June 9, 2021 BY No CommentsLATEST NEWS

FEATURE: Keepin’ It Grimy’s Weekly Wrap Up: May 24 – June 06

First, an apology. Keepin’ It Grimy’s Weekly Wrap Up is our opportunity to shine light and spread awareness of all Grime news and releases, no matter who it’s from, Grime legends and newcomers alike share the spotlight. Missing the Weekly Wrap Up last week (due to unforeseen circumstances) took away recognition from many people, and for that, we’re sorry. As a way to make it up to you, this is a one-of-a-kind, 2-week-special deluxe edition of the Weekly Wrap Up, enjoy 🙂

Skepta x Diesel – Sound of the Brave

Following two huge collaborations with Nike over the last year, the legend that is Skepta has now taken a step away from fashion and into the world of fragrances with his most recent collaboration with Diesel, becoming the face of their latest eau de toilette ‘Sounds of the Brave‘. Sharing an advert on Instagram as part of the campaign, the perfume marks the latest addition to the “Only The Brave” collection.

 

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Wretch 32 – #3minutesilence

Wretch 32 took to Instagram to drop a thought-provoking video titled ‘#3minutesilence‘, a powerful and direct offering that highlights the shortcomings of the Government, calling out Boris Johnson for the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the controversial race report that suggested there is “no evidence of institutional racial inequality or bias” in the UK, and various other aspects of social or economic disparity faced by members of the public.

 

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Wretch 32 – Little Big Man

Immediately after the release of the ‘#3minutesilence‘ video, Wretch 32 also announced his next full-length project, an album named ‘Little Big Man‘, which released a few days after. The theme of the project revolves around a 17-year old, freshly released from prison and back on the roads, before the lifestyle that initially got him arrested eventually draws him back in and the circumstances that put him in that position. The album has features from Nafe Smallz, K-Trap, Tiggs Da Author, KayyKayy, Blade Brown, M Huncho, and SL, and was released alongside a short film of the same name.

Grime Originals Show – Episode 1

Grime Originals is here to change the game once again, this time with a brand new show format. The ‘Grime Originals Show‘ is a refreshing take on traditional media and TV Shows that we’ve become accustomed to, containing a mini-podcast (with the Grime Originals gaffer Sharky Major joined by Manga Saint Hilare and Chloe Mykel), freestyles from Novelist and NamesBliss, a round-up of the month’s releases, and even a quiz! The show is a true game-changer and essential viewing for Grime fans, with all of us here at Keepin’ It Grimy eagerly awaiting the next episode next month.

Big Zuu – The Advert (My Family)

Big Zuu has been featured on our site very often, and for good reason, as the West Londoner can’t seem to stop making power move after power move. If you’ve (somehow) missed anything that he’s done over the last year, Zuu has you covered, as he’s just released a celebratory advert, a compilation of his successes that highlight the creation of his BAFTA-nominated (hopefully BAFTA-winning by the time this is published) show ‘Big Zuu’s Big Eats‘, the release of the cookbook of the show, his new KISS Fresh residency, and the announcement of his debut album ‘Navigate‘

Wretch 32 x Three Lions – The Call Up EURO2020 Squad announcement

Having already dropped an incredible album and eye-opening short film, Wretch 32 teamed up with the English national football team to drop the announcement for the line-up that will play in the 2020 EURO‘s tournament, in a moving video release that highlights the unified spirit of the British public despite all the hardships faced over the last year.

Freeze FM: A London Pirate Radio Story

Freeze FM, the legendary West London pirate radio station, has been memorialised by way of a documentary created by founding DJ Ashley J, which has been in the works for the last 8 months. The documentary contains features and interviews from over 60 MCs, Producers, and DJs that helped build the station into one of the biggest and most revered stations by 2003. This is the first instalment in a series entitled ‘Raw and Uncut’, which will feature lost interview tapes from 2003/04 and never before seen sets

D Double E x Chronik x Triggz – Near You

D Double E teams up with Chronik and Triggz for their latest bop ‘Near You‘. The three Grime veterans show that they can keep up with the times as they jump on the drill beat (produced by Moses) firing off greazy & direct bars while surrounded by the mandem, with the OGs making it very clear that they aren’t the ones to mess with.

Guvna B – Very Original ft. D Double E

With the release of the “Black Edition Deluxe” of his 2020 album ‘everywhere + nowhere‘, Guvna B called upon Grime legend D Double E for one of the standout singles on the project, ‘Very Original‘. The dark, but laid-back instrumental serves as the base to let Guvna B spit open-minded bars, followed by D Double E‘s trademark delivery to paint the picture of his upbringing in Newham.

Meridian Dan – Fire in The Booth

Meridian Dan made his return to the legendary Fire in the Booth freestyle after his last appearance on the show in 2015 and the pioneer brings it back to his Grimy roots – letting loose his traditional flow over the three instrumentals produced by JME, Jackum Stackum, and Silencer. The veteran rings off punchlines and quotables throughout the video, in what looks to be a huge return after the MCs break from music.

Cadence Weapon – On Me ft. Manga Saint Hilare, Strictface

Canadian rapper Cadence Weapon creates an international banger by drafting in UK Grime legend Manga Saint Hilare and Australian producer Strictface. The track focuses on the themes of surveillance, with Cadence saying “I was inspired by reading about how face recognition technology was being used by law enforcement and then that got me thinking about the myriad ways surveillance has become normalized in everyday life“. The production draws for themes apparent in classic Grime instrumentals, with commanding synth usage and heavy bass lines prevalent throughout the track.

Grime Music Group x Grime Over Here – The Way of The Warrior

The two core groups of Russian Grime, Grime Music Group and Grime Over Here, have collaborated to bring us a massive instrumental EP called ‘The Way of The Warrior’ a 14-track project highlighting some of the best Grime sounds coming from the largest country in the world. The variety of production is massive in this project, from deep, dark, dubby instrumentals to glitchy, electronic riddims, there’s something for everyone in this monumental project that really shows the true reach of our favourite genre.

Reece West x Subten – North LDN Flows 2

Two years after their initial meeting on ‘North LDN Flows‘, the duo of Reece West and Subten have linked up once more for a sequel to the track, going (literally) back to back over the darker production by LVNDLXRD. Reece West has gained a reputation for his high-level wordplay and ability to whip out punchlines with no issues, while Subten brings his storytelling A-game while even throwing slight jabs at unnamed MCs, with incredible talent being shown from both of the North Londoners on the mic as they bounce off each other.

SBK – Approved

Stevenage’s rapidly rising star SBK is back with an instrumental EP, his first in the last 2 years, titled ‘Approved‘. The 19-year old has been producing since the start of his career, but has taken a step away from the buttons, with many of his instrumentals, in his own words, “collecting dust“. The 6-track EP is also being called SBK‘s “final instrumental EP“, which would be sad to see as the ‘Approved‘ EP draws for all flavours of Grime throughout the project, displaying his talent as a producer.

Saskilla – Do Black Lives Still Matter?

One year after the tragic murder of George Floyd, Saskilla has teamed up with BBC Three for a three-part documentary series titled ‘Do Black Lives Still Matter?‘. After the backlash from Black communities and allies, many companies and industries promised to help tackle the institutional racism and bias present in their communities. In each of the three episodes, Saskilla focuses on the worlds of brands, music, and football to explore the changes in those environments.

Meridian Dan – Teachers Pets BTS ft. JME, President T

After the powerhouse collaboration from North London legends Meridian Dan, JME, and President T for ‘Teachers Pets‘, we’re given a sneak peek behind the scenes to see the process of the video shoot, especially highlighting the friendship and respect shared between the three featured MCs as they crack jokes, race E-scooters, and perform for the cameras.

Lady Leshurr – Dynamite Flow

Birmingham’s queen of Grime Lady Leshurr dropped her highly anticipated single ‘Dynamite Flow‘ after teasing it on Twitter a week earlier. She tells us “I recorded this back in October 2019 but got anxiety to release” but upon seeing the feedback to the Twitter clip, including messages from the legend Ms Dynamite herself, was encouraged to release it. Lady Leshurr fires off countless punchlines over the ‘Wiley Flow‘ instrumental

DJ Target announces Tonight with Target

The veteran DJ Target has announced a brand new show landing on BBC Three titled ‘Tonight with Target‘, a 6-episode show that “celebrates the culture [of Black British music] and showcases the hottest music performances around“, featuring live performances from not only some of our favourite names in the scene but also the best up-n-coming stars and cyphers from musicians all over the UK.

Bugzy Malone – The Resurrection

Bugzy Malone released his long-awaited ‘The Resurrection‘ album after some delays. The Manchester MC explores many genres and sounds throughout the project, but retaining his Grimy roots on tracks such as Van Gogh Effect, The Resurrection, Don’t Cry and Salvador, and even reuniting with foe-turned-friend Chip for Notorious. We’re extremely happy to see that Bugzy is back making music after his life-threatening crash in 2019, which he even mentions in some tracks on the album.

Renz – Wiley Studios Vlog

The up-n-coming South London MC Renz returned with another Vlog, this time chronicling the adventures at Wiley‘s recording studio, joined by a cast of fellow new-gen MCs and veterans alike, with features from Squintz, Duppy, Shizz McNaughty and Cadell, alongside the Godfather Wiley himself. The studio session gives us an insight into the creative process behind the music from the artists, and we get teasers of multiple future tracks.

 

Kamakaze – Time it Took ft. Deuce Sparks

The Leicester duo of Kamakaze and Deuce Sparks unite for the laid-back ‘Time it Took‘, the first track taken from Kamakaze‘s upcoming project Wavey Shirt Wednesday 2, the sequel to his 2017 EP. ‘Time it Took‘ has playful verses from the duo about their standings as musicians, with equally light-hearted visuals to match as they play the various games in the arcade they work at.

Catarrh Nisin – Signal Fire

Our first international addition to the list features Japanese Grime MC Catarrh Nisin shelling for ‘Signal Fire‘. With production from the UK’s own Stimpy, Catarrh Nisin brings reflective bars about his mental health and struggles with anxiety, alongside the impacts those issues have on his music and his life. With high-quality visuals often showing him in large, empty spaces, the symbolism of the lyrics is clear in the video for a weighty offering.

Tintz – Dark Dark

After a brief hiatus from releasing tracks and instead shifting his focus on the radio circuit, Tintz is back with a heavy offering titled ‘Dark Dark‘. Tintz often draws for the ‘dark’ themes in his bars and ad-libs, with the oppressive instrumental from Bristol’s Beanzo lets Tintz unleash his darkest side for the pounding release

Defiant x Sharon-Rose – Dragonslayer ft. Tintz, Rolla

Producers Defiant and Sharon-Rose teamed up for a huge co-produced offering titled ‘Dragonslayer‘, with featured verses from Tintz and Rolla. The swelling instrumental feels almost orchestral, with the two MCs delivering huge verses chock-full of punchlines and delivering flows with cerebral precision. Clean visuals show the pair of MCs in various backdrops around London, with rapid cuts building on the ramping sense of urgency created by the audio.

OwlyBeats – Nocturnal

OwlyBeats finally dropped his long-awaited project ‘Nocturnal‘, after teasing the project with single releases ‘Crash Corn‘ with Riko Dan, ‘Blacka Dan‘ with Tintz, and ‘Physical Acts‘ featuring Joe Fire. Alongside the three already named MCs, the project also features MCs from across the UK and has two instrumental tracks included, showcasing many of the sub-genres present in Grime music.

Hella x Logan – Chattings

Bristolian DJ & Producer Hella has garnered a reputation for his unique blend of Dubstep and Grime, and his ability to spin and produce music from both genres. He has now enlisted the help of an MC who holds similar credentials with experience in both genres, Logan, for a deep and dark release titled ‘Chattings‘. Logan addresses those who talk too much in the track, with a subdued flow compared to his usual high-energy self but still brings through his signature patois-heavy flow.

Logan – More Time

Although he collaborated with an external producer in our last mention, Logan‘s reputation as “Mr DIY” is enforced with ‘More Time‘, a track where Logan has taken on the duties of MC-ing, producing, mixing & mastering, and video editing all by himself. ‘More Time‘ is another deep & dark offering, with clear dubstep/sub-low influences as Logan lets loose direct bars over the track.

SBK – You Man ft. Jammer / 64 Bars of Smoke ft. Duppy / Deserve You / Good Enough

After dropping his instrumental EP, SBK went on a streak of YouTube releases, dropping four tracks at once that are all self-produced. The tracks offer a range of emotions, from the reflective nature of ‘Good Enough‘, the appreciative feelings to his lover in ‘Deserve You‘, and the self-assured, hard-hitting bars in ‘You Man‘ with Jammer and ‘64 Bars of Smoke‘ with Duppy. All four tracks are bangers so be sure to check them all out on his YouTube channel HERE.

Snowy x MoreNight – Crazy Again

Nottingham’s Snowy teamed up with MoreNight for a short teaser track in anticipation of Snowy‘s upcoming EP. ‘Crazy Again‘ is presented on a deep and spacey instrumental, with Snowy firing off his bars in his signature flow, before paying homage to Grime legend Griminal by using one of his most famous flows to round off the video.

The CNSR x PK – Money Up

The mastermind behind “The Pengest Munch” and CEO of the “Crep Check” The CNSR has always been supportive of Grime, always present in YouTube comments and often featuring figures in the Grime scene in his videos. With his staple  show “The Pengest Munch” on a brief break, The CNSR has created a new game show called ‘Money Up‘, this time featuring MC and YGG member PK. The duo banter over the nostalgic game while PK answers general knowledge questions in an attempt to win some money from the social media star.

Duppy – The Endz

South London’s fastest rising star Duppy is back with another video, this time to the self-produced ‘The Endz‘. The jumpy track highlights the harsh realities of living around the Southwark Borough, being from “Camberwell and Peckham“, as Duppy speaks on the hardships of the SE area. Duppy effortlessly glides over the instrumental with to-the-point delivery, while stepping through the ends on the south side.

MicOfCourse – Flamerz Flow

MicOfCourse is back with another episode of his ‘OfCourse Mix‘ series, this time putting his talents to the beat of Meek Mill‘s Flamerz Flow. The West Londoner pulls no punches on this track, rattling off his flow over the high-energy instrumental, bringing his elite storytelling and relentless punchlines to the track.

Ten Dixon x Jon E Clayface x Rhimez – Rhino Freestyle

W.A.V.E. Gang members Ten Dixon, Jon E Clayface, and Rhimez unite for ‘Rhino Freestyle‘, a high-octane rally-style track produced by the powerhouse producers Jakebob and Lingerz. Each MC shows off their distinct flows and MC style, but they share the aggression and power in their bars that make this release so impactful. If you can sit completely still while listening to this, I’m definitely surprised.

Realz x HeavyTrackerz – My Soul ft. Nic Hundrds

Realz has taken a step away from his usual Grime and Rap focused sounds in order to bring us the energetic Garage banger titled ‘My Soul‘, produced by the legendary production duo Heavytrackerz, and featuring a harmonious vocal hook from singer Nic Hundrds. The track is the third single taken from ‘Ground Zero‘, an upcoming collaborative project between Realz and the HeavyTrackerz.

Row D – Tea In China

Row D is a veteran in the scene and, after a brief hiatus to focus on producing, is back on the mic for standout single ‘Tea In China‘, a bubbly offering produced by Abstract Talent. The track represents the cultural melting pot that is London, as the instrumental draws on Latin influences while Row D steps through Chinatown, firing off confident bars throughout.

Snoopa – Holding Weight ft. Row D, Pauly Papers, Terra Dizzle

Another big collab on our list, this time in the form of Snoopa‘s ‘Holding Weight‘, featuring Row D, Pauly Papers and Terra Dizzle. The Huffy produced-instrumental reaches back to the classic Grimey sound, with heavy influence from darker dubstep sounds, while the MCs flow one after the other in a rally-style track, letting off hardened bars at a rapid pace.

Big E-D – Titanium Remix EP

Veteran producer Big E-D assembled a team of producers for the ‘Titanium Remix EP‘, an instrumental project where guest producers spin remixes on classic Big E-D riddims, including the legendary ‘Frontline‘ instrumental, which gets a touch-up from the ever-talented Filthy Gears. Alongside Filthy Gears, we see remixes from Nocturnal, Kenny Davis, Grindhouse and SamXVI, followed by an original production from Big E-D himself.

L.Tee – Usual

Rounding off our list is a deeper offering from Croydon’s L.Tee, who recently returned to music after a brief hiatus. ‘Usual‘ is a sombre offering over the slow, rap-flavoured instrumental produced by TPR, while L.Tee spits about the realities of living in his area, his experiences with the prison system, and his lack of faith in fickle supporters. L.Tee promises to be back releasing frequently soon so keep your eyes peeled.