I can't remember the last time I bought a grime 12". That's mainly because I can't remember the last time a grime 12" was released, good or bad. Well, hold the front page of RWD magazine —someone is just about to put out a 4-track grime EP. That someone is a young producer called Rude Kid. And this isn't just any old EP, it's already a classic in the making—incredible from start to finish. The best track of the four, straightforwardly called "The Best", has been vocalled by Ghetto with quite spectacular results. If more than ten people actually gave a shit about grime (and if the song wasn't filled with explicit content), it could be a pretty big radio hit. Unfortunately I only have the instrumental so you'll just have to imagine Ghetto's fast, squeaky voice talking about having casual sex with girls on top of this beat.
Rude Kid, "The Best"
By handy coincidence, Ghetto was on Logan Sama's radio show the other week and the first track he freestyled on in the little session at the end was another by Rude Kid. (Don't say I don't carefully plan the segues between paragraphs each week.)
In last week's column I was preparing to go see David Rodigan play some records, and what a night it was. After basically giving a reggae history lesson (that sounds really gay but it was amazing) he played his dub of Baby Cham's "Ghetto Story" followed by YT's "England Story". He then played Demarco and Mykal Rose's cuts on the Shoot Out rhythms before moving onto Mission rhythm—each song a Rodigan dub—and then finished on Shabba Ranks's "Pirates' Anthem". If you want a tenuous grime link, Rinse FM often play the a cappella of this song between shows.
Download: Cocoa T, Home T & Shabba Ranks, "Pirates' Anthem"
Also playing on the night was Rusko, who was OK if you like tracks with the same bassline that drop in almost the exact same pretty inane way each time. I can understand why people like him, though - you know what you're getting. It's music for people who don't like surprises. I do like surprises. Btw, I heard a totally unsubtantiated rumour that Rusko is working on some stuff for the new Missy Elliott album. It's such an unfathomable concept that it has to be true.
In other dubstep-related news, Appleblim (recent interview with him here) has started a new label called Apple Pips, which has been set up to explore the areas between dubstep, minimal techno and house. (Fun fact: did you know apple pips contain arsenic?) The debut release is from Dutch producer Martyn and it's well worth your attention.
Finally, check out this mix by my friend Smutlee. It's got grime, dancehall, dubstep, bassline, hip-hop, and finishes up with some UK house / funky / whatever the fuck they eventually decide to call it. I seriously cannot get enough of this stuff. If I was given the chance to take the form of a musical genre right now, it would be this so I could somehow consume myself.
Download: Smutlee's June mix
01: JIMMY & TARRUS RILEY - PULL UP SELECTOR
02: 77 KLASH FT. JOHNNY OSBOURNE - MAD AGAIN
03: SANTOGOLD FT. JAMMER BADNESS, CHRONIK, RAGE, SLIKMAN, TEMPA T- CREATOR (MUMDANCE RMX)
04: N.E.R.D FT. MOVADO - EVERYONE NOSE (SMUTLEE BLEND)
05: MAVADO - NAH BLEACH WITH CREAM (DAYBREAK RIDDIM)
06: CHINO FT. WAYNE MARSHALL - DANGER (DAYBREAK RIDDIM)
07: BRAMMA - MI NAH PLAY (DAYBREAK RIDDIM)
08: SIZZLA - DEM A GO DEAD (SHOOTER RIDDIM)
09: CASPA & RUSKO - BREAD GET BUN
10: SIZZLA FT. DAVID BANNER - SOLID AS A ROCK (DJ OBSESSION RMX)
11: RUSKO - COCKNEY THUG
12: DUBCHILD - UNTITLED
13: CASPA - OHH R YA
14: COTTI FT. JAMMER - DEM FI KNOW
15: BLESS BEATS FT. GHOST, LADY LYKES & CHIPMUNK - KILL ALL A DEM
16: BAR 9 - MURDA SOUND
17: THE BUG FT. KILLA P & FLOW DAN - SKENG
18: CLIPZ - PAPUA NEW GUINEA (RMX)
19: OPTIMUS AND DROID - RINSING SELECTION
20: DOCTOR - CALM DOWN
21: LIL WAYNE/SKREAM - MILLI REQUEST LINE (SMUTLEE BLEND)
22: WILEY FT. FLOWDAN, TINCHY & MESSY - IT'S A PAR
23: BRETT MAVERICK - CHOP OFF THEM
24: MR VIRGO - HYPNOTIQ
25: WOOKIE - BATTLE (BASSLINE RMX)
26: DJ Q - SHOTTAS
27: ELEPHANT MAN - PRISON/ROLEX (SMUTLEE BLEND)
28: BUJU BANTON - CRAZY TALK/ROLEX (SMUTLEE BLEND)
29: LIL WAYNE - LOLLIPOP (VIN SOL REMIX)
30: VYBZ KARTEL - PUSSY NUFFI SUCK (NEVA YOU)
31: ELEPHANT MAN - HEAD TOP
32: DAMIAN & STEPHEN MARLEY - THE MISSION (THE MISSION RIDDIM)
33: MAVADO FT. JAY-Z - I'M ON THE ROCK (THE MISSION RIDDIM)
34: GEENEUS - I TRY
35: GLOBE - HORNS
36: DJ NAUGHTY - QUICKTIME
37: APPLE - SEGALIZER VIP