14232949

One of my problems with what has become of the British rap scene. No, wait it isn't even British. It's the London scene is that they're bastardising who they are.
If you're from London, be who you are. Don't just Americanise yourself in a vain attempt to sound like every other nigga spitting.
In our culture, we're too quick to try and become more and more like those across the Atlantic from TV shows, to fashion to retail outlets (what the fuck is this Starbucks obsession) and music.
We're not Americans, we should embrace being British and this extends to rap music. We're not hip-hop artists. Hip-hop is an ideology formed in New York, we created grime as a rap scene but it's chock-a-block with poor artists.

Not since Mike Skinner and a young Dizzee Rascal have we had rappers who embrace being British and have their own style of rap without trying to create a synthetic 'hip-hop' style. The UK scene is depleted of British rap and it's sad.

Cuthbert

Both of these aren't true.

I could probably name at least 20 mc's from London alone who do this.

Here's one, Random Impulse - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3VnmxZRw6s

Here's another, Trim - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWgCjA6n3Ls

Ghetto - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT3IqX4K7BE

Wiley - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0HNTggzHDw

P Money - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gU8ht1OhsE

Discarda - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkB-w54eumg

John Wilkes Booth

I don't really understand what the difference is between grime and hip hop music.

Cuthbert

Grime has gone like this.

UK Garage > Garage becoming Grime > Grime > Grime becoming Hip-Hop > Hip-Hop

That's generally speaking though, a lot of the most well known MC's have tried to copy the Americans but there are plenty who are keeping the original sound alive. People like Skepta, Chipmunk, Kano and Wretch 32 just want to be Americans now but nobody gives a shit about these MC's in 2013 and Wretch was always Hip-Hop anyway.

The main differences are Grime is essentially a form of Dance music and the production determines whether it's Grime because the majority of MC's vocal both Grime and Hip-Hop.

If you listen to some Maniac, Waifer, Spooky etc productions the difference in sound is obvious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx_wXcHz5_E

EDIT - it's also predominantly live music. If you're expecting good Grime on retail products then you're looking in the wrong places. It's strength has always been pirate radio and live events, even before Dizzee dropped his first album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDNzIrQkTXI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7a_v_eV1rM

14232949

They may have cockney accents and use the local slang but most of these guys can't spit to save themselves and are just flat out bad rappers.

The first guy sounded like a contrived want to be bad man. I got the impression he was doing commentary to a low budget Danny Dyer film.

The second song was nice, I'll give you that. The beat reminded me of Drop It Like It's Hot with the click-clucking. The guy wasn't a bad rhymer either. Will look into this 'Trim'

Ghetto sounds like the first guy. But is an inferior rapper.

Wiley fell off years ago, same time as Dizzee did. Tell me 'Heatwave' represents the best of British urban music.

P.Money's a decent rapper but that beat is off-putting. I'll check out some of his other stuff.

Is the last song a parody of grime? It's terrible.

Cuthbert

I disagree. Especially if you're comparing them to American rappers. The emphasis has always been on energy and hype with Grime.

That was supposed to be the point of the track. Random Impulse is a nerd and usually spits like a nerd, he is a very, very good rapper. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0DC7koZz_g

He has 10 mixtapes, they were all originally available in HMV but he gave them away for free download recently. He's an ex Roll Deep member. You've got to do some sifting through the shit though cos quality control isn't one of Trim's strong points.

His track with Skream, Tweedle Dee, was particularly good.

Ghetto is one of the best spitters to come out of the UK. Gone to shit in the last 2-3 years though.

Wiley didn't fall off at the same time Dizzee did, he just separated his Grime career from his Pop career. Granted, he might not have topped Da 2nd Phaze but toss like Heatwave and Wearing My Rolex shouldn't even be classed as Wiley's music. He openly admits he doesn't give a shit about it and has actually disowned his mainstream albums and told people to look for his Grime stuff.

Wiley's best album is arguably Race Against Time and that came out in 2009. The Elusive came out in 2010 as a free download in the Zip Files and the free downloads 'It's All Fun & Games' were some of the best Grime music to come out last year.

His free music is by far his best stuff - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9LlMLBQyPs

Money Over Everyone is regarded as his best release, that one is very gritty. Money Is Power was great too and was part of two mixtapes he released (w/ Money Over Everyone.) That's got more of a Garage influence with the former being more Dubstep focused.

Definitely listen to the tracks 'Jezebel' and 'What Did He Say', as those ones were the ones that really got his name out there.

The dubs he and Ghetto sent to each other when they clashed were one of Grime's high points at any point in it's history. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGIhuwdLdzo

Discarda is a legend and ex Roll Deep member. That track encapsulates everything that's great about Grime. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2eg89PBrOM <--- You probably won't like this, but when I listen to Grime that's what I'm looking for.

D Double is great too - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ0RZq70Y1o