It's a rap for Big Brovaz

Big Brovaz, the London "crew" of rappers, are today celebrating no fewer than four nominations in the prestigious Mobo awards.

The collective of musicians, who share a house in south London, are in line to pick up awards for UK act of the year, best newcomers, best album - for Nu Flow - and best video.

But their thousands of fans will have little idea that Big Brovaz include a former choirgirl whose father is a church deacon as well as the wayward son of a US diplomat who has served time in a US boot camp.

Nor will they know that the band owes its success to the man who launched Charlotte Church.

Like So Solid Crew - whose career has been dogged by offstage violence - Big Brovaz began life as a 13-strong collective of singers and rappers on the streets of south London. Band member J-Rock attended the same school as Scat D from So Solid Crew.

But Big Brovaz preach a different message in their songs - keeping it entertaining rather than wanting it to be real. "We try to show the fun element of urban life, the nicer side of being on the street," says J-Rock, who has served time in youth custody.

"It's all about keeping it entertaining. I enjoy making people smile and laugh. I don't want anyone coming to my shows with a gun. Being urban doesn't mean you have to be a violent gangster or sell drugs."

Big Brovaz were spotted by a scout from the company of Jonathan Shalit, the svengali behind Charlotte Church, and groomed for stardom. Slimmed down to a sextet of three boys and three girls, they now share a house in Tulse Hill and are signed to Sony. J-Rock, 24, was born and raised in Washington, one of seven children of a US diplomat who came to UK at the age of six.

After three years back in the States when he was 13, he then studied engineering at Lewisham College. He spent six months in US boot camp after being convicted of unspecified violent crime - "something really stupid" - at 15. "I was unsettled and pretty wild. After that my dad told me I must make something out of my life. It was good advice."

Other members include Flawless, 21, who came to the UK aged nine from Nigeria. He is one of 12 children and studied at Richmond and Westminster colleges. Randy, 24, was born in Jamaica and came to the UK when he was 10. He got into music at 13 when he formed rap group Out-4-Justice with J-Rock at a local youth club.

Dion, 24, was born and raised in Charlton and studied music at Lewisham College. She began singing as a child in Charlton Pentecostal Church, where her father is a deacon.

Twenty-three-old Nadia, from Reading, studied performing arts at Reading College. She got married last month but still lives with the group in the Big Brovaz house, while her husband lives in Reading. "We'll be moving in together soon," she says.

The youngest member, Cherise, 20, from Hammersmith, has already won a Mobo - as best unsigned singer in 2000, which then led to a solo record contract.

The group's next project is to write a song for the soundtrack of the new Scooby Doo movie.