Spread the Social Love:
This is the second part of a two part feature. Haven't seen part 1 yet? Get yourself over to http://hangout.altsounds.com/feature...-1-of-2-a.html...
Beats:
Things have moved on since Wiley’s original ‘Eskibeat’ template and the modern sound of a Grime beat still uses elements from that sound, such as the Sublow and skittish Hi-Hats, but has since moved on to a more melodic sound and increased use of Trancey synths and deeper, more complex basslines that parallels the boom in Dubstep (the two are inextricably linked, many DJ’s such as Joker were previously involved as Grime DJs) and the two scenes share many of the same fans and sometimes artists. Grime artists have been quick to adapt to developments in Dance music and mixtapes or albums will generally contain a wide range of influences from UK Funky, Trance, Drum and Bass to (of course) Dubstep. The Electronic influences are the main difference between UK and US Hip Hop at the moment, with Grime beats sounding more artificial and “cold” in comparison. Notable producers such as Wiley, Danny Weed, Naughty Boy etc are fairly easily identifiable by the styles they bring to the production of a beat and while their individual sounds (in my opinion, anyway) vary a lot less than the MCs, there are still loads of gems to be found in the music of Grime.
This brings me very nicely to my favourite artist working within Grime today. Dot Rotten simultaneously made his name through lyrical ability AND his knack for instantly memorable, catchy and complex beats. So, while he can flow with the best of them as demonstrated by the awesome freestyle below, it’s his instrumental productions that have got me singing his praises. First, lets check out his awesome freestyle over the “Woo Riddim”, a classic beat produced by S-X...
Not bad, eh? However, it’s in the beats and instrumentals that Dot’s ability really shines. There have been six instalments of his instrumental “Rotten Riddims” mixtape series, with the last one being released free (link at the bottom) and each one contains a series of expertly crafted, melancholy and complex beats. These mixtapes are an ABSOLUTE goldmine and really shouldn’t be missed by anyone interested in Grime or Hip Hop production; it’s no exaggeration to say that I listen to tracks from the various “Rotten Riddims” everyday in their instrumental form and feel no need for an MC on many of them, although many show up as backing beats for Rotten or other MCs such as Griminal, P Money, Ghetto or other mic heavyweights.
He can do melancholy, introspective tracks...
He can do intense, high-energy beats....
And he can even do uplifting ones that don’t sound like a backing beat at all...
Simply put, this guy is the shit. His beats are the MOST satisfying, MOST arresting and the MOST boundary-pushing and behind it all lurks the mind of someone who clearly wants to make original music. For me, he’s the total package at the moment and if you only take one thing from this article, it should probably be this guy...
London:
Just a quick paragraph to acknowledge the fact that London completely dominates the production of pretty much all the Grime that I’ve ever heard, ever. It’s the city where the sound was born and developed and the focus has never really shifted from there and while I can name a few notable MCs from outside the south west of England, the sad fact seems to be that, away from the capital, it’s an uphill struggle to get your music heard and acknowledged out of your own town. For any London Grime MC, albums and mixtapes are littered with references to boroughs, clubs and streets in the capital in a celebratory way, name-checking the places they’ve grown up in and know. Check out Ruff Sqwad’s love letter the city in the video below, its one of my favourite tracks from the talented Bow residents and pretty much encapsulates the role London plays in Grime’s psyche. That’s a young Tinchy Stryder in the image too, he’s been rapping since the age of 14 and at around the 2 minute mark he delivers a great verse that showcases his lyrical chops.
Well, we’ve finally reached the end of this “Why I Heart:” feature. Well done for getting this far, your reward is 16 minutes of blistering freestyle from 3 of the most talented MCs working in UK Hip Hop today including a stunning collection of verses from Wretch 32, a pre-fame Chipmunk and a grumpy, uncooperative Bashy. I hope you’ve enjoyed this feature and if you want to follow it up I’ve included a playlist of tunes to get stuck into below. I’d also love to hear what you guys think now we’ve come to the end of this feature!
I’ll end this by saying that Grime, whatever it has become or will become, has already generated a renaissance in UK Hip Hop and brought some incredible homegrown talents to public attention. You really owe it to yourself to check it out and, if you like it, to support the majority of artists that still remain unsigned.
Ivar’s Grimey Playlist:
1. Go Down (Ft. Brutal & Voltage) – Dot Rotten
2. Ransom (Ft. Wretch 32 and Scorcher) – Bashy
3. Unsigned Hype (Ft. Lightnin) – Ghetts
4. Doorway – Wiley
5. Hunting We Will Go (Ft. Ghetts) – Kano
6. Mic Check – Kano
7. Weed Man – Roll Deep
8. Inside Looking Out – Trim
9. Ghetto Kyote – Devlin
10. It’s Over (Drop The World) – Chipmunk & Wretch 32
Can’t end this without acknowledging the huge help that Grimepedia and Matt McKinnon's 2005 article have been in the writing of this article.
Links:
Beats:
Things have moved on since Wiley’s original ‘Eskibeat’ template and the modern sound of a Grime beat still uses elements from that sound, such as the Sublow and skittish Hi-Hats, but has since moved on to a more melodic sound and increased use of Trancey synths and deeper, more complex basslines that parallels the boom in Dubstep (the two are inextricably linked, many DJ’s such as Joker were previously involved as Grime DJs) and the two scenes share many of the same fans and sometimes artists. Grime artists have been quick to adapt to developments in Dance music and mixtapes or albums will generally contain a wide range of influences from UK Funky, Trance, Drum and Bass to (of course) Dubstep. The Electronic influences are the main difference between UK and US Hip Hop at the moment, with Grime beats sounding more artificial and “cold” in comparison. Notable producers such as Wiley, Danny Weed, Naughty Boy etc are fairly easily identifiable by the styles they bring to the production of a beat and while their individual sounds (in my opinion, anyway) vary a lot less than the MCs, there are still loads of gems to be found in the music of Grime.
This brings me very nicely to my favourite artist working within Grime today. Dot Rotten simultaneously made his name through lyrical ability AND his knack for instantly memorable, catchy and complex beats. So, while he can flow with the best of them as demonstrated by the awesome freestyle below, it’s his instrumental productions that have got me singing his praises. First, lets check out his awesome freestyle over the “Woo Riddim”, a classic beat produced by S-X...
Not bad, eh? However, it’s in the beats and instrumentals that Dot’s ability really shines. There have been six instalments of his instrumental “Rotten Riddims” mixtape series, with the last one being released free (link at the bottom) and each one contains a series of expertly crafted, melancholy and complex beats. These mixtapes are an ABSOLUTE goldmine and really shouldn’t be missed by anyone interested in Grime or Hip Hop production; it’s no exaggeration to say that I listen to tracks from the various “Rotten Riddims” everyday in their instrumental form and feel no need for an MC on many of them, although many show up as backing beats for Rotten or other MCs such as Griminal, P Money, Ghetto or other mic heavyweights.
He can do melancholy, introspective tracks...
He can do intense, high-energy beats....
And he can even do uplifting ones that don’t sound like a backing beat at all...
Simply put, this guy is the shit. His beats are the MOST satisfying, MOST arresting and the MOST boundary-pushing and behind it all lurks the mind of someone who clearly wants to make original music. For me, he’s the total package at the moment and if you only take one thing from this article, it should probably be this guy...
London:
Just a quick paragraph to acknowledge the fact that London completely dominates the production of pretty much all the Grime that I’ve ever heard, ever. It’s the city where the sound was born and developed and the focus has never really shifted from there and while I can name a few notable MCs from outside the south west of England, the sad fact seems to be that, away from the capital, it’s an uphill struggle to get your music heard and acknowledged out of your own town. For any London Grime MC, albums and mixtapes are littered with references to boroughs, clubs and streets in the capital in a celebratory way, name-checking the places they’ve grown up in and know. Check out Ruff Sqwad’s love letter the city in the video below, its one of my favourite tracks from the talented Bow residents and pretty much encapsulates the role London plays in Grime’s psyche. That’s a young Tinchy Stryder in the image too, he’s been rapping since the age of 14 and at around the 2 minute mark he delivers a great verse that showcases his lyrical chops.
Well, we’ve finally reached the end of this “Why I Heart:” feature. Well done for getting this far, your reward is 16 minutes of blistering freestyle from 3 of the most talented MCs working in UK Hip Hop today including a stunning collection of verses from Wretch 32, a pre-fame Chipmunk and a grumpy, uncooperative Bashy. I hope you’ve enjoyed this feature and if you want to follow it up I’ve included a playlist of tunes to get stuck into below. I’d also love to hear what you guys think now we’ve come to the end of this feature!
I’ll end this by saying that Grime, whatever it has become or will become, has already generated a renaissance in UK Hip Hop and brought some incredible homegrown talents to public attention. You really owe it to yourself to check it out and, if you like it, to support the majority of artists that still remain unsigned.
Ivar’s Grimey Playlist:
1. Go Down (Ft. Brutal & Voltage) – Dot Rotten
2. Ransom (Ft. Wretch 32 and Scorcher) – Bashy
3. Unsigned Hype (Ft. Lightnin) – Ghetts
4. Doorway – Wiley
5. Hunting We Will Go (Ft. Ghetts) – Kano
6. Mic Check – Kano
7. Weed Man – Roll Deep
8. Inside Looking Out – Trim
9. Ghetto Kyote – Devlin
10. It’s Over (Drop The World) – Chipmunk & Wretch 32
Can’t end this without acknowledging the huge help that Grimepedia and Matt McKinnon's 2005 article have been in the writing of this article.
Links:
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