Music Genre Research -Grime

Grime music is currently well known within the British and UK music scene. Even though it only became really established during the early 2000’s. It primarily draws on and takes its roots from music genres such as Hip Hop, Dancehall and mainly UK Garage. It emerged from the youths in East London, Bow with its origins from UK pirate station. Many artists started their musical career as a very young age; from the age of 10-20 this is primarily the age they begin to write lyrics, and make beast in the studio that they rapped to.

Dizzee Rascal, Kano and Wiley were the artists that brought attention to the grime mainstream media scene during 2003-2004. The genre received most of its attention and exposure from television, through music channels such as Channel U which focused on playing upcoming UK Urban, Hip Hop, Bashment and Grime, also the BBC’s youth radio station 1Xtra and Logan Samas show on London station Kiss FM. Another way young artist became recognised and made it to the top was promoting their music in any way possible. Going to barbers and hairdressers and handing out their mixtapes and single to anyone that came past them. Producing and designing their own battle DVD’s with other artist was a hobby for many young grime artist.

Many artists struggled to get noticed within the media scene, mainly because they faced many obstacles along the way. One main one being criticism; David Blunkett from the Home Secretary was one influential member to call the lyrics ‘appalling’. Others said it was a polite excuse for youths to vent out their indecent thoughts such as, sex, violence, racism and lyrics on killings and rivalry against gang members.

In a conventional grime music video we notice many factors that we will see in a hip hop video. Exploitation of women, money and cars, but mainly in a youth grime music video we see battles between the members in the video. Mostly guys and guys jumping and creating ‘hype’ in the background behind the main artist to almost encourage and boost his confidence to make the artist more excited.

Below we see two typical Grime music videos, one from one of the most recognised grime artists; Dizzee Rascal ft Armand Van Heldon in his video ‘Bonkers’. The other from one of the most well known and famous Hip Hop/Grime group,  N-Dubz ft NAA in their video ‘N-Dubz’.

Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers

(Click to PLAY)

N-Dubz VS NAA- N-Dubz

(Click to Play)