Grime
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| Grime | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins: | 2step, Hip hop, Dancehall, DnB, Electronic music, |
| Cultural origins: | Late 1990s-Early 2000s East London |
| Typical instruments: | MCing, Music sequencer, Turntable, samplers, Drum machines, Personal computer |
| Mainstream popularity: | Largely an underground scene but with some chart success |
| Fusion genres | |
| Grindie | |
| Regional scenes | |
| Gunchesta, London | |
Grime is a sub-genre of urban music which first emerged in London in the early 2000s, primarily a development of UK garage, drum and bass, dancehall and hip hop.[1] The music is typified by sparse and minimalist 2step breakbeats, generally around 130-140 beats per minute, and an aggressive and fast rapping style - often in double time. The lyrics and music combine futuristic electronic elements; and dark, guttural, growling bass lines. In contrast to its more soulful predecessors in breakbeat music, grime features MCs as opposed to singers and has jettisoned the R&B influences of earlier UK garage in favour of brutal beats. Due to its experimental nature and diverse stylistic influences, artists involved in the grime scene initially resisted attempts to classify or pigeonhole the style, resulting in a range of different labels, including sublow, 8bar, nu shape and eskibeat. Grime is sometimes associated with dubstep, a similar but largely instrumental genre which also evolved from the early 2000s UK garage scene.[citation needed]
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[edit] Origins and development
The emergence of grime is intrinsically connected to its origins on UK pirate radio[citation needed], with many performers honing their skills and achieving underground success before approaching the mainstream. Examples of the sound can be detected in the late 20th century, with tracks by So Solid Crew, More Fire Crew's "Oi", and Sticky's "Boo" which featured Ms. Dynamite. This indicated the movement of UK Garage away from its R'n'B and hip-hop influences towards darker themes and sounds. Among the first tracks to be recognised as grime were "Eskimo" by Wiley who was the founder of the "eskibeat" label and "Pulse X" by Musical Mob.
Dizzee Rascal, a former member of Roll Deep, and MC Wiley, a current member, were possibly the first to bring the genre to the attention of the mainstream media in 2003, with their albums Boy in Da Corner and Treddin' On Thin Ice respectively. Dizzee Rascal particularly garnered broad critical and commercial acclaim, with Boy in Da Corner eventually winning the 2003 Mercury Music Prize.
Grime has received a lot of exposure from television stations including Channel U, Logan Sama's show on London station Kiss FM and the BBC's youth oriented digital radio station 1Xtra.
[edit] International growth
The 2005 release of 679 Recordings' Run the Road compilation, showcased some of the most popular grime releases to that point, increasing the popularity and fame of grime and grime artists internationally. The most successful grime artist overseas is Lady Sovereign, who reached #1 on MTV's TRL, appeared on Late Show with David Letterman, and is now signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records.
[edit] Music Sample
- I Luv U (sample) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Short sample of I Luv U, by Dizzee Rascal. This is both a major early grime single and a typical example of the genre.
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
