja ({{IPAc-en|d|ɛ|l|_|ˈ|n|aɪ|ə}}; born 21 January 1965), also known as 3D, is a British artist, musician, singer and songwriter. He emerged as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective the Wild Bunch,{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-11-03 |title=Robert Del Naja, 3D and the Early Days of Bristol Graffiti |url=https://inspiringcity.com/2024/11/03/robert-del-naja-3d-and-the-early-days-of-bristol-graffiti/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Inspiring City |language=en-GB}} and later as a founding member and sole consistent member of the band Massive Attack, with which he is still active. In 2009, he received the British Academy's Ivor Novello Award{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/5363221/Ivor-Novello-awards-2009-Elbow-pick-up-two-more-awards.html |title=Ivor Novello awards 2009: Elbow pick up two more awards |website=Telegraph.co.uk |date=2009-05-21 |access-date=2020-05-26}} for Outstanding Contribution to British Music.{{cite web|url=https://www.prsformusic.com/press/2009/ivor-novello-winners-announcement-2009 |title=Ivor Novello Winners Announcement 2009 |website=Prsformusic.com |access-date=2020-05-26}}

Music

Del Naja started rapping with the Wild Bunch{{cite web|last=Catchpole |first=Matt |url=https://essentiallypop.com/epop/2018/02/the-wild-bunch-new-book-tells-the-story-of-massive-attack-trip-hop-and-the-influential-bristol-scene/ |title=THE WILD BUNCH – New Book Tells The Story Of Massive Attack, Trip Hop And The Influential 'Bristol Scene' – Essentially Pop |website=Essentiallypop.com |date=2018-03-23 |access-date=2020-05-26}} in Bristol in the mid-1980s.{{cite web|url=http://www.red-lines.co.uk/thewildbunch.html |title=Bristol, England |website=Red-lines.co.uk |access-date=2020-05-26}} He is one of the founding members of Bristol trip hop collective Massive Attack, with Daddy G (Grant Marshall), Tricky (Adrian Thaws) and Andrew Vowles, as a music producer and the only vocalist to feature on all their albums and EPs.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/oct/28/massive-attack-blue-lines-remaster |title=Blue Lines: Massive Attack's blueprint for British pop 21 years on | Music |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=2020-05-26}} The band received critical acclaim with their first album Blue Lines, released in 1991.{{cite web|url=https://humag.co/features/massive-attack |title=Features – Honest Ulsterman |website=Humag.co |date=1951-02-19 |access-date=2020-05-26}}

From 1997 to 1998, Del Naja was the band's main producer in the recording sessions that made Mezzanine, Massive Attack's most commercially successful album,{{Cite web |last= |date=2018-06-16 |title=Massive Attack's Mezzanine and the death of the multicultural dream |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/40387/1/massive-attack-mezzanine-20th-birthday-retrospective |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=Dazed |language=en}} selling nearly 4 million copies, with Neil Davidge as a sound engineer.

In addition to his work with Massive Attack, he provided vocals to "Invasion" on Unkle's album Never, Never, Land, and "Twilight" on War Stories.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/3b3n/ |title=Music – Review of Unkle – Never, Never, Land |publisher=BBC |date=2003-09-22 |access-date=2020-05-26}}

Del Naja has co-written a number of film scores and tracks for films with Neil Davidge and with Euan Dickinson. "Herculaneum", the title track for Italian director Matteo Garrone's 2008 award-winning film Gomorrah, based on the book by Roberto Saviano about organised crime in Naples, received the prize for best song at the David Di Donatello Awards.{{cite web|last=Jennings |first=Sheri |url=https://www.screendaily.com/main-navigation/gomorrah-leads-winners-at-david-di-donatello-awards/5000921.article |title=Gomorrah leads winners at David Di Donatello Awards | News | Screen |website=Screendaily.com |date=2009-05-08 |access-date=2020-05-26}}

In December 2012, Del Naja released the first single of his new project called the Battle Box, which fuses music, art and discourse across one-off live events, exhibitions and exclusive vinyl releases. He counted with the collaboration of artists such as Guy Garvey, Noel Gallagher, Jupiter Bokondji and the Higgins Waterproof Black Magic Band.{{cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2012/11/21/massive-attacks-robert-del-naja-unveils-new-battle-box-project-guy-garvey-features/|title=Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja unveils new Battle Box project; Guy Garvey features|date=21 November 2012|publisher=Factmag.com|access-date=22 September 2014}}

In December 2014, Del Naja donated ten unreleased music tracks to the Game Jam site Ludum Dare, for a game event taking place in December. The songs will be used by the site developers to make soundtracks for the games. This new music material is available for free download.{{cite web|url=http://ludumdare.com/compo/2014/12/01/free-jam-assets-for-ludum-dare-31/|title=Del Naja donates new music material|publisher=Ludum Dare|access-date=10 December 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://massiveattack.ie/blog/new-music-from-3d-of-massive-attack-emerges-from-an-unlikely-source/|title=New music from 3D of Massive Attack|date=2 December 2014 |publisher=Gomorrah=10 December 2014}}

In February 2015, Del Naja and Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke released the soundtrack for the documentary The UK Gold. The songs are available for free download.{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/58613-thom-yorke-and-massive-attacks-robert-del-naja-release-uk-gold-soundtrack-for-free/|title=Thom Yorke and Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja Release UK Gold Soundtrack for Free|work=Pitchfork|date=25 February 2015|access-date=25 February 2015}}

In 2015 he collaborated with Jean-Michel Jarre on the Electronica 1: The Time Machine album, resulting in the track "Watching You".{{cite web|last=Kaye |first=Ben |url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2015/06/jean-michel-jarre-releases-collaborative-single-with-tangerine-dream-zero-gravity-listen/ |title=Jean-Michel Jarre releases collaborative single with Tangerine Dream, "Zero Gravity" – listen |publisher=Consequence of Sound |date=2015-06-19 |access-date=2020-05-26}}

Art work

Del Naja was a graffiti artist before becoming a producer and vocalist, and was featured in the 1987 book Spraycan Art by Henry Chalfant and James Prigoff and in the 1988 film Bombin', directed by Dick Fontaine,{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1105264/|title=Bombin'|website=IMDb.com|access-date=2020-05-26}} alongside fellow artist and future drum and bass pioneer Goldie.

He is regarded as one of those who brought hip hop and graffiti culture from the United States to Bristol in the early 1980s.Steve Wright, "Banksy's Bristol: Home Sweet Home", Tangent Books, Bath (2007), pp. 3–4. {{ISBN|978-1-906477-00-4}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019-06-21 |title=From 3D to Banksy: Why Bristol's Street Art Tops European Walls |url=https://www.londonstreetartdesign.co.uk/from-3d-to-banksy-why-bristols-street-art-tops-european-walls/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=LSD Magazine |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108100732/https://www.londonstreetartdesign.co.uk/from-3d-to-banksy-why-bristols-street-art-tops-european-walls/|archive-date=2019-11-08|url-status=dead}} He has previously been the subject of speculation that he is anonymous artist Banksy.{{cite news|url=https://time.com/4477257/banksy-robert-del-naja-massive-attack/|title=Is Banksy Actually Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja?|last1=Jenkins|first1=Nash|magazine=Time|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160904030133/http://time.com/4477257/banksy-robert-del-naja-massive-attack/|archive-date=4 September 2016|url-status=live|access-date=23 November 2023}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dailydot.com/upstream/banksy-robert-del-naja-identity-theory/|title=Is Banksy actually a member of Massive Attack?|last1=Jaworski|first1=Michael|date=2 September 2016|website=The Daily Dot|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160903175804/http://www.dailydot.com/upstream/banksy-robert-del-naja-identity-theory/|archive-date=3 September 2016|url-status=live|access-date=23 November 2023}}

Del Naja's work has been featured on all of Massive Attack's record sleeves.{{cite web|url=http://www.filthymodernart.com/artists/robert-del-naja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210075202/http://www.filthymodernart.com/artists/robert-del-naja|url-status=usurped|archive-date=10 February 2008|title=Filthy Modern Art – Street Artists, Stencils, Graffiti – Originals and Prints|access-date=29 January 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.red-lines.co.uk/3d/3D.html|title=Red Lines: Bristol, England|access-date=29 January 2013}}

Since 2003, Del Naja has co-designed all of Massive Attack's lighting shows with UVA;{{cite web|author=UVA |url=https://www.uva.co.uk/features/massive-attack-100th-window |title=Massive Attack – 100th Window / United Visual Artists |website=Uva.co.uk |date=2019-06-01 |access-date=2020-05-26}} the shows have been overtly political, dealing with local and international issues.{{cite web|url=http://www.globalproject.info/it/in_movimento/massive-attack-per-stefano-cucchi/2777|title=Massive Attack per Stefano Cucchi | Global Project|access-date=15 September 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.uva.co.uk/work/massive-attack#/0|title=Massive Attack|publisher=United Visual Artists|access-date=15 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808231817/http://www.uva.co.uk/work/massive-attack#/0|archive-date=8 August 2012|df=dmy-all}}{{cite web|url=http://issuu.com/deluxxdigital.com/docs/deluxxdigital.comissue16|title=deluxxdigital.com issue 16|work=Issuu|access-date=15 September 2012}}

Del Naja and Massive Attack's producer Neil Davidge collaborated with United Visual Artists on the large scale installation Volume at London's V&A museum in 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/v/volume-united-visual-artists/ |title='Volume', Installation by United Visual Artists and One Point Six – Victoria and Albert Museum |website=Vam.ac.uk |date=25 January 2011 |access-date=2020-05-26}} It consists of a field of 48 luminous, sound-emitting columns that respond to movement. Visitors weave a path through the sculpture, creating their own unique journey in light and music.

Del Naja took part in a group show in 2007 called Warpaint at the Lazarides Gallery in London, featuring his art from the Unkle album War Stories. He created an exhibition of flags at Massive Attack's Meltdown Festival on London's Southbank Centre in 2008.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2008/jun/13/art.electronicmusic |title=From the street to the Southbank | Massive Attack |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=2020-05-26}} The installation was called "Favoured Nations". In the exhibition, alternative flags of the British Commonwealth were recoloured in the anarchist red and black and hung from the ceiling of the Royal Festival Hall main floor.{{cite web|url=http://meltdown.southbankcentre.co.uk/2008/events/favoured-nations-by-robert-del-naja/|title=Meltdown | FAVOURED NATIONS BY ROBERT DEL NAJA|access-date=15 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815125643/http://meltdown.southbankcentre.co.uk/2008/events/favoured-nations-by-robert-del-naja/|archive-date=15 August 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

File:Robert Del Naja's art.png

In a 2010 interview, Del Naja said "Painting is difficult for me because I'm colour blind. Back in the day, I had to label my spray cans with what colour they were because I couldn't tell. It's like the emperor's new clothes: [people] telling me it's great, and me pretending that's what I intended."{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/feb/06/massive-attack|title=Massive Attack's art of darkness|author=Nosheen Iqbal|work=The Guardian|date=6 February 2010|access-date=22 September 2014}}

Del Naja had his largest solo art show at the Lazarides gallery in central London from 24 May to 22 June 2013. The show's content spanned a period of over twenty years and featured many of the art pieces that Del Naja created for Massive Attack. Each piece, reinterpreted especially for the exhibition, was hand-printed and finished.{{cite web|url=https://www.lazinc.com/exhibitions/3d-massive-attack-ritual-spirit/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100512/https://www.lazinc.com/exhibitions/3d-massive-attack-ritual-spirit/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=21 February 2018|title=Exhibition 3D: Fire Sale|publisher=Lazinc.com|access-date=26 October 2013}} The show featured three one-off 'digital infinity mirrors' two of which contained phrases supplied by Reprieve extracted from drone pilot dialogues. Del Naja and Grant DJ'd at the opening night on 23 May.{{cite web | title = Lazarides – Fire Sale | url = http://www.lazinc.com/exhibitions/582,3d-fire-sale| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130509003147/http://www.lazinc.com/exhibitions/582,3d-fire-sale| url-status = usurped| archive-date = 9 May 2013|website=Lazinc.com | access-date = 19 July 2013 }}

File:VF AA PACKSHOT.jpg

File:Massiveattack1.jpg

A multi-medium show conceived and designed by Del Naja and filmmaker Adam Curtis – in collaboration with United Visual Artists (UVA) – premiered in Manchester in July 2013. The show featured a Curtis film, unofficially titled The Plan, which was projected onto a huge screen surrounding the audience. The lighting and LED elements that surrounded the film and players were designed by Del Naja and UVA.{{cite web|url=http://www.weheart.co.uk/2013/07/09/massive-attack-v-adam-curtis-at-manchester-international-festival |title=Massive Attack v Adam Curtis at Manchester International Festival |website=Weheart.co.uk |date=9 July 2013 |access-date=29 August 2013}}

Del Naja orchestrated the show's soundtrack, and the music later became part of the score for Curtis' BBC production entitled HyperNormalisation in 2016.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23158914 |title=Massive Attack and Adam Curtis open Manchester festival – BBC News |work=BBC News |date=5 July 2013 |access-date=2020-05-26}}

In 2015, Del Naja published a book of photographs, art, and stories that spanned his entire career titled 3D and the Art of Massive Attack.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2015/aug/07/3d-and-the-art-of-massive-attack-in-pictures|title = 3D and the Art of Massive Attack – in pictures|newspaper = The Guardian|date = 7 August 2015|last1 = Music|first1 = Guardian}}

During the COVID lockdown, on 19 May 2020 Del Naja launched his Fire Sale website store, selling Protection, a limited-edition print, in aid of the Bristol Food Union. The print raised more than £100,000 for the charity.{{Cite web|url=https://djmag.com/news/massive-attack-s-robert-del-naja-launches-limited-print-sale-war-child-s-gaza-appeal|title = Massive Attack's Robert del Naja launches limited print sale for War Child's Gaza Appeal|date = 24 June 2021}}

In July 2020, Massive Attack released a political audiovisual EP called Eutopia: The 3x track fusion was created across five cities during the Covid-19 global lockdown period.{{cite web |title=Massive Attack Release New Audiovisual EP Eutopia: Watch |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/massive-attack-release-new-audiovisual-ep-eutopia-watch/ |website=Pitchfork |date=10 July 2020 |publisher=Pitchfork Media |access-date=10 July 2020}} The project was co-written and produced by 3D and Mark Donne, featuring strong arguments for global system change from UN Paris Climate Agreement author Christiana Figueres, founder of the universal basic income principle professor Guy Standing and inventor of the US wealth tax policy Professor Gabriel Zucman.

In June 2021, Del Naja was presented with a Royal College of Art honorary doctorate - nominated and presented by Sir Jony Ive.{{Cite web|url=https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/culture/art-theatre/rediscovering-bristols-original-graffiti-artists|title = Bristol's original graffiti artists - Reader's Digest}}

In March 2022, he started again selling off artwork to help victims of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, with proceeds to go to the Disasters Emergency Committee's humanitarian appeal.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/massive-attack-are-selling-off-new-artwork-to-help-victims-of-ukraine-conflict-3182691|title=Massive Attack are selling off new artwork to help victims of Ukraine conflict|website=NME|date=15 March 2022}}

Technology

In 2016, Massive Attack released their EP Ritual Spirit as part of a procedural music app called Fantom{{Cite web|url=https://www.factmag.com/2016/07/26/massive-attack-preview-new-tracks-on-fantom-iphone-app/|title=Massive Attack preview new tracks on Fantom iPhone app|website=Factmag.com|date=26 July 2016|access-date=2020-05-26}} (with a new version developed in 2019).{{cite web|url=https://fantom.live |title=Mezzanine x Fantom |website=Fantom.live |date=2018-11-27 |access-date=2020-05-26}} The "sensory remixer" lets people create unique versions of tracks, with the app taking into account variables like movement, time of day or night, location and what a user's phone camera can see. An Apple Watch version of the app that varies the song's rhythm and harmony based on heartbeat was developed, while live social media notifications sent via a Twitter feed triggered alternative real time mix events.{{cite web|url=https://musically.com/2016/01/22/massive-attack-fantom-app/ |title=Massive Attack Fantom app is about creativity, not commerce |website=Musically.com |date=2016-01-22 |access-date=2020-05-26}}

In 2019, Del Naja and Adam Curtis teamed up for a second time on a live show based on the band's Mezzanine album.{{Cite web|url=https://www.factmag.com/2018/10/30/massive-attack-announce-mezzanine-tour/|title=Massive Attack announce Mezzanine XX1 2019 Tour|website=Factmag.com|date=30 October 2018|access-date=2020-05-26}}{{cite web|last=Darville |first=Jordan |url=https://www.thefader.com/2019/09/25/massive-attack-robert-del-naja-mezzanine-interview |title=A rare interview with Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja on creating the most subversive live show of 2019 |publisher=The Fader |date=2019-09-25 |access-date=2020-05-26}}

Music for film

With Massive Attack

With Liam Howlett

  • 1999: The Uranus Experiment{{Cite web |title=Scans→Hot Press Magazine Interview |url=https://massiveattack.ie/scans/hot-press-magazine-interview |access-date=2022-05-28 |website=MASSIVEATTACK.IE |date=8 April 2021 |language=en-GB}}

Robert Del Naja with Neil Davidge (as 1.6)

File:XL Video mas142248367.jpg

Robert Del Naja with Euan Dickinson

  • 2008: Gomorrah (Matteo Garrone) – Herculaneum (winner of best song at the David Di Donatello)
  • 2010: Women Are Heroes (JR) – 2011 Dias De Gracia (Everardo Valerio Gout) Summertime/with Scarlett Johansson
  • 2013: The UK Gold (Mark Donne) with Thom Yorke
  • 2015: The Standing March (JR/Darren Aronofsky)
  • 2016: La Fête Est Finie, for the COP 21 (Mark Donne)
  • 2016: Hypernormalisation (Adam Curtis)

With The Insects

  1. 2009 44-Inch Chest – full score with Angelo Badalamenti

Robert Del Naja with Saul Williams

Musical scene and artistic peers

Del Naja's music has been associated with the Bristol sound. He said of the Bristol Scene: "We all grew up listening to punk music and funk stuff and those attitudes sort of snuck into our music. That sort of brought people from different circles together and maybe it wasn't as 'cultural melting pot' as it all sounds but because Bristol is quite a small place, it becomes a lot more focused then."Dave "the Wave" Dresden, [http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/interviews/a/IntMassAttDave_3.htm Interview with Massive Attack] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050918172447/http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/interviews/a/IntMassAttDave_3.htm |date=18 September 2005 }}, about.com. Retrieved 16 June 2009.

Activism and politics

Del Naja has been critical of the government policies of the United Kingdom. He was strongly opposed to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and with fellow musician Damon Albarn personally paid for full-page adverts in the NME magazine.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/7876770/Massive-Attack-the-beat-goes-on.html|title=Massive Attack: the beat goes on|date=8 July 2010|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=22 September 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/apr/11/artsfeatures.popandrock|title=Massive Attack's Robert del Naja: a victim of the 'nudge-nudge culture'|first=Alexis|last=Petridis|date=11 April 2003|work=The Guardian|access-date=13 May 2019}} On the eve of the invasion of Iraq, they tried to organise a group of prominent musicians into an anti-war campaign, only according to Del Naja to be greeted with silence bordering on hostility.{{cite news |last= O'Keeffe |first= Alice |date= 5 February 2007 |title= Two-man army |url= https://www.newstatesman.com/music/2007/02/del-naja-british-attack-band |work= New Statesman |access-date= 14 June 2019}}

Massive Attack have previously played two shows in Israel, but have declined recent offers. They have described this "not an action of aggression towards the Israeli people" but "towards the [Israeli] government and its policies", arguing that "the Palestinians [in Gaza and the West Bank] have no access to the same fundamental benefits that the Israelis do."{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/music/2010/09/israel-interview-boycott-naja|title=The silent treatment|publisher=Newstateman.com|access-date=22 September 2014}}

In 2005, Del Naja organised and performed at a charity concert in Bristol for Tsunami Relief with Adrian Utley and Geoff Barrow of Portishead. The two-night event featured Massive Attack, Portishead, Robert Plant, The Coral and Damon Albarn. Del Naja and Marshall performed three shows in 2005 in support of Hoping, an organisation that helps raise money, support projects for Palestinian youth in refugee camps in the Gaza strip and the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria.

Del Naja and Thom Yorke of Radiohead threw a Christmas party at an occupied UBS bank in London in December 2011, in recognition and support for the international Occupy movement.{{cite web|url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/12575/1/occupy-2012|title=Dazed Digital |date=8 February 2012 | publisher=Occupy 2012|access-date=15 September 2012}}

Having previously boycotted playing at Bristol's Colston Hall due to its connection with the city's historic slave trade, in October 2012, Del Naja heavily criticised Bristol Mayor candidate George Ferguson because of his membership of a local organisation the Society of Merchant Venturers.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Massive Attack star criticises Bristol Mayor candidate George Ferguson|url=http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Massive-Attack-star-criticises-Bristol-Mayor/story-17054830-detail/story.html|access-date=8 May 2013|newspaper=This Is Bristol|date=9 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602024432/http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Massive-Attack-star-criticises-Bristol-Mayor/story-17054830-detail/story.html#axzz2Shn0uOq5|archive-date=2 June 2013|df=dmy-all}} The organisation dates back to the 16th century and had many connections with the Bristol slave trade, continuing to this day as an elitist private organisation, open to very few by invitation only.{{citation|last=Nash|first=Andrew|title=The Society of Merchant Venturers|work=Bristol Slavery|publisher=Andrew Nash}} In November 2012, Del Naja then took a surprising stance to reverse his position and endorse Ferguson. Del Naja was cited by local media as saying that the other candidates had only party political agendas at heart and a newly elected mayor needed more imagination to help implement creative projects for Bristol.{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Christopher|title=Bristol mayor: Massive Attack give vocal backing for Ferguson|url=http://www.bristol247.com/2012/11/14/bristol-mayor-massive-attack-give-vocal-backing-for-ferguson-25128/|access-date=8 May 2013|newspaper=Bristol 24–7|date=14 November 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522204522/http://www.bristol247.com/2012/11/14/bristol-mayor-massive-attack-give-vocal-backing-for-ferguson-25128/|archive-date=22 May 2013|df=dmy-all}}

In July 2014, Del Naja and Grant Marshall visited the Bourj el-Barajneh refugee camp in Lebanon to meet with Palestinian volunteers at an educational centre. The band's profit from the show in Byblos was donated to the centre.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/massive-attack-visit-palestinian-refugees-in-lebanon-all-of-them-have-a-right-to-a-life-of-dignity-and-beauty-9635645.html|title=Massive Attack visit Palestinian refugees in Lebanon: 'All of them have a right to a life of dignity and beauty'|work=The Independent|access-date=22 September 2014}}

In 2016, Del Naja worked with photographer Giles Duley to show their support for refugees; Massive Attack used his photographs from different sites of the crisis for their new show.{{cite web|author=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |url=https://www.unhcr.org/uk/news/stories/2016/11/57e92bee4/photographer-giles-duley-massive-attack-team-refugees.html?query=massive%20attack |title=UNHCR – Photographer Giles Duley and Massive Attack team up to stand with refugees |website=Unhcr.org |date=2016-11-03 |access-date=2020-05-26}}

File:Robert del Naja at COP26.jpg Climate Change Summit in Glasgow in 2021]]

From 2018, Del Naja has been supporting the climate activists of the Extinction Rebellion group, which have conducted protests in London since October 2018. In April, he played a DJ set for the Extinction Rebellion protesters{{Cite web|url=https://mixmag.net/read/massive-attack-extinction-rebellion-protest-news|title=Massive Attack played a DJ set for the Extinction Rebellion protest in London|website=Mixmag.net|access-date=2020-05-26}} in the heart of London in Marble Arch.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS0bntN2FCM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/DS0bntN2FCM |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Massive Attack – Marble Arch – Extinction Rebellion |date=21 April 2019 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2020-05-26}}{{cbignore}} In July and October 2019, the group protested in 60 other cities worldwide and Del Naja provided a portable radio network using speakers in backpacks with receivers and transmitters for the campaigners in London.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BG4zLu0yJQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/7BG4zLu0yJQ |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Massive Attack Visited XR Sites | Extinction Rebellion |publisher=YouTube |date=2019-10-14 |access-date=2020-05-26}}{{cbignore}} Massive Attack concluded their Mezzanine XXI tour of the US in October by organising a benefit gig at Webster Hall in NYC to help pay protestors' legal fees.{{cite web|author=Bill Pearis |url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/massive-attack-on-tour-add-nyc-dj-night-watch-full-san-diego-show-video/ |title=Massive Attack on tour, add NYC DJ night (watch full San Diego show video) |website=Brooklynvegan.com |date=13 September 2019 |access-date=2020-05-26}}

In November 2019, along with other public figures, Massive Attack signed a letter supporting Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn describing him as "a beacon of hope in the struggle against emergent far-right nationalism, xenophobia and racism in much of the democratic world" and endorsed him in the 2019 UK general election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/new-letter-supporting-jeremy-corbyn-2574649|title=Exclusive: New letter supporting Jeremy Corbyn signed by Roger Waters, Robert Del Naja and more|website=Nme.com|date=16 November 2019|access-date=2020-05-26}}

On 28 November 2019, Del Naja announced that Massive Attack partnered with a research centre based at the University of Manchester to explore the music industry's climate impact. He wrote in a column in The Guardian: "The commissioning of the renowned Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research to map the full carbon footprint of typical tour cycles, and to look specifically at the three key areas where CO2 emissions in our sector are generated".{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/28/tour-world-massive-attack-band-climate |title=We've toured the world for years. To help save the planet we'll have to change | Massive Attack | Opinion |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=2020-05-26}}

In May 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown, 3D called for more government support to be given to those in food poverty after a print fundraising sale in his home town of Bristol raised more than £100,000 to help feed frontline workers and at-risk groups.{{Cite web |date=2020-05-20 |title=Massive Attack's 3D raises £106,000 for Bristol food banks with art print fire sale |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/20/massive-attacks-3d-raises-106000-for-bristol-food-banks-with-art-print-fire-sale-robert-del-naja |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}

During the spring 2020, 3D also worked on a Massive Attack political audiovisual EP called Eutopia, consisting of 3 track fusion created across 5 cities during the Covid-19 global lockdown period, with documentary filmmaker Mark Donne, AI art pioneer Mario Klingemann and vocal collaborations with Algiers, Young Fathers and poet Saul Williams.{{Cite web |date=2020-07-17 |title=Massive Attack's Eutopia addresses our need for a radical global change {{!}} Public Pressure |url=https://magazine.publicpressure.io/massive-attacks-eutopia-addresses-our-need-for-a-radical-global-change/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=magazine.publicpressure.io |language=en-GB}} The conceptual project, co-written and produced by 3D and Donne, features strong arguments for global system change from UN Paris Climate Agreement author Christiana Figueres, founder of the universal basic income principle professor Guy Standing and inventor of the US wealth tax policy Professor Gabriel Zucman.{{cite web |title=Massive Attack Release New Audiovisual EP Eutopia: Watch |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/massive-attack-release-new-audiovisual-ep-eutopia-watch/ |website=Pitchfork |date=10 July 2020 |publisher=Pitchfork Media |access-date=10 July 2020}} Each video ends with a quote from Thomas More's Utopia.{{Cite web |date=2020-07-17 |title=Massive Attack's Eutopia addresses our need for a radical global change {{!}} Public Pressure |url=https://magazine.publicpressure.io/massive-attacks-eutopia-addresses-our-need-for-a-radical-global-change/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=magazine.publicpressure.io |language=en-GB}} He is mentioned in the credits of Adam Curtis' 2022 film Traumazone, which documents Russia between 1985 and 1999.{{cn|date=November 2022}}

Personal life

Del Naja was brought up in Bristol. His father was from Naples, Italy, and as a result he is a supporter of the S.S.C. Napoli football team, as well as Bristol City.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/observer/osm/story/0,,609826,00.html|title=Robert Del Naja, 3D from Massive Attack, on Bristol City and Napoli|work=The Observer|access-date=16 April 2016|date=2 December 2001}}

Del Naja was arrested and cautioned twice in Bristol during the 1980s for painting graffiti and made to do community service.{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@melissachemam/from-3d-to-banksy-why-bristols-street-art-tops-european-walls-95508e14f682 |title=From 3D to Banksy: Why Bristol's Street Art Tops European Walls |website=Medium.com |date=2019-06-21 |access-date=2020-05-26}} In 2003, he was arrested on allegations involving child pornography as part of Operation Ore, which were reported widely in the media.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/feb/27/arts.childprotection|title=Police question musician over child porn|newspaper=The Guardian|date=27 February 2003|access-date=22 May 2009| location=London}} 3D was soon eliminated as a suspect{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/22/1047749989803.html|title=Police clear Massive Attack star in child porn inquiry|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=23 March 2003|access-date=22 May 2009|last1=Barnes|first1=Anthony|last2=Marshall|first2=Nina}} (although he was charged with ecstasy possession and unable to get a U.S. visa for a while) with Daddy G and fans offering their support. The arrest affected the beginning of the 100th Window tour schedule.

Del Naja attended state school in Filton, Bristol, but did not complete his A-levels.{{cite book|title=Massive Attack: Out Of The Comfort Zone |author=Melissa Chemam |date=March 2019 |isbn=9781910089729 |page=59 |publisher=Tangent Books }}

See also

References

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