You have most likely heard of Lady Sovereign. You may have also heard of Dizzee Rascal. In the US we would tend to call that style of music hip-hop, because here, that’s what we call any music with words rapped over it. In the UK they currently call this style grime. It has words rapped over music like hip hop does, but the music is more clubby than most american hip hop. Grime’s basslines are incredibly heavy and rolling, like synthesizer melodies made for subwoofers. The beats are a 2-step breakbeat and the overall tempo is between 130-140 bpm. The words are rapped aggressively fast, double time to the music. Grime, like hip hop, incorporates sampled elements from all over the place – piano bits, guitar riffs, glockenspiels, record scratching, etc. But unlike hip hop, grime was influenced by UK Garage, drum and bass, ragga, and jungle. These forms of music are very full and rich forms of electronica, whereas most hip hop tends to be a bit more sparse, often sounding like the original instrument that was sampled. More to the source, Grime is completely influenced by it’s first creator – Wiley, the Grandfather of Grime.
When Wiley first created this new sound in 2000, he was calling it “Eski-beat” and himself the “Eski-boy”. He was a mentor to Dizzee Rascal who was just a teen at the time, listening to Wiley, and trying out his own voice and hands on the machines. Both Wiley and Dizzee presented this new sound to mainstream record labels at the same time, and both had an album released by XL Records in 2003, Wiley’s Tredding On Thin Ice and Dizzee’s Boy In Da Corner. Boy In Da Corner received the Mercury Music Prize in the same year. In 2002 another grime hit, “Oi” by Lethal Bizzle debuted at #7 in the UK Singles charts. Lethal B’s next big hit, “Pow (Forward)” also known as “Forward Riddim” was released in 2005. It debuted at #11 in the UK Singles charts and #1 in the UK Dance chart.

Wiley – “Pies”

Grime still hasn’t made it really big in the mainstream though, then again, it’s only about 7 years old. As a music scene and genre, that isn’t very long at all. What that basically says is that one guy created a new style of music, and that created a movement that was noticed in less than 2 years. You could almost say that it peaked 3 years ago, but that wouldn’t be including what’s coming up this year and what’s to come in the next 10-20 years. When Alex Bok Bok asked Wiley about this in his recent interview, Wiley responded : “Nahh, it takes time, it takes ten, fifteen, twenty years to build a scene. Which is another reason why I retired, because I thought ‘you know what, I’m 28 – when it’s peaking I ain’t even going to be here’. I don’t want to be Grandmaster Flash. So nah, grime hasn’t had its day. It’s got ages. It’s been five or six years. So it’s got 14, and in 14 I’ll be… well I’ll be old. [lol]”

Retired? The founder of grime music is retiring in it’s 7th year? Well, anyone who puts out albums makes a lot of moey and retire at age 28, lucky them. Well, yes, and no.

Wiley is retiring. Not from music overall, but definitely from the gime scene. Grime is a super competetive and dangerous scene. There is a lot of pressure to keep producing rapid fire hits. If one guy puts out a song, you have to put out a better one, and it keeps going like that. The parties in London that used to play and promote this music (still called “raves” even though the focus is not on techno, house, or ecstasy) have basically closed up because of violence. Too many kids got stabbed at various shows, so the scene has mostly moved out of London. But the heart of the music is in London, and there seems to be a trend of grime producers losing that heart when they leave. Wiley is staying in London, but now he has 2 adorable daughters to think of. He can’t be dodging bullets and knives, and he doesn’t want his daughters to go through that either. That doesn’t mean Wiley is getting old though! He’s only 28, and he is super excited about the kids who comprise the next generation of grime producers and mc’s. When i say kids, i am referring to the fact that most up and coming grime artists are between 15-20 years old. i really do mean kids. And this is who Wiley is working with, the youth of tomorrow, no sign of slowing down and getting old.

As for the money that follows fame, Wiley sees it more as a corruption of the art. In his own words, from the interview with Alex Bok Bok again : “…you make your best music is when you’ve got no money.” And a moment later : “…you should take low money up front. It’s not bad. A Sony label would just throw money at them and they think ‘we’re in business’, but in actual fact they’re not. Low money is the best thing you can take, I promise you. I don’t know why I didn’t go for it before, just say ‘you know what I don’t want 100 grand, just give me 20 and I’m just going to make that album, and do the work, and fulfil the terms’. Because otherwise if I’ve got 100 grand or 200 I’ll just be so happy that you might not see me for a few years. So low money is a good thing.” And referring to how he sold records out of his car in London, before landing any record deals, he told Alex : “Loads, over 50,000. For those whole two years I just had loose change in my pockets the whole time. That was the best time of my life, where I earned all my own money. And then I got a record deal, and I just had too much money. I was too young! I didn’t know what to do with all that money! I’ll be honest with you, I really didn’t. And I didn’t really have a figure telling me what to do with it. I had people in my ear saying ‘buy property! (oh and lend me five hundred)’.”

It’s a great interview, with loads more info and perspective, you should check it out on the lower end spasm blog at dot-alt.blogspot.com. I don’t want to print to much of it here, coz it’s Alex’s interview and you should definitely give his blog the hits. I just wanted to give you a little insight into Wiley’s mentality and tempt you to go read the rest.

Realistically, Wiley is going to escape the rat race, keep making music, support the youth, and watch what other grime artists are doing. Up until know, everyone has been watching Wiley for what’s happening in grime. This will reverse that focus.

WILEY – “Wot Do You Call It?”

So, what is happening in grime, i hear you asking. enough of this history lesson, what can we expect in 2007? A lot! 2007 will see full grime albums from Wiley, Dizzee, Lethal Bizzle, Skepta, Roll Deep, Kano, and more. This will probably be grime’s peak in the mainstream thus far. And if you hadn’t heard of grime yet, you heard it here first! This is your chance to be on top of the trend early!

Roll Deep’s album, Rules and Regulations, was released yesterday and already has impressive reviews. The entire album can be heard on Roll Deep’s official myspace page. You can also read more about them and the album in my previous post Grime Explosion. One review for the album is in the Independent, and Boomkat gives you a review, previews, and you can order the album from them! Roll Deep Crew will be playing at the Love Music Hate Racism schools trip on April 20 in London.

Wiley is finished with his last album as MC and producer, Playtime’s Over and it is in Big Dada’s hands now. Big Dada calls it “his best work to date by a long way and is very much the album we hoped for.” i knew this one was gonna be a banger! you can hear a preview of “50/50″, the first single on the album, by going to Big Dada’s website and turn the music on. The album is still set to release on June 4th. The song 50/50 describes how cool and punk rock Big Dada is, and how it fits with Wiley’s philosophy on money and record deals. For more info on Wiley and the upcoming album, see my previous post, Wiley’s Last Solo Album. His single “Pies” is still the best, top notch best, example of grime music.

Dizzee’s upcoming album, Math’s and English will be released on July 2nd, and features collaborations between him and Lily Allen, and him with Joss Stone. I also already reported on Dizzee’s involvement in the Arctic Monkey’s new release, “Brainstorm”. Wikipedia has a small sample of “I Luv U”, from his album Boy In Da Corner. You can hear more on Dizzee’s myspace page. The tunes on this myspace are not very grimey, they’re closer to regular hip hop.

Lethal Bizzle’s upcoming album Back to Bizznizz will be released in June 2007 by V2 Records.

thanks for reading, i hope you enjoyed this. feel free to comment or mogmail me feedback or further info, i will try to incorporate it into my next installment.

My “day job” has kept me very busy making those posts about slayer,ozzfest, ciara, etc. and it has left me with no time to keep up with my sweet artists who make the bumpin music that keeps me going through the day. so, while writing about pop music, i am secretly listening to the new roll deep album, previews of the wiley album, and wishing i could catch up on what where and who everyone is doing right now. well, before work today, i took a quick peek, and i realized that there is news that i absolutely must share with you before it is too late.

This is just a teaser, to let you know what i will be posting later this evening, but i do want you to know what’s gwan on. you can even hunt it down yourself if yr clever.

Wiley is finished with Playtime’s Over and it is in Big Dada’s hands now. Big Dada calls it “his best work to date by a long way and is very much the album we hoped for.” i knew this one was gonna be a banger! you can hear a preview of “50/50″, the first single on the album, by going to Big Dada’s website and turn the music on. The album is still set to release on June 4th. i will post more about how cool and punk rock Big Dada is, or you might glean it from listening to the new song….

Roll Deep’s new album has hit the streets and the people are lovin it! Reviews can be viewed all over the place, like <a href=”http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/reviews/article2382020.ece#2007-03-23T00:00:01-00:00″>the Independent</a>, and <a href=”https://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=31456″>Boomkat</a> gives you a review, previews, and you can order the album from them! Roll Deep Crew will be playing at the Love Music Hate Racism schools trip on April 20 in London.. Links to reviews and places to listen to it will be posted later.

Apparently, Dizzee’s album is being delayed and will not come out on the same day as Wiley’s. The new release date for Math’s and English is July 2nd.

Les Savy Fav will be playing a benefit show in NYC on April 1st with The Big Sleep, and Call Me Lightning. it will be at the Bowery Ballroom, and sources claim it will sell out for sure, so to get your tix now, hit the link on the Frenchkiss Records website. Les Savy Fav will also play 2 shows in Tokyo (on their “world tour”) on May 2nd and 3rd. Call Me Lightning has a new album out, Soft Skeletons, and you can listen to a preview of a track off that album here. Be sure to comment on what you think in the comments area on spin.com as well.

Kid Koala is still on world tour and has been gracing North America with his stylish dj sets. i will post full tour info this evening. He is in Florida for the rest of this week.

By the time i get the next post up, i will probably have even more juicy bits, so stay tuned and check back here later tonight.

sorry for any major errors to this post, i am typing furiously to get it up before i go to work….

SONAR, the avant-garde electronic music conference/concert/museum exhibition that takes place every year in Barcelona, has announced its lineup of djs and live bands. The 3 day event takes place June 14th-17th and includes individual showcases by representatives from many different aspects of the music industry.

Think daytime schmoozing with everyone from radio, labels, and bands, to designers, artists, and press. And it’s in Spain, where daytime means after the peak of the day. Imagine warm nights of sizzling concerts by Legends of pop/electronic/rock/funk. For an entire weekend!

This lineup is tugging at my passport. It’s tugging hard! Here is a tiny taste, but you’ll have to go to the Sonar website for the full list.

Beastie Boys – Still rockin the mic!
Devo! Mogwai! Mala Rodriguez! Clark! Dizzee Rascal! Wolf Eyes! Jeff Mills! NYPC! Simian Mobile Disco! oh I have to stop, you *must* go look!

This bare bones list with its tiny font would take up half the blogOsphere : Sonar 2007 Line-Up
once you have seen the entire lineup, you can scope the concert and showcase info here : Concerts & Dj’s

Also, many other artists and musicians will be playing via the individual showcases. Some of the highlights include :

BBC radio – Kode 9, Skream
Ed Banger Recs – Uffie feat. Feadz

oh, how i wish i could teleport. i need a TARDIS. maybe i’ll check ebay this week…..

What happened last weekend in Bow, or in the rest of UK for that matter? News from that neighborhood is exploding on Pitchfork this week with new releases from Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Roll Deep, and Joker! i can’t even type fast enough to properly share all the details with you, but i will give it a go, because this sound is hot!

For starters, i have already posted news about Dizzee Rascal’s collaborations with the Arctic Monkeys, Joss Stone, and Lily Allen. Dizzee’s new album is set to drop the same day as Wiley’s latest, and maybe last, solo album. Wiley is the frontman for the self-produced crew of djs, producers, and mc’s known as Roll Deep, of which Dizzee used to ride with. Roll Deep announced yesterday that they will be releasing their Rules & Regulations Vol. 1 on their own label, Roll Deep Recordings. That story is here.

Today Pitchfork published their monthly feature, The Month In: Grime/Dubstep which, this month, exposes grime’s wide reaching influence from UK to NYC to SF. Here are some of the highlights :

Joker, with an album already out on the label, Earwax, and another one on the way on Terrorhythm soon, is bringing a unique video game sound to a genre that has been based largely on smooth rolling drum and synth sounds. He’s been surrounded by some of UK’s hottest and most talented beat producers and mcs, so expect this kid to rise quickly to the spotlight. Also, being so heavily influenced by the grime, dubstep and garage music that has been gaining popularity over the last 5 years, he’s steppin out with a unique interpretation of what other producers have done, sometimes to the point of scrapping the elements thought to be key to the sound. And it still works. He ends up with a new sound that is still very much grime music.

The feature also has lots of good background on the developments in the UK grime scene that has brought some artists into the spotlight, while hiding others away, sometimes by drama and changing allegiances within the music scene, some tangled with the law and lost a lot of time in the studio and served time instead.
But wait, it gets even better! I don’t fully understand why the article suddenly veers over to the US to discuss the budding grime, dubstep, ragga, and dancehall scene, but it mentions 2 crews organizing parties based on this slow, bass heavy sound, one in San Francisco and one in NYC. Reppin the SF side of things, Kid Kameleon not only perfectly sums up the diversity in the music styles, the djs and producers backgrounds, but also with the crowds attending events such as the ones organized by Surya Dub at Club 6 in downtown SF. When you get that far into the article, watch your toes because Kid Kameleon starts droppin names like a B52! Kid Kameleon and Dj Ripley have both participated in the underground soundsystem culture that has been strong in NYC and SF for the last 10 years, as well as making names for themselves around the world, touring with DrumCorps/Aaron Spectre, DJ C of the MashIt ragga jungle/breakcore record label, and Kid 606 of the ragga jungle/breakcore/techno/electronica record labels Tigerbeat6 and Shockout.

And i can’t forget to mention BBC radio, who has been open to these ghetto sounds for quite some time now, and has been very influential in streaming it to an international audience. BBC radio has stations dedicated to playing the current sounds of whats happening in UK studios and on its streets, and is playing a big role in the global interest. there are other stations like RinseFM that are more in touch with the producers, mcs, and djs that have hosted night after night after night of live performances and then immediately posting whole sets online for people everywhere to enjoy for free. But, ever since Barefiles.com disappeared, and some drama has ensued, it has become difficult for anyone outside of the UK to have access to what is current in the scene. So, BBC is the place to watch and listen, even if it’s more due to their staying power than actual credibility.

However, this week they had some very influential and credible artists in the studio, hosting shows, playing music, talking about what’s happening right now, and these shows are not to be missed. BBC archives each show for one week only, so don’t sleep on this!!

BBC 1xtra had Skepta and his mum on the DJ Target show on sunday for UK’s Mother’s Day. We even got to hear him perform his new song, “Sweet Mother”, live on air! That show is here.

On April 21, Roll Deep will be in the studio performing live on Tim Westwood’s show. That link is here.

i think there are actually a few others that i should be posting here, but i’ll have to dig them up. i’ll add them right here, check back tomorrow to see if i found anything.

It’s possible that the headline should read : “Retired” Wiley Releases “Last” Solo Album. Who’s to say what the future of Wiley’s musical career will produce. I’m not sure even Wiley knows right now.

i recently posted news of Dizzee Rascal’s upcoming album, Math’s and English, featuring Lily Allen and Joss Stone which will be set loose on June 4th 2007. As it turns out, Dizzee’s neighbor, Wiley, has been finishing up a new album, Playtime’s Over, that will be dropped like a bomb on the very same day! Wiley is credited as the founder of this style of music, which has become known as grime music, UK’s successor to hip hop. Grime is essentially bass heavy electronic music with storytelling lyrics rapped over it. He released his debut album, “Treading On Thin Ice”, in 2004, signed to XL Records the same year as Dizzee did, and then retired from rapping in January 2007. “Playtime’s Over” is supposed to be his last solo album. Instead, he intends to focus on the record label that he started, the next generation of spitters and beat makers, and music production for other mc’s.

For play by play action of how Playtime’s Over is going to sound, from someone already listening to it, click over to lower end spasm where Bok Bok has been posting all the Wiley antics. If you’re reading this deep, you may remember this music blog from my post last week when i passed on news of Wiley’s retirement. Or possible retirement retraction. Or some other Wiley maneuver. At some point in the not too distant future, we will be able to read the transcript from the interview that Bok Bok had with Wiley about what adventure he will be choosing next. So bookmark that blog or keep watching here for the scoop.