2016 saw the biggest rise in a “UK-defining” genre since punk rock; the grime scene. If you’ve not heard of grime before, it’s all good… most of you will have heard of Skepta though. My name is Épais and I’m a Producer/MC from just outside London, England where all of the growth and expansion of this raw British hip hop began. Believe it or not, the grime scene has actually been around for about 20 years, but last year brought attention to it like no other. Mercury Prize winner Dizzee Rascal, Lethal Bizzle and JME are just some of the names that have been killing the game for over 10 years and are still producing bangers to this day.
Essentially grime can be defined by a few key features:
- A faster flow than most American hip hop songs
- Generally at 140bpm
- Raw Production
That’s the most basic way I can describe grime but there’s so much more to it. The clear garage enthused beats, the beauty of how collaborations came to happen, the clashes and so much more.
For simplicity sake I’m going to try and leave you with just 5 Artists you need to know, wish me luck…
Wiley
The Godfather of grime. Wiley is arguably one of the most game-changing faces in the grime scene and really has seen it all. Not only has he set the trend for Eskimo Beats, a style of Grime beat similarly styled to garage, but he’s also had mainstream success with hits like ‘Heatwave.’ Watch any interview with this guy and you can tell he really has watched the scene grow around him. He even brought Chip, Mobo award winner for best Grime act 2016, to the attention of the world. With his upcoming album The Godfather set to drop next week, Wiley is set to prove he’s still got it.
Skepta
Heard of him? Where have you been if you haven’t?! 2016 saw Skepta do some crazy things, such as partner up with the main man Drake, as well as release his number 1 album Konnichiwa. A lifetime of great achievements from a man who grew up in Bow E3 trying to make some noise on the scene with his brother JME. He has countless hits including his most famous, ‘Shutdown’ and ‘That’s Not Me’; the album truly is a masterpiece. He’s a pioneer for the scene and his crew Boy Better Know are the biggest grime squad to date, bringing new MCs to the scene every year. He says it himself, “I’m the King of Grime – and I will be for a very long time”, he’s not wrong.
Stormzy
Shut Up. Sorry, I should make it clear, that’s the title of this man’s biggest hit. Stormzy is not only a YouTube sensation but something of a national treasure at the moment. His following has been formed so organically across social media that he very nearly took the Christmas number 1 slot back in 2015 with ‘Shut Up.’ He won best Grime act 2 years in a row at the Mobos and hasn’t even released a full length piece of work yet. He goes above and beyond to stay in the limelight but it happens so effortlessly and now, after a year full of huge Grime albums; Stormzy is going to rain fire on 2017 when he finally drops his.
Kano
If all that harsh reality vocals and fast tempo moshpit music isn’t really your thing, take a look at Kano. Now, don’t get me wrong, Kano has had his fair share of moshpit music too. Back in the beginning, he was doing clashes with Wiley and D Double on the regular. Even on his recent album Made In The Manor, he still was making hard hitting monsters like ‘3 Wheel-Ups’, which I’d even argue was the best Grime tune of 2016. However, along Kano’s journey, he has always dabbled and experimented with other genres of music to mix in with grime, most obviously Jazz. Songs like ‘T-Shirt Weather in the Manor’ really showcase this man’s pure talent in writing genius heartfelt lyrics. If you don’t believe me, watch his ‘Fire In The Booth’ with Charlie Sloth for BBC Radio 1xtra on YouTube.
Bugzy Malone
No, not the musical, but Manchester’s finest. Bugzy Malone represents a new age of grime and the expansion it has gone through in 2016. 5 years ago would you have seen a grime act outside of London gaining any attention at all? Possibly not. However, the conditions were perfect last year and with charting singles such as ‘We Don’t Care,’ people love how the man’s accent shines through his raps and how good a storyteller the guy really is. Charlie Sloth really has helped Bugzy get to where he is now; with the ‘Fire In The Booth’ platform generating so much attention as well as the releases he’s put together for him, it’s fair to say having a Presenter from the biggest U.K. Radio Station backing you helps. Bugzy is fully deserving though and will have a great 2017.
So there you have it, 2016, the year of Grime. All the big names showing they’re still here and not going anywhere. All the newcomers making their mark on the scene. Let’s see what 2017 will bring…
Words by Épais. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
