i haven't quite been sold on novelist as the Saviour of Grime to date but "street politician" is prob the best thing from him yet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtqF9bRoU6A
― cher guevara (lex pretend), Thursday, 7 January 2016 12:50 (eight years ago) link
ILM's Rolling Grime Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist^ will be updating in early February
― Copy rights, pleasing all star wars fans, hiring professionals. (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 7 January 2016 15:29 (eight years ago) link
novelist heavily channeling oshea jackson there
novelist's alright but a bit precocious to me. not quite chipmunk, but close.
― StillAdvance, Thursday, 7 January 2016 15:40 (eight years ago) link
who produced that? its amazing.
― StillAdvance, Thursday, 7 January 2016 15:42 (eight years ago) link
he's trying p hard not to be like chipmunk!
feel like he veered a bit too close to dizzee imitation last year and i still think mumdance's production on "1 sec" was annoyingly deliberately awkward but "endz" and this are good
― cher guevara (lex pretend), Thursday, 7 January 2016 15:49 (eight years ago) link
I think he did it himself?https://soundcloud.com/novelist/novelist-david-cameron-riddim
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, 7 January 2016 15:50 (eight years ago) link
the version of 1 sec on the fabric mix was the best thing he and mumdance have done i think. but im not a huge fan. he sounds too young to me. i know im meant to say its good that a grime mc is writing something politicised etc etc, but idk, it sort of lacks gravitas for me. if that brings me closer to cameron than the lewisham mandem, then so be it!
― StillAdvance, Thursday, 7 January 2016 15:54 (eight years ago) link
novelist is weird though.... at first i thought he was in that jme vein, but now he seems to be trying pretty hard to make sure no one thinks hes clean cut, or too 'smart' or whatever, and that he can go as hard (ie violent) as any other mc. which is all fine, but um, idk, he is called novelist, im still expecting some lupe fiasco/kendrick kind of album from him.
― StillAdvance, Thursday, 7 January 2016 15:56 (eight years ago) link
He strikes me as a bit witless and not terribly exciting as an MC, like there are dozens of better guys out there. Suspect most of the buzz is down to his having collaborated with the 'right' people, plus being a stable enough character for labels to get behind. And yeah, calling yourself Novelist is a neat shortcut to having people immediately bestowing Importance upon you.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 7 January 2016 16:05 (eight years ago) link
Like he sounds alright on that Mumdance Fabric mix but Riko completely destroys him on the following track. Speaking of which, Riko seems to have found a lucrative enough sideline as ongoing realness totem for DJ Martian-friendly arrivistes but, I dunno, has it really come to this?
― Matt DC, Thursday, 7 January 2016 16:11 (eight years ago) link
it has.
also see: flowdan, who had some total howlers on the last bug album. flowdan seems to be the person you now go to when you need a wisened, rootsy, fount-of-street-wisdom box ticked. im all for mcs getting a second shot, but its a bit weird cos that was never what was good about him iirc.
― StillAdvance, Thursday, 7 January 2016 16:17 (eight years ago) link
"he's trying p hard not to be like chipmunk!"
its just that similar vibe of precocious cutesiness and then also trying to sound humble at the same time, which doesnt totally convince. i find his persona a little inconsistent tbh.
― StillAdvance, Thursday, 7 January 2016 19:40 (eight years ago) link
dark track with a twisting menacing bass line
Darq E Freaker - Spin A Manhttps://soundcloud.com/darqefreaker/spin-a-man
via FADER: http://www.thefader.com/2016/01/06/darq-e-freaker-d-double-e-spin-a-man
― djmartian, Sunday, 10 January 2016 23:12 (eight years ago) link
FACT - 11 grime producers to watch in 2016http://www.factmag.com/2016/01/12/grime-producers-to-watch-rocks-tarquin/
― djmartian, Tuesday, 12 January 2016 19:42 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gnTbj6WFps
― paolo, Friday, 15 January 2016 18:50 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nir9Z4x1i1Q
Only 45 seconds on youtube :(
― paolo, Friday, 15 January 2016 18:51 (eight years ago) link
Actually 'Street Politician' is A LOT better than anything else I've heard from Novelist. Feel a bit more fondly towards him now I know he was Deputy Young Mayor of Lewisham as well.
― Matt DC, Friday, 15 January 2016 19:40 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ZP946eNVQ
Bangerrr
― paolo, Saturday, 16 January 2016 13:27 (eight years ago) link
This is so feelgood:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GtVUkyzvhU
― Mercer Finn, Thursday, 11 February 2016 20:09 (eight years ago) link
Levelz crew from Manchester do things beyond grime but the focus on MCs makes it qualify I think. Mixtape is free here: https://levelzmcr.bandcamp.com/album/lvl-11
Found them after caning the Sam Binga album last year, which featured some of the same MCs. Mortified that there's already been a FACTmag feature on them from a year ago: http://www.factmag.com/2015/02/06/wu-tang-meets-the-happy-mondays-the-levelz-crew-raise-it-up-for-manchester/
(Nothing like the Happy Mondays thankfully)
― Mercer Finn, Thursday, 11 February 2016 20:24 (eight years ago) link
love that elf kid single
the new skepta single with someone from the bottom of the asap barrel is really bad :(
― cher guevara (lex pretend), Monday, 15 February 2016 16:34 (eight years ago) link
Playlist live and updated:
ILM's Rolling Grime 2016 Spotify Playlist
― ulysses, Monday, 29 February 2016 23:08 (eight years ago) link
I've been going through this mix series and it's uniformly great:https://soundcloud.com/truants/sets/functions-of-the-now
― sam jax sax jam (Jordan), Thursday, 10 March 2016 17:01 (eight years ago) link
this will be on the Rinse FM playlist and could well make the ilm top 77 tracks at the end of the year:
Last Japan ft. AJ Tracey - Ascendhttps://soundcloud.com/platform/last-japan-ascend-feat-aj-tracey-boiler-room-debuts
reminds me of German Whip, fast vocal flow and art-grime.
due mid-May on Coyote Records
Last Japan x AJ Tracey Hit Hard On 'Ascend'http://www.clashmusic.com/news/last-japan-x-aj-tracey-hit-hard-on-ascendLast Japan sits on the 1s and 2s while AJ Tracey steps into the booth on 'Ascend'. It's a fantastic return, packed with blistering energy, wit, and a no-holds-barred attitude.
― djmartian, Sunday, 20 March 2016 20:58 (eight years ago) link
"1s and 2s" really doesn't mean anything now does it?
Like the flows, the production is decent but a bit triite -- those scales, arpeggios, whatever you call them, kind of push it over the top. Still, much better than the production on that 3 Wheel Ups track upthread which is mediocre at best.
― viborg, Monday, 21 March 2016 09:02 (eight years ago) link
@ sam jax sax jam: Any of those mixes you'd particularly recommend? It seems like the kind of thing that's a good concept, and I know Truants has solid values for curation, but in reality it would probably frustrate me to listen to all of it cause I'm too picky. Currently checking out the MESH mix tho, so far so good.
― viborg, Monday, 21 March 2016 09:04 (eight years ago) link
I revised my expectations for the album several notches downwards after hearing that.
― Matt DC, Monday, 21 March 2016 10:23 (eight years ago) link
new no lay is probably her most focused track since the "unorthadox daughter" days
https://soundcloud.com/officialnolay/nolay-x-kid-d-gotta-love-it-explicit
― cher guevara (lex pretend), Wednesday, 20 April 2016 08:21 (eight years ago) link
New Skepta video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOhxPhqzMwg&feature=youtu.be
― paolo, Monday, 2 May 2016 11:48 (seven years ago) link
"new no lay is probably her most focused track since the "unorthadox daughter" days"
She nearly died in a car accident last week but judging by her Twitter feed she's getting through it.
― Matt DC, Monday, 2 May 2016 11:52 (seven years ago) link
New Stormzy video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7xA8Hzuyac
― Mercer Finn, Wednesday, 4 May 2016 17:56 (seven years ago) link
skepta leaked
― moullet, Thursday, 5 May 2016 12:45 (seven years ago) link
chase & status's ridiculous lurching d&b single is the best thing novelist's ever been on don't @ me
― cher guevara (lex pretend), Tuesday, 17 May 2016 12:43 (seven years ago) link
Chase and Status made a few decent grime tunes back in the day if I remember right
And that Stormzy track is wicked
― paolo, Tuesday, 17 May 2016 18:42 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz7md3fyO9g
Double S & JME - Style and Flows. Liking this one a lot.
Kinda feel like Boy Better Know headlining Wireless was yet another tipping point.
― Matt DC, Friday, 22 July 2016 10:58 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFUw1jrPbcA
Would love to hear Terror Danjah make some more tracks like this
― paolo, Monday, 1 August 2016 20:26 (seven years ago) link
Flava D's barnstorming Fabriclive mix has Stush doing Dollar Sign over Juicy Patty and it's a proper highlight.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 2 August 2016 09:08 (seven years ago) link
these are great -
http://www.factmag.com/2016/07/30/10-accidental-grime-tracks-wolverine-proto-grime/
i love that flava d mix.
― StillAdvance, Wednesday, 3 August 2016 14:44 (seven years ago) link
xpost - yeah, i think terror maybe needs to leave the hyperdub crowd alone for a bit.
Dylan Beale's Tri-fusion is so incredible. its like he invented mr slash, odds n eastwood and musical mobb 20 years before they even came out.
― StillAdvance, Wednesday, 3 August 2016 14:52 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jfn-U6EGzU
― paolo, Tuesday, 9 August 2016 16:37 (seven years ago) link
I didn't notice b/c I usually find him pretty annoying but the last couple from Ghetts have been really great. This is from January:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWH_w9SrMk8
― Mercer Finn, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 20:09 (seven years ago) link
First time I link her, Nandos sweet£9.95, I swipe, then eatI one-two rap, she don't give hatThiago Silva, man block, then skeet
― ||||||||, Saturday, 1 October 2016 16:53 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oba9M3DaL68
― paolo, Sunday, 2 October 2016 09:46 (seven years ago) link
↑↑↑ love that
― Mercer Finn, Friday, 7 October 2016 17:06 (seven years ago) link
Playlist is updated here though there's not a lot to choose from (at least as far as spotify is concerned in the states)... more suggestions from the current year?
ILM's Rolling Grime Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist
― the notes the loon doesn't play (ulysses), Monday, 24 October 2016 22:39 (seven years ago) link
This might be my 2016 favourite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnhaKnkjzJU
― Mercer Finn, Sunday, 6 November 2016 20:55 (seven years ago) link
Actually no wait it might be this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bexGVCzl1TM
― Mercer Finn, Sunday, 6 November 2016 22:19 (seven years ago) link
Sonic BOOM.
― Matt DC, Monday, 7 November 2016 09:59 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFWXzJApXpk
― paolo, Thursday, 10 November 2016 18:39 (seven years ago) link
Though 10/10 was poor, but the above two are great! Looking forward to the album now.
― Mercer Finn, Saturday, 12 November 2016 19:56 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa1glDxNvfk
― paolo, Thursday, 29 December 2016 12:17 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ksnw9hB-cCc
― paolo, Thursday, 29 December 2016 12:19 (seven years ago) link
Was watching top of the pops with my parents when this was on. They thought Skepta was rubbish :(
― paolo, Thursday, 29 December 2016 12:21 (seven years ago) link
playlist is finalized for the year.
― A big shout out goes to the lamb chops, thos lamb chops (ulysses), Thursday, 2 February 2017 06:34 (seven years ago) link