The Song Planner

Grime

tagStarted 2002Peak 2003-2007Last big hit still activeFrom London, United Kingdom

Located in 2 routes

Hip-Hop / Rap → Club / Dance / Electronic RapHip-Hop / Rap → UK / Anglophone Rap

UK club music at a hard 140 BPM: jagged square-wave synth basslines, sparse syncopated kicks and snares borrowed from garage and dancehall, eskibeat coldness, and rapid-fire MC flows packed with London slang. Aggressive, metallic, and percussive, built for pirate-radio sets and the clash rather than smooth pop, raw and confrontational.

History

Crystallised in early-2000s East London from UK garage, jungle, and dancehall, pioneered by Wiley's 'Eskimo' instrumentals and his Roll Deep crew. Dizzee Rascal's 2003 'Boy in da Corner' won the Mercury Prize and exported the sound. After a mid-2010s resurgence led by Skepta and Stormzy, grime became a defining UK rap institution.

Defining artists

Essential listening

← Explore Hip-Hop / Rap

Sources

  • Wikipedia: Grime music
  • The Conversation: Boy in da Corner turns 20
  • London Museum: London's grime stars