It’s been a while since I’ve tuned into any grime, my interest wavering over a year ago. There have always been leaders in the genre, but there has also been an onslaught of copyists, diluting the genre to its detriment.
One of the leaders I mention is Skepta. He has moved with the times, developing and maturing his sound, barraging us with his take on the grime sound, a heady mix of bass music energy, hip-hop, 2 step and a dubstep aesthetic. I guess this is what sets him apart from the rest, and why he has been able to stay fresh alongside the most popular of dubstep’ producers, but without conforming to a strict dubstep formula.
This mix has everything you’d expect from Skepta, and more. What grabs me the most is the diversity, the ease in which he moves between styles, and a “post-rave’ vibe that is both nostalgic and fresh simultaneously. Having been disappointed in some of the current batch of UK MC’ in the hip-hop scene, most of the MC’ on this release, Skepta, JME, Jammer, are the freshest sounding I’ve heard in a long time. A fun ride, and would sit comfortably beside any of the Dubstep Allstars mixes in your collection.
There’ still some life left in grime, thanks to Skepta. www.rinse.fm
Wayne Stronell
