I'm not easily given to spluttering fits of rage, but Andy Gill's recent dismissal, in the Independent, of grime as being "of little concern to those not directly involved in it" made the red mist descend. Grime, a catch-all name for everything from bubbly pop through dark, dubby instrumentals to cutting-edge hip-hop, is the most exciting home-grown musical innovation since punk. When (US) hip-hop made the Faustian pact in the mid-1990s that led to its domination of both the charts and pop culture, something inside it died. UK grime, or "dubstep", or "sublow", or "eski" - depending on the slant you're talking about - is picking up the hip-hop baton and sustaining the idea that Britain can be a crucible for idiosyncratic creativity.
Grime is neither musically esoteric nor practically inaccessible. The leading lights are at last releasing high-profile albums: Roll Deep, Lethal Bizzle, Kano and the Mitchell Brothers have produced a mixed bag of mellower rap tunes and more abrasive tracks. "People Don't Know" and "Show You" by Roll Deep, "Pow! (Forward)" by Lethal B, and "P's and Q's" by Kano are some highlights. The ubiquitous Lady Sovereign is fun if you want the really silly, chav-pop end (anyone remember Shampoo? Not a million miles away). Her "9 to 5" and the others above are available from www.mycokemusic.co.uk.
For those of a more goatee-stroking persuasion, dub's scary nephew, "dubstep", is far more appropriate (and danceable). The order of the day is brooding bass lines with skippy little melodies sitting atop them like a cherry balanced on Table Mountain. Vex'd's "Crusher Dub" and Digital Mystikz's "Jah Fire" - downloadable on the excellent ww.bleep.com/road site - are two recommended introductions to dubstep. Also, check out
www.independance-records.co.uk/ug.htm for samples from the forthcoming Run the Road 2 compilation: a Who's Who of the best rappers and producers around at the moment. Grime has something for everyone. Even, perhaps, for Andy Gill.
