A Beginner’s Guide to Grime
December 22, 2015 11:54 AM Subscribe
"2015 just may be the year that grime goes global. The MC-driven genre is in the middle of a strong, fertile second coming that’s reaching listeners farther flung than ever before. Though grime has had global aspirations for over a decade now, launching several UK superstars like Dizzee Rascal, Wiley and Skepta, the music never managed to become an international export on the scale of American hip-hop. Now things are starting to change."
Glad to see Leshurr up there. Discovered her earlier in the year, she's amazing
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:52 PM on December 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:52 PM on December 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
It's not actually been to Grimes disadvantage that there's been a absolutely massive beef among some of its leading and non-leading players this year
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:14 PM on December 22, 2015
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:14 PM on December 22, 2015
Previously: Grime Int'l: a few of the current grime musicians from around the world (2014) - grime has been global for a while, but it is biggest and baddest as a London ting.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:09 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by filthy light thief at 2:09 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have a lot of love for Kano, ever since "P's+Q's", so I have to admit getting charged up over "New Banger". What a riddim! Every time that subbass hits hits like your guts drop out of you, and the sheer exhiliration of the vocal shoves your heart out through your ears. TOP CHOON
posted by prismatic7 at 2:56 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by prismatic7 at 2:56 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I assume that "Grime" is a spiritual successor to "Grunge"?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:01 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:01 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
To Me, To You - So underground it's overground
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:32 PM on December 22, 2015
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:32 PM on December 22, 2015
.... or possibly so overground it's underground
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:35 PM on December 22, 2015
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:35 PM on December 22, 2015
I assume that "Grime" is a spiritual successor to "Grunge"?
Yes, although (spiritually speaking) the kids have mostly moved on to Mildew at this point.
posted by Wolfdog at 6:04 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yes, although (spiritually speaking) the kids have mostly moved on to Mildew at this point.
posted by Wolfdog at 6:04 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Interesting. Every time the old Grime tracks from a decade ago come up on my iPod I think "why didn’t this catch on" and "I wish I had more of this". I had no idea it was still happening. Now it’s just sorting through the good and the bad, and I’m so lazy…
It’s weird to me that musical trends now take more than a decade to catch on though.
posted by bongo_x at 6:58 PM on December 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
It’s weird to me that musical trends now take more than a decade to catch on though.
posted by bongo_x at 6:58 PM on December 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
I didn't really get the shift that's happened, now that music is understood as an infinitely large database of all genres and eras at once, until people educated me about it in that Beatles-on-streaming thread.
oh my god though if genres take more than a decade to catch on, maybe electroclash still has a chance. peaches uber alles, uber alles peaches.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 7:28 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
oh my god though if genres take more than a decade to catch on, maybe electroclash still has a chance. peaches uber alles, uber alles peaches.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 7:28 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Now that you’ve said that it makes sense. That’s the way it works for me, but I assumed that was because I’m old, and the kids were doing it different.
I find for myself there is no need to keep up with what’s current in music, film, books, etc. I’ve got the best of history to work through! Why would I care more about some OK thing that came out last week than some great thing I’ve never heard from the 40’s? Again though, I assumed the kids would be way more into the new, and to some extent I guess they are. Maybe just not to the extent I was when I was a kid.
I didn’t read the Beatles streaming thread because, you know, there was a paint drying thread I needed to catch up on. I guess I missed something.
posted by bongo_x at 7:59 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I find for myself there is no need to keep up with what’s current in music, film, books, etc. I’ve got the best of history to work through! Why would I care more about some OK thing that came out last week than some great thing I’ve never heard from the 40’s? Again though, I assumed the kids would be way more into the new, and to some extent I guess they are. Maybe just not to the extent I was when I was a kid.
I didn’t read the Beatles streaming thread because, you know, there was a paint drying thread I needed to catch up on. I guess I missed something.
posted by bongo_x at 7:59 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
That Beginner's Guide article is truly fantastic. This genre isn't something I'd normally get into, so it's nice to have a single link that lays it all out with descriptions and YouTube embeds.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:03 PM on December 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by tobascodagama at 8:03 PM on December 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oh my god, that Stormzy video was amazing.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:26 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tobascodagama at 8:26 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I was referring to the one with his mum actually in it, but the second one where he gave a shoutout to his mum was pretty good as well.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:36 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tobascodagama at 8:36 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I threw in a list of my favourite grime tracks of the year on an earlier thread about the best rap songs of the year which unsurprisingly has some cross over. This Vice list is an excellent round up!
Importantly this year, the non-London massive has gotten more mainstream attention, which is a great thing. Lady Leshurr, SafOne and Bugzy Malone are killing it.
And tobascodagama yes! 100%! Everything about the "Where do you know me from" video makes me want to know Stormzy and his mum. Seem like fun people.
posted by sarcas at 4:07 AM on December 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Importantly this year, the non-London massive has gotten more mainstream attention, which is a great thing. Lady Leshurr, SafOne and Bugzy Malone are killing it.
And tobascodagama yes! 100%! Everything about the "Where do you know me from" video makes me want to know Stormzy and his mum. Seem like fun people.
posted by sarcas at 4:07 AM on December 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Stormzy is fantastic. Here's Stormzy's mum announcing her son's first headline show.
I wonder if grime becoming more popular in the US ("going global") is connected with the rise of trap. There's definitely some common ground there.
And that beef... that read almost like some MeTa threads: Someone loses their cool and then everyone piles on. Now all I want for christmas is a grime track referencing both this beef and the Treaty of Westphalia.
posted by bjrn at 5:27 AM on December 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
I wonder if grime becoming more popular in the US ("going global") is connected with the rise of trap. There's definitely some common ground there.
And that beef... that read almost like some MeTa threads: Someone loses their cool and then everyone piles on. Now all I want for christmas is a grime track referencing both this beef and the Treaty of Westphalia.
posted by bjrn at 5:27 AM on December 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
More on the Stormzy train: Xmas Shut up
In general it's been a great year for Grime, which is fantastic.
posted by yeahwhatever at 9:47 AM on December 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
In general it's been a great year for Grime, which is fantastic.
posted by yeahwhatever at 9:47 AM on December 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Lots of good things are happening today, but the absolute best has to be hearing about that new Kano. The forecast calls for angry neighbours tonight.
Just in case anyone missed it, the BBC did a Grime Prom this year, and it was unreal. The video seems to be on YouTube, and it's essential viewing.
posted by Kreiger at 11:38 AM on December 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Just in case anyone missed it, the BBC did a Grime Prom this year, and it was unreal. The video seems to be on YouTube, and it's essential viewing.
posted by Kreiger at 11:38 AM on December 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Lady Leshurr Queen's Speech Ep.5 ... Crizzpy
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:36 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:36 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
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The videos in the first link remind me very much of the stuff Yo! MTV Raps played in the early 90s. It's very much the same Everyday Life In Our Neighborhood aesthetic.
posted by infinitewindow at 12:24 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]