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That FF...FFF...Friday Feeling: The Streets - Original Pirate Material // Issue #08

A debut that reinvigorated an ailing UK rave/garage/hip hop scene

by phatty73, July 20th, 2012 and has been Read 1888 times.
Last Edited by: Jack Stovin July 20th, 2012.

Happy Friday! The weekend has hit people!

This weeks edition of the 'Friday Feeling' is a little bit different, this is mainly due to the fact I couldn't decide on my favourite tune from today's artist.

So, the weekend starter is an album, a seminal album at that. A debut that reinvigorated an ailing UK rave/garage/hip hop scene. A debut that bounded into the mainstream, all pumped up on beats and rhymes and clad in Reebok Classics and Fred Perry's. Ladies and Gentlemen, give a warm Friday welcome to The Streets Original Pirate Material.

The Story

Released in March of 2002, Original Pirate Material took the public and critics by the scruff of the neck and took them on a joyride through modern Britain. Mike Skinner's lyrical style covers all bases on this stunning debut, taking in the mundanity of big city life, relationships and partying amongst others. Some critics claimed Skinner's rhyming couplets were of a playground standard, these are the same critics who had to eat their words after The Streets went massive in the years following. Whatever your opinion of the lyrics and their delivery, there is no denying the beat production was amazing and even now, a whole decade later the whole album still holds its own. Still as fresh and relevant today as on release day.

The album saw four tracks lifted for single release, 'Has It Come To This' (released the prior year), 'Let's Push Things Forward', 'Weak Become Heroes' and 'Don't Mug Yourself'. All four singles forcing themselves into the UK Top 40 chart.

It's Friday, it's the weekend. So to quote man himself -

Let's put on our classics, and we'll ave a little dance, shall we...

Skinner - Pushing (invisible) Things Forward