Big Up Grime in 2019
January 7, 2020 8:08 AM Subscribe
2019 marked another chapter or two in the grime story, from pirate radio to mainstream (Channel 4 documentary; Fact Magazine review). Brothers Skepta and Jme, still on their own Boy Better Know label, each released new albums. Skepta's Ignorance is Bliss (YouTube playlist) charted in 15 countries (Wikipedia), while Jme's Grime MC (LP sample on YouTube; Discogs) is currently a physical-only album, charted at #26 on the UK album charts, selling out of most shops, as noted in this Pitchfork review. But the biggest event was probably Stormzy's performance (YouTube, full set) as the first black solo British artist to headline Glastonbury (Guardian) in the festival's roughly four decades (Wikipedia).
If you want more of the early days of grime, here's four links to The Wire (UK):
If you want more of the early days of grime, here's four links to The Wire (UK):
- 2013 - Simon Reynolds on the Hardcore Continuum #7: Grime (and a bit of Dubstep), where he puts grime as the pendulum swing away from the softer, more mainstream side of garage into harder beats and gruff rapping.
- 2011 - The Grime Historian laments the fading (digital) history of grime, noting "aficionados are probably familiar with how some of the most important tracks never even got a release," and "commercial releases seemed just an echo of the real music."
- 2011 - A Brief History Of Grime Tapes with Michael Finch and Rollo Jackson, a 2.5 hour mix.
- 2011 - A Brief History Of Grime Tapes, 10 recordings of tapes from 2001-2003.
One additional link that I didn't fold in: Though Stormzy is now signed with Warner, he paid credit to Boy Better Know for his rise to fame, in an interview five years ago (archived view of a now-dead website).
posted by filthy light thief at 8:16 AM on January 7, 2020
posted by filthy light thief at 8:16 AM on January 7, 2020
The current big news in grime - at least from where I'm sitting - is the war between Wiley and Stormzy, probably kicked off by Dot Rotten, who's been calling out pretty much everyone within reach at a rate of 1-2 tracks a day since November. Some favorites: Victorious, this EP, and Shut Up Don't Speak.
posted by sagc at 8:25 AM on January 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by sagc at 8:25 AM on January 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
Also, a lot of what's happening in grime is happening in the drill scene - apparently videos aren't getting taken down from Youtube as often as in the past, but there's still a sense that the artists are putting themselves a lot more out there than, say, Stormzy.
posted by sagc at 8:27 AM on January 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by sagc at 8:27 AM on January 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
I am enjoying listening to these, thank you for posting!
posted by Dip Flash at 5:26 PM on January 7, 2020
posted by Dip Flash at 5:26 PM on January 7, 2020
I have not been able to stop listening to Heavy Is The Head since it came out!
I’ve also been enjoying Stormzy wearing his slippers on BBC Breakfast 😂
posted by ellieBOA at 11:30 PM on January 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
I’ve also been enjoying Stormzy wearing his slippers on BBC Breakfast 😂
posted by ellieBOA at 11:30 PM on January 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Two odd tangents:
- While Stormzy "went major," he paid credit to Boy Better Know five years ago (Live Magazine UK, archived).
- I geeked out when Jme boasted hard on his EV, "fuck BP," and said Mum asked why I went vegan, and I said, "'Cause you didn't raise no fool" (Genius.com x3).
posted by filthy light thief at 10:51 AM on January 9, 2020
- While Stormzy "went major," he paid credit to Boy Better Know five years ago (Live Magazine UK, archived).
- I geeked out when Jme boasted hard on his EV, "fuck BP," and said Mum asked why I went vegan, and I said, "'Cause you didn't raise no fool" (Genius.com x3).
posted by filthy light thief at 10:51 AM on January 9, 2020
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Going bigger still: check out Benji B's 2019 Mixtape, part one and part two, for four more hours of diverse urban music from around the world, though with a definite focus on UK sounds. Both are links to the mixes on the BBC One archives, which are good for a few weeks yet. I'll post other links a bit later, for improved longevity.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:10 AM on January 7, 2020 [2 favorites]