http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/dec/06/a-history-of-grime
Pulbished back in 2012, so some things may be outdated but its useful to read the article.
I have also found a very good documentury about the history of grime.
http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/27252/1/our-grime-documentary-is-up-for-a-uk-music-video-award
"As a youngster, it was the thing to do when you're in the hood, you feel like you're trapped, the government don't care about us blah blah blah... but I still acknowlege that if I didn't go to school and use the facilities that were provided, none of thins would have happened which is why again a lot of things like youth clubs have been take away from us and I feel like if it wasn't for that a lot of us wouldn't be around now if it wasn't for them, there'll be no boy in the corner"- Dizzee Rascal
I love this video. It is highly insightful and the fact that its being explained by the artists within the griem scene. It makes it feel authentic. It not something written in an article like the one above. It's from the roots. Primary source, not something that's been intrepreated from somewhere is. Its the real arguible the real grime. It's so beautiful, in the scene that you see these artists from young, looking back and reminsing their journey through the music indutry. Talking about al lthe trials and tribulations they passed, yet they made an established mudic genre. Like Kano said "we wenbeing on the pirate radio where you not heard to being seen, to being on a dvd where peopel can see your face," It talks about how this genre, is more than just a career aspect, its also brought many of them friends and family. There is so much more that grime offers and should be recognised for.
Lord of the mic:
Risky Roads:
Was and could be argued the starting point of gaining grime artists the recoginison they deserved. TThis is because it put a face on the voice. As I've mentioned, before this like Kano said, you were only known for your voice, there was no identity or way of seeing the artists who were making all these freestyles, mixtapes and songs.There wasn't even YouTube, it wasn't around until 2004. Whereas Grime was around in the only 2000s. They were the prioneers, to the more modern things such as
LinkUp TV: PacMan TV SBTV
The only difference from then and now is the development of technology, which led to the use of technology to be used in the production of making music videos, rather than just showing the artists rapping. It incorperated music videos. Grime artist now have a larger platform to spread out and reach things beyond what they could imagine.
The Clip also talks about how the style of grime has changed over the years. Like for instance Dizzee Rascal talks about how after being lon tour and producing his fourth album. It was all different. He then realised that they audience he was trying to appeal to was no longer the same one he started with. It was shifted to people like "screaming girls" singing your lyrics and what not. But the only issue was that "the culture got left behind". It means that those things took a positive turn for this music genre. It was starting, slowly but nevertheless losing his rootedless and authetic feeling it once had. Artists started to be dependent of trying to get signed and reaching stardom, its like they lost their way. Leading to artists like JME and Ghetts, though they tried out the maintream style of grime, then soon realised that in order for their music to be as it once was, they had to go back to how they were before, rather than trying to appealing to people, they were just going to do as they please in hope that the music they produce touch the hearts of others. As the mainstream like grime, lacked history and substance. As the clip says "people are sick of hearing how much money you got, how many girls you had sex with" etc.
It's a beautiful thing to see grime artists, even those from when it started, embacing the change and development of the industry and taking it on board and growing with it. So when MCs like Wiley say things like "Grime is dead/shit." It get on my last nerves! Grime is what made you who you are today, you mainstream wasteman that has lost his way, which is why he says controversial things like that for attention.Come 'round the corner and get your ass handed to you on a plate.
Check out Dazed for other interesting music related post. Love the website I must say.
In terms of the radio and grime. We have seen the shift from the use of grime music predominately being aired on Pirat FMs, to now being aired on stations like BBC Xtra from the likes of Tim Westwood and Charlie Sloth. It just goes to show that the stuggle that these artists had to go through in order for their music to be heard, managing to break all their trials and tribuations and still end up on top. Big up the grime scene for never giving in and always battling the odds. We still have a long way to go but eventually we'll be universal babyyyyyy!
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