Music
You've heard of Skepta, Wiley, JME, Stormzy, Dizzee and Novelist. But what about the grime MCs and producers who aren't household names? Are these the scene's unsung pioneers?
The early days of grime are a hazy memory these days. The sound of the UK streets has been around for 15-plus years now, with lots of twists, turns, and bumps along the way. If you need a quick refresher on how we got here, check out grime's brief history in the player below.
Arguments still rage on about what the first true grime track is. Pay As U Go Cartel's Know We? So Solid Crew's Dilemma? Wiley's Eskimo? Or was it the end-of-level boss theme from 1994 video game Wolverine: Adamantium Rage?
Whatever the answer is, the road is littered with lesser-heard, cult-classic white label releases and characters who, however important their contribution to the scene, don't have the same star billing as Skepta and Stormzy. Are these grime's unsung pioneers?
Youngstar
The mysterious Youngstar was a member of Musical Mob and an essential figure in the early days of grime. In fact, grime experts will queue up to tell you that his Pulse X instrumental, released as a 12-inch white label in 2002, is the first grime beat. Grime's own 'year zero'.
The track exists in that ambiguous territory between UK garage and grime and, depending on your position, is either a garage-y grime track or grime-y garage track. Either way, its cold, aggressive, minimal style helped set the template and the track was reissued on 12-inch vinyl in 2015. It was rumoured a few years ago that he was collaborating with Zomby.
Lethal Bizzle
Another track that can lay claim to being one of grim'’s first is Oi! by More Fire Crew. A Top 10 hit in the UK Singles Chart back in 2002, it was one of the first grime tracks with MCs doing their thing over it. And one of them was Lethal Bizzle.
When More Fire Crew disbanded, Bizzle set up his own label, took his grime to indie-rock audiences – a phenomenon known for a short time as grindie – and then stormed the charts with Pow! (Forward), featuring Flowdan, Neeko, Fumin and more. He then had beef with the UK's soon-to-be Prime Minister David Cameron. Bizzle's Rari Workout reached 11 in the UK Charts in 2014, and he can still call on Giggs, Skepta and Stormzy to guest on his tracks. But he deserves a much bigger audience.
D Double E
Another MC to appear on Pow! (Forward) was Forest Gate's Darren Dixon, aka D Double E. Like many other underrated grime artists, he was a member of NASTY Crew before he formed Newham Generals. Dizzee Rascal was such a big fan of D Double E as a kid that he signed the Generals up to his Dirtee Stank label. The crew, named after London's Newham General Hopsital, set pirate radio stations alight from 2004–2006 and were tipped to breakthrough before Monkstar jumped ship in 2007.
Solo ever since, D Double E's appearance alongside Wiley and Kano on early Jammer track Destruction VIP slays and his own essential tracks include Street Fighter Riddim' and Prang Man. He's not as well-known as Skepta, who has called him the greatest to ever do it, but he keeps on keeping on and remains one of grime's funniest and naughtiest MCs. Check out his debut album Jackuum!, which was finally released in August, 2018.
Ghetts
D Double E isn't the only former NASTY Crew member who deserves more recognition. Producer Terror Danjah, who's been releasing under-the-radar classics on Planet Mu for years now, is another. As is Ghetts. The hard-hitting lyrics and fiery flow of his classic debut mixtape 2000 And Life, which came out in 2005, laid waste to all comers. Check out his Practice Hours Freestyle from 2006, too, to feel the full force.
At one point, he was every MCs favourite MC. Well, nearly every MC. His 2008 mixtape Freedom Of Speech prolonged a beef with Boy Better Know. After he left NASTY, Ghetts formed The Movement with Devlin, Wretch 32 and others, appeared on Ed Sheeran's Drown Me Out and Stormzy's Bad Boy, and then released his debut album proper, Rebel With A Cause, in 2014. It features two tracks produced by our next unsung hero.
Rapid
Like in any genre, the focus in grime tends to be on whoever's holding the mic. But it's the producers and DJs who moulded the grime sound. People like Prince Rapid. He founded East London's hugely influential Ruff Sqwad with fellow producer Dirty Danger and they set about making game-changing instrumentals while still at school in 2002. The crew, which a lot of grime fans claim were one of the scene's finest, also included Tinchy Stryder. But it was Ruff Sqwad's beats that made them pirate radio and rave sensations.
Unknown to many, Rapid has since produced tracks for Dizzee Rascal, Boy Better Know and Wiley, and he's influenced so many contemporary grime producers that he deserves his own statue. Check out Ruff Sqwad's White Label Classics compilation, and, in particular, the tracks Anna and Your Love Feels.
