Grime and UK rap 2019

* remembered

German and Dark Vader were definitely nominated, I remember checking as I would have nominated them otherwise.

Good. I also like the ones you mentioned and am ready to vote for at least one of them.

Vroom will def get a vote, and I can probably be persuaded to vote for Homerton B too.

Those were the two I was thinking of as well (although I'll probably vote for two or three others at least).

I'm not sure there's any kind of critical focus around that stuff even now. Non-grime UK rap still isn't really written about enough (except in a tabloidy drill panic way) and the afropop stuff barely at all despite being legit chart music now

I'm surprised there isn't more coverage of UK rap, everyone in the media was banging on about grime a couple of years ago (and with good reason). Maybe a lot of journalists just find it too poppy to take seriously. This article/interview was pretty decent. Who know that Mabel was Neneh Cherry's daughter?

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/02/everybody-is-looking-at-us-right-now-how-black-british-pop-reclaimed-the-charts

Why did no one mention there was a rap music comedy game show?

I don't know but I'm glad you did!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P8OvKbrs7o

This would also fit in the afro bashment thread

I don't follow this scene well at all, but I thought this was an amusing development:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZCmvyzOAJo

That's wicked, good to see the Tories being held to account by the afro bashment scene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC1e9F7VaNw

Octavian's won the BBC Sound of 2019 and rightly so

Listening to ILX Listen: 2019

Ta!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fG7F9hIKHM

Russ has taken drill into the top 40 with Gun Lean, not really feeling it tbh but the remix is a bit better. Good to see Lethal B keeping up with the youngsters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEZxuNEyz4k

Abz has the perfect voice for drill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr0cladAIyY

67 link up with some German drillers and the results aren't very good. There's an Irish drill scene now as well

Into the idea of Irish drill tbh.

Also Skengdo and AM have been given nine month suspended sentences for being rude about their opps

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/drill-rappers-skengdo-and-am-given-suspended-jail-sentence-a4043391.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2SFY-YC1us

New Lady Leshurr freestyle. She is just the best

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvOEZ9_UMPE

Not much new drill to share with you I'm afraid but this one's good, beat's a bit different from your average drill track, reminds me of sinogrime tunes from back in the day

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jan/31/skengdo-and-am-the-drill-rappers-sentenced-for-playing-their-song

Dan Hancox writes about drill and violence in an interview with Skengdo and AM. I've noticed there's a lot more self-censorship in drill tracks over the next six months or so

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ujy8qV7Uw

This is the track that got them in trouble, best thing they've done recently. Skengdo and AM are two of the biggest names in drill but weren't great last year (especially Skengdo)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3S0NsqnSik

Skepta's done a Wiley diss track. It's OK

xp Skengdo & AM's label manager Ian McQuaid has written about the history of music censorship in Britain. It doesn't add much, but it does make me very angry

- https://www.dummymag.com/features/behind-bars-uk-banning-music-censor-drill-alarming-new-ground

The protest letter to the Met police is signed by rappers Saskilla, AWATE and Drillminister, who appears to have changed his name to "Drilliminster"

not enough (any?) grime beats on the AJ tracey record in first pass

enjoying this second time through in any case

It's being reported that Cadet died in a car accident on the way to a gig last night. I was just listening to 'Trendy' yesterday and thinking I should hear more. RIP.

jesus

advice was one of tunes of the year

RIP

That's a real shame

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK_cCiRg-3E

AM on a non-drill track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lILZHz8XdBs

DigDat is one of the best UK rappers around right now. This is #1 on trending, so that's nice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VaB1y1i2_g

This one's produced by Zeph 'Dot Rotten' Ellis. This is the first time I've heard a grime producer making a drill track I think

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T13Ovuu0jf0

Happy valentine's day from Jaykae

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TFSeNXLnZs

Unknown T on a new version of Wifey riddim

unknown t track is hard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gljjM0cPO4

skepta continuing his series of low-key collabs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDUPSNdmFew

dave's new single. not really a big fan of his conscious stuff - wish he'd err more towards thiago silva

Yeah I feel the same, that track's pretty good though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdzjiNAfpcI

Wiley's reply to Skepta, better than his Flip The Table track. I don't know what 'Don't Bread Me' means :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jshAf_zweg

New MoStack freestyle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-ljUqb0rj0

Section Boyz have changed their name, not sure why

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTw_3O1Hw7g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVkcA1zVucY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB5s8VqGMmU

This is the best thing Loski's done for a while, he's done some more chart friendly tunes but they haven't been that great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32HG5UYPs1w

Ms Banks ft. Kida Kudz • Snack

(produced by Ghanaian producer GuiltyBeatz)

The Little Simz album has gone to #1 on RYM. Let's check it

...yeah it's sounding rly good

upgrade that to 'kind of amazing'

it's great

That Ms Banks tune is ace. I see the police have been taken down that Loski track :( It's Hazards 2.0 if anyone's interested

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huaE85-V8u4

Wiley in not making the video shoot shocker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xudyx3ES1U

New Octavian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0s_Ux1SGpc

Jammz goes birdwatching

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_klecf-FIz8

Scratcha's made a weightless grime track. This has just come out on Keysound, I used to buy loads of their releases but I didn't even know they were still putting stuff out

jammz/birdwatching interface delivers ty

another new dave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkMQNRYlVAQ

Feeling that Dave track and Black has grown on me as well. I heard there was some controversy about it being played on Radio 1 which is rather depressing but not entirely surprising. Only listened to his album once but it's really good, lyrically he's probably the best MC in the UK

I was all ready to give the Dave album a miss but I'm listening now and it's really fucking good (if incredibly emo).

yeah - I gave it a listen this morning. feeling it too tbh

love the burna track

This and the Little Simz album in as many week suggests a general levelling up in the way MCs are approaching the album format.

The Little Simz loses a bit of steam at the end for me, but the first half absolutely bangs. Get her and Koffee on a track together asap

the dave album is decent and he's an engaging if on-the-nose presence (he's 20! he'll do something amazing soon enough i'm sure) but if you prefer it to the little simz i straight up don't understand you

Comparing them is extremely dumb.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA3ROsHN_hs

The Daily Mail are going to be fuming when they find out about this (PS just got out of prison btw)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByaAJGFlVbk

Someone has finally made a Match Of The Day themed drill video. Got so much players from back in the day, we gotta come first on Match Of The Day, all we did was attack like Robben and Drogba, we didn't need no Makelele

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1TJE5b2Lys

Tion Wayne on drill. Beat is super cold

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cnEoKLsQQc

AJ Tracey >>> MoStack on this one for me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiKtGbmJUk4

Probably the best youngsters in drill right now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDJK1cJX7uI

I don't know why T1 isn't bigger than he is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P76hOiutujg

Four Tet does drill (sort of)

that four tet is......................... gooooooood

Three new decent grime tracks in a row

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urkF-m5k0h0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jThFZvuaVIw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQBQ_6dz0Jk

Fairly sure that this is the first grime video filmed (partly) outside the King Power Stadium. Bugzy Malone sent for Chip outside White Hart Lane one time iirc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0074W0ghhNM

This beat is just super cold

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVHyHnguvO4

Would be great to see more drill rappers on tracks like this, really good to see these guys trying something different

anyone listen to any mix series / radio shows with uk rap (especially the afropop or drill stuff)? i go through youtube channels like grm daily, link up tv and pressplay sometimes but it seems like there are a ton of forgettable songs for every exciting one. which is still kind of fun, but you know...

the closest thing i've heard is gully type, where the mixes start with uk drill for a while before switching to different material, talking and stuff. i've never actually listened beyond where they change tempo. but for example i love the first 20 mins of this one from 2017:

https://soundcloud.com/gully-type/gully-type-radio

this song's from 2018 but i don't think it was posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZC9AJNtor4

I only really get this stuff from YouTube. Kenny Allstar's got a show on 1Xtra and Carns Hill has a show on Rinse. There's a Drill & UK Rap playlist on Spotify that's pretty good as well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQBsQFeaBO8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jPyQ0L5HN8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEc2ZWIJKxc

Digga D's taken drill top 20. All the beats above are by Ghosty who is really rather talented

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMHQQzvd_tk

New Unknown T. The video features him rapping in a meat locker and getting some sexy laydeez to cook him a steak :/

https://forrestlloyd.bandcamp.com/

dont know if its ok to post friends music here but i mixed this one for my housemate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onYiiDy-VV4

has this been posted yet? these geezers have come up from a bit of a laugh last year to absolute fire

That track is actually hard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqxlMqw8upQ

This is the best grime tune in I don't know how long. Kano's still got it and D Double and Ghetts are back on form, and it's really good to hear a new grime beat that sounds fresh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ig63dQ8lKI

Another drill tune with a lyric about household cleaning products! Keep thinking you're Mr Muscle til you see the Flash...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y06kFEYpq-c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fojbTK4B24

Mischief is the worst driller name. It sounds like something you'd call a cat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-pzuFudwqM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_xi4oQM-hc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSOYVcozksQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDBXyGtK7H8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4td7ZUVfkA

This may well be the first drill video with footage of the late great Barbara Windsor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbUQG-qgdtg

Some excellent sampling of Free by Ultra Nate on this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLlskM33v18

Ocean Wisdom has got to be the fastest MC in the UK

Somehow missed this thread - here's some spoken word-esque stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzJ7KXAJvNk

and a lot of different flows: :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp6oDx2C0_Q

Liking the Snips tune

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXbY6pmXMJM

This was mentioned on MOTD last night and it's actually quite good. Ashley Barnes is a knob though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJQy_R9CYR4

Say what you like about Ed Sheeran (and I do) but I think that it's good that he's supporting UK MCs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE_BhUB82Js

This beat is good but just doesn't work with the vocals for me. Big up Floating Points for trying something different though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkYeqqg8jBQ

D Double E back on D&B. Produced by DJ Die and Randall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LRxqGAI0e8

I think this is the last track Cadet recorded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsZEeV-fkAA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyzAiYhCUso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usu0XY4QNB0

US rapper on a UK drill beat, which I think is a first

new kano record out

beat on the new stormzy is

glad he’s stopped singing & started going in hard again

wiley flow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzZCDgevliM

Poor old P Money just can't keep up :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl9Ct-UMMt0

AJ Tracey dresses up as the Cat in the Hat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89PefEBu7I0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uMwzVAZDpw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKTTlRdvef8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WmylYvI7w8

OFB youngers have been interviewed in the Grauniad - https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/sep/06/uk-drill-rappers-ofb-no-one-helps-us-round-here-music-is-the-only-way

https://open.spotify.com/track/15rEEVR9tYJS4hbubgS3u7?si=omZMHXpITOWpAFNVfxJnMA

Holy shit this is nuts

Sidhu Moose Wala >>>> Mist and Stefflon Don on that one for me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVh455P1KhE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKBzJjZxVLo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuAzytbMzig

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSjcgfoEZsE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTlEUiiIJTw

There's something hypnotic about this lad's voice/flow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB1ak1vKF5o

New Dave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PNF4oWexUk

Krept on an old school grime beat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQNZrZWYZBY

Big Shaq is actually quite a good rapper

krept track is hard

True stories
Leave man red like Morley's
Why dem man tryna war me?
Ain't dem man like 40?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLlskM33v18

Ocean Wisdom has got to be the fastest MC in the UK

I'm obssessed with this song at the moment. I don't know how he raps that fast.

There's been rumours that the Krept track is a send for Wiley. No idea if that's true or not

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0EKS2YfLc0

D DOUBLE E IS IN THE IKEA CHRISTMAS ADVERT

I'm thinking that his wee adlibs like 'Badabupbup' or 'Oowa oowa' could almost be the names of Ikea products. Or maybe not.

Big up @jeremycorbyn

— Born In January (@WileyUpdates) November 15, 2019

Thank you Wiley.

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) November 15, 2019

No problem my brother 💥

— Born In January (@WileyUpdates) November 16, 2019

Grime 4 Corbyn doesn't seem to be much of a thing this year but he does have some Cambridge drillers on side though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4UVjfS1hKQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAGWZMOs6-M

Scrufizzer on an absolute kerlassic grime riddim from back in the day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xChXtyJ1xlA

Not really grime or rap. Probably the closest we'll ever get to Wiley and Riko doing a tune with Tracy Chapman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bab212vVOn8

Dave does drill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py2Ff3pHjUw

Ramz with a conscious track about mental health. He had some serious issues earlier this year but I think he's OK now. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the UK drill lads have serious mental health issues from being around violence from a young age and always having to be on the lookout for opps. I work in mental health and I've seen quite a few guys who have had issues with anxiety and PTSD as adults as a result of growing up in that kind of environment and not being able to show any kind of vulnerability. It's sad to see.

That Riko and Wiley Words thing is bonkers and not a great look for Wiley in particular.

There's a new Yizzy & Dizzee song out there that's a kind of brostep/grindie mashup apparently designed entirely for snowboarding festivals and it would be absolutely terrible if it wasn't for the fact that both MCs are absolutely nailing it.

I'm thinking that his wee adlibs like 'Badabupbup' or 'Oowa oowa' could almost be the names of Ikea products. Or maybe not.

Pretty sure I've got a Mui Mui bedside table.

New JME album bangs.

Been wanting to hear that! is it streaming anywhere yet?

Its only on cd/vinyl I think.

You will no doubt be overjoyed to find out there's an entire track in which he extrapolates upon the themes inherent in the old line "I had to have bare meetings with pricks". Complete with a fake ecclesiastical choir of JMEs singing "so many pricks" over a sombre organ sound.

RIP Bis, doesn't say in the article what happened, but seems he was stabbed :(

http://grmdaily.com/bis-harlem-spartans-passes-away

Bad day for drill yesterday. SJ from OFB got life for murder and LD and ASAP from 67 got four years each for drugs. What a waste.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkFojwKDp9k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHTCpCthFns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXxNMrnZO0w

Dot Rotten's back and he gives Jay 1 what for with this one. Didn't get paid for a beat apparently. It's a shame Dot isn't bigger than he is, he's always been one of the best MCs/producers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YALVJjDUk3I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E900rttqA_Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnO7pu2jZdI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb-Nwt65VZk

Have some drill. And an article about UK rappers from outside London and how some of them are doing rather well for themselves - https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/nov/15/a-funny-accent-draws-bare-attention-how-regional-rappers-stormed-the-charts

Aitch is a good rapper but there's something about him that gets on my nerves. He just seems like a wee dick.

The flow on that Dot Rotten Original Real Talk is gripping. I like the production better on Land of the Brave but I'd like to hear him riding some truly strong grime.

New JME album bangs.

It sure does! Grime's not dead! And he's gone top 40 with a physical only release >>>>

Getting those big grins off Grime MC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PBxeTmI5I4

Yxng Bane's had a quiet year but his verse on this is decent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV-WUkru6nA

DiDgat coming with all the punchlines

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAo8BCzdZCY

I think we need more Jamaican accents in drill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GCiTjB-g68

I also think that we need more drill songs about reality TV shows

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTsiRohBczY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_f7Gkm_W7Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKrSt1y-5oM

Zone 2 have been putting in the work lately. 'No Censor' has gone a bit viral because it's the rudest drill track in some time. I'm thinking they must have known it would be taken down by the police right away and that that would get them some more attention. It keeps getting taken down and re-uploaded so there's no point linking it here but this reaction video in which ProdByWalkz looks progressively more horrified throughout the track has somehow stayed up. It's actually a decent tune and probably the least Christmassy thing you'll hear this year.

There's not been many drill songs taken down recently because MCs aren't naming names any more or they're getting edited out (saying that you mash work on opps etc is apparently fine, naming said opps and where they live will get your video removed). I don't know if this has had any effect on the levels of violence whatsoever.

two tracks into the JME album I am going to nominate him for Labour leader and Mayor and Pope

magnificent album and an even better person

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cDBREutW8g

Dot Rotten sends for JME

magnificent album and an even better person

― imago

as soon as i heard the album it got right into my top 10 of the year. really amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIlMtVGI5Pg

Drake's made a UK drill tune and it's quite good. I think he's the first drill rapper to appear in the video wearing a balaclava or ski mask while actually taking part in winter sports

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlyF1AXyECY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C2SVR_Dy0w

Skengdo and AM back on form