Interesting article here from Logan Sama on 'what makes something grime?' in the face of so many people screwing at 'bait hip hop' etc. Lets face it tho, for real no one is gonna have a chart smash with grime as we know and love it. Its gonna have to be messed around with to get any mainstream p's, and 'fans' may be getting teary eyed and emotional over their favourite mic man dropping a 'bait hip hop' or electro tune's, but as long as they're still dropping them grimey numbers at the same time then whats the issue? Just know it aint for you and dont worry about it! Like i'm no fan of most of Tinchy Stryder's recent shit, but i'm not gonna have a cry about it, let him make some money, I'll just be bumping something else!
This month I’m talking about what makes grime… grimy? It’s a difficult question. Grime is predominantly influenced by garage, jungle, hip hop and dancehall; a pretty conflicting group of sounds. It’s hard to pin down what makes a grime record. Sub bass? Well Ice Rink is definitely a grime record and that had no bass at all. Is it synths and electronic sounds that sound gritty and unmixed? Producers like Low Deep have developed a polished sound, while still ensuring the name “Grime” is attached to the main body of their work. What else?
You’d say the tempo, right? Well, that’s wrong. A lot of production on Wiley and Dizzee’s first albums range from bpms of 90 to 160. While most of the beats played in sets are around 138, when you get into albums and mixtapes, MCs venture into other tempos.
A lot of MCs are releasing mixtapes now. Artist-driven projects which are designed to not only show off lyrical talents but also versatility. The phrase “Tempo Specialist” was coined by The Movement, and a lot of MCs are keen to show they can handle different tempos. Indeed I feel that unless you can change the speed of your lyrics’ delivery, it is very difficult to address certain emotions. But what we are finding is MCs are looking to hip hop for beats to soundtrack their stories. A lot of fans are disappointed by this. They feel if an artist makes his name in grime, they don’t want to hear them on the latest Dipset instrumental. Would they feel different if they were using beats made by grime producers made at a slower tempo? Would they still even consider it grime?
I’ve spoken to different producers and MCs, and found varying opinions. DaVinChe told me that when he tried making a slower tempo beat, a lot of MCs told him it was hip hop. Bashy told me he finds it hard to get beats from producers that accurately soundtrack his words. Similarly, a lot of grime MCs are turning to hip hop to showcase their versatility. But would there be as many hip hop freestyles from MCs if there were more beats available that push the boundaries?
Personally, this raises an interesting quandary. As a DJ in grime you are assessed mainly on your ability to beat-mix and cut and chop between beats in a set. How would you accommodate different tempo tracks in a live set? Would I be able to play different tempo instrumentals for MCs to spit on live? Should I even?
I am all up for artists experimenting. And while grime stays an artist-centric scene, then they will always want to try out different tempos. By doing so, are they leaving grime? Do we want to see artists leave the scene because their artistic expression is being shunned? To me, grime is a culture and an ethos, and not something that can be summed up by a set-list of rules.
As long as artists retain the attitude, vernacular, style, and slang they learned picking up the mic on pirate radio spitting to grime, they are still grime to me. And while mic men such as Goodz, Bashy and more blur the line between what is grime and what is hip hop, they should remember why Dizzee is still considered an ambassador of this scene; retain that about you which is unique from established hip hop. That which made people care about you in the first place.
And producers, try experimenting more with the artists. But would it still be grime? I guess that is up to you, the listener to decide.
Link to the article here - http://www.grimeforum.com/?p=344
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