2008 Woodie Awards
A grime primer
(an article about Britainâ?TMs grime movement)
By: Aaron Mendelson
Issue date: 3/10/06 Section: The Arts
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In the mid to early-sixties, it must have been quite a shock for Americans to discover that Americaâ?TMs greatest exportâ?"rock and roll musicâ?"had been appropriated by the British, and had mutated into something recognizable but distinctly different. This transmogrification quickly came to dominate the charts, even in America. And rightfully so: it may even have been better than its American counterpart.
Flash forward to this decade. Americaâ?TMs second greatest exportâ?"hip-hop musicâ?"has been appropriated by the British. It has mutated into something familiar but distinct. It may even be better than its American counterpart. The only difference is that grimeâ?"as this strain of British hip-hop has come to be calledâ?"has yet to catch on with the American mainstream.
This newspaper article is not positioned to change grimeâ?TMs fortunes in America. Grime, which depends on obscure club shows, mp3s, and pirate radio as means of dissemination, is hard enough to keep up with if you live in East London, and significantly harder if you live in the Midwest. Thankfully, Vice Records has released two volumes of its Run the Road compilations, which collect grimeâ?TMs finest; the most recent of these came out in February. Run the Road Volumes 1 and 2 showcase a fascinating and expansive genre. But because of the sprawling (and yet local) nature of grime, any attempt to capture it in words is destined to fail. Nevertheless, grimeâ?TMs dramatis personae:
Dizzee RascalDizzee is grimeâ?TMs most prominent exponent. His Mercury Prize-winning 2003 debut Boy In Da Corner is as good an album as grime has produced. When Dizzee decided to make the record, however, he was presented with a problem: American hip-hop simply did not fit his hyperkinetic flow. Not the kind to be put off by such trifling matters, he forged his own brand of hip-hop, one replete with video game blips (according to legend, he crafted much of Boy In Da Corner on a PS2) and drum tracks owing as much to electronica as to hip-hop. The album met near-unanimous critical praise on both sides of the Atlantic, introducing grime to American ears. He followed it up in 2004 with the equally good Showtime, which curiously failed to attract the kind of attention its predecessor did, but Dizzee isnâ?TMt going anywhere: he maintains, â?oeitâ?TMs probable theyâ?TMll stop me probably never.â??
Flash forward to this decade. Americaâ?TMs second greatest exportâ?"hip-hop musicâ?"has been appropriated by the British. It has mutated into something familiar but distinct. It may even be better than its American counterpart. The only difference is that grimeâ?"as this strain of British hip-hop has come to be calledâ?"has yet to catch on with the American mainstream.
This newspaper article is not positioned to change grimeâ?TMs fortunes in America. Grime, which depends on obscure club shows, mp3s, and pirate radio as means of dissemination, is hard enough to keep up with if you live in East London, and significantly harder if you live in the Midwest. Thankfully, Vice Records has released two volumes of its Run the Road compilations, which collect grimeâ?TMs finest; the most recent of these came out in February. Run the Road Volumes 1 and 2 showcase a fascinating and expansive genre. But because of the sprawling (and yet local) nature of grime, any attempt to capture it in words is destined to fail. Nevertheless, grimeâ?TMs dramatis personae:
Dizzee RascalDizzee is grimeâ?TMs most prominent exponent. His Mercury Prize-winning 2003 debut Boy In Da Corner is as good an album as grime has produced. When Dizzee decided to make the record, however, he was presented with a problem: American hip-hop simply did not fit his hyperkinetic flow. Not the kind to be put off by such trifling matters, he forged his own brand of hip-hop, one replete with video game blips (according to legend, he crafted much of Boy In Da Corner on a PS2) and drum tracks owing as much to electronica as to hip-hop. The album met near-unanimous critical praise on both sides of the Atlantic, introducing grime to American ears. He followed it up in 2004 with the equally good Showtime, which curiously failed to attract the kind of attention its predecessor did, but Dizzee isnâ?TMt going anywhere: he maintains, â?oeitâ?TMs probable theyâ?TMll stop me probably never.â??
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