Aside from Meridian Dan being a North London vet in the grime scene, we're going to go ahead and state that he should also be the new face of PETA. This is Dan's latest video 'Vegan Chat' which you can catch him bagging up vegetables like drugs, fighting a boxing cow in the ring and being hung on a rack like a slab of beef. Directed and shot by Paul Casey and Richard Jobson of Blok, Meridian Dan drops a number of inspirational gems in the lyrics as well as cheeky liners that he has been known to do over the years.
East London grime vet D Double E has not only been in the scene since its beginning, but has remained an vital part of it. Having released loads of records as a member of the Newham Generals alongside partner Footsie, it almost seems blasphemous to imagine that 'Jackuum!' is his debut LP. Finally delivering what grime fans have craved for years now, the new album is limited to a small number of features which only include Wiley, Skepta, AJ Tracey and Littlez, as well as boasts heavy production from the likes of Spyro, Swindle, Swifta and more.
Sometimes thinking about the golden era of UK grime feels like going deep into the history books and reading about an era that, while not SO long ago, seems centuries old. Pirate radio, clashes and tape packs of raves were all apart of the foundation of the scene, that in all fairness actually had a number of resuscitating moments since the early 2000s. So when artists like Birmingham vet Slick Don release core grime singles, it's a reminder that the sound is still kicking and not waiting to implode on itself with Hip-Hop meets pop aspirations.
At this point East London's D Double E pretty much has a permanent etching in the mountain of grime. As someone who helped to pioneer the genre, he has remained in the top tier list of emcees for years now. With his debut LP 'Jackuum!' landing this summer, D Double has shared the third single from the album titled 'Back Then'. Delving into a bit of his history including the days of jungle and even watching 'Top of the Pops' with his family as a youth, the track is premium grime at its finest delivered from a veteran of the game who has yet to fall from his reign. Check it out.
South London trio The Manor join forces with Donae’o for the summer scorcher ‘Tyson Fury’. …
A solid cast of grime and rap talent joins with rappers, MC’s, and DJs flying the flag. North-West London’s AJ Tracey brings pure heat to the Outlook stage, with stalwart and ex Roll Deep member Killa P. Camden mic-murkers YGG are set to slay at Outlook ‘18 too. Deep MC’s are a plenty - Lady Leshurr, Jaykae and Kamakaze rep for the Midlands with raw and rugged bars, and MCR Darkside Crew member, President T, all join. Rinse FM’s Grandmixxer journeys through his record collection - expect stone cold grime classics and more, whilst Trends & Boylan showcase dark, icy instrumentals. UK rap has risen to the top this year, with the likes of MIST putting the scene, and his hometown of Birmingham back on the map after a Mobo win and more. Melanin 9 and Ocean Wisdom are part of the next wave of rappers putting a distinct take on UK hip-hop, Outlook welcomes them along with mainstay acts like Devilman. Alternative beats come from the wondrous, soulful Fatima, hip-hop explorer Open Mike Eagle, Israeli MC Miss Red, and Goth-trad. Boundary defying breakouts to check are Ryan De La Cruz, Ezra Collective and Layfullstop, who fuse jazz and hip-hop influences. Stone’s Throw founder Peanut Butter Wolf, BBZ member Shy One and eclectic selector Eva Lazarus lay down selections across the week.
If you scale back and take a look at Wiley’s career as a whole, what …
Known for gliding between Hip-Hop and grime, and doing it well, Isaiah Dreads makes his return with the track 'Where Have You Been'. Calling for emcees to step up their bars, the emcee completely goes in like a vet over bass thumping grime production by Zdot and Krunchie. The song is taken from Isaiah Dreads' upcoming EP 'South West', landing April 13th via Payday Records. 'Where Have You Been' is out April 6th.
There is no question that East London's D Double E is a legend in grime. Aside from helping to firmly lay down a foundation for the scene, some of his verses are the most memorable in grime. The Newham General member teams up with the big man himself Skepta for the single and video 'Nang'. Directed by Ed Hubert, D Double and Skepta pass the mic back in forth in an old school warehouse rave setting. The song is taken from D Double E's upcoming solo album 'Jackuum!'. Check it out.
There has to be something said about an artist who has been active for two decades and still finds the drive and hunger to keep delivering. East London grime pioneer Wiley has practically out worked everyone in the scene that he built, and still continues to release critically acclaimed albums that is typically a hard accomplishment in any genre. Whilst his latest single title 'Been A While' could seem a bit off considering that his LP 'Godfather' was literally released in January of 2017, the track features Will still sharp as ever with an ear for the right grime production that continues to set the place on fire. 'Been A While' is taken from Wiley's forthcoming 'Godfather II' album, out March 30th.
