Jesus Christ, is there anyone out there who doesn't have an mp3 of Wiley's "Wearing My Rolex"? Instead of just downloading an awful quality digital version like everyone else, I'd been planning on doing the right thing and calling up Bless Beats to ask for a copy. But then every time I'd go to a club, some pink New Era-wearing cretin would be playing it. I would be by the bar trying to down my Guinness and Red Bull without puking (how disgusting is that drink?) when on it would come. I actually don't think I've been in a club in the last month where someone hasn't played it. It was starting to really annoy me, especially when the pepperoni pizza-faced DJ and his mates would jump around waving and clapping like a gaggle of demented seal pups.
Well anyway, you're never going to believe what arrived in the post today: another three copies of some shitty Taio Cruz record to add to the other 12 I've stapled to the ceiling to cover up the damp marks. Oh yeah, AND the CD promo of "Wearing My Rolex" via the Atlantic Records mailing list. Finally I can listen to it without giving every rat in a three mile radius tinnitus.
With any grime tune that gets signed (all three of them) there is a rush to do remixes. Mz. Bratt has made her own vocal version; Brags, Blacks and Vener Remah have made some type of mash up using their new single, "Know About Me", and, not to be left out, Wiley has even decided to make a re-edit with Skepta called "Rolex Sweep".
Check the video for "Know About Me" above. It sounds like they spent 10 minutes writing the song but I'm into the old school Slimzee-style production. What is most interesting for me here is the visuals. The production levels of grime videos have definitely improved, but right now it looks like everyone is using that hue shift effect thing that filters the colours to make the video look all shitty and RGB. I don't know if there is some 2-for-1 deal at UrBaN PrOdUcTiOnZ but something is up.
For more shitty filtering, check the video for "Nodd" by Knucklez. If cheap digital camera footage and bad post production were de rigeur for the video-making industry, this would clean up at the VMAs. It also features some of the most cringeworthy breakdancing moves since Bomfunk MCs' "Freestylers" video.
On a more positive note, the ever-reliable Ruff Sqwad are back with their new single "RSMD". Ruff Sqwad are like the Daniel Johnston of grime - revered and respected by their peers, but sadly destined never to go anywhere. And unfortunately they will never have an unquestionably followed benefactor like Kurt Cobain pushing their name to ever gain them any sort of fame.
