Best Dancehall and/or Grime record stores in London

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I'm heading over to London in a couple of days, while over there I plan to pick up some records that I can't get in Brisbane (ie Dancehall & Grime) in order to ease downloading guilt. I've heard of Rhythm Division but what else?

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Saturday, 17 April 2004 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Blackmarket & Cage.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Saturday, 17 April 2004 13:10 (twenty-two years ago)

... would be the ones to avoid, yeah

independance and blacker dread

― prima fassy (mwah), Saturday, 17 April 2004 13:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I went into Independance in Lewisham once. It was scary. Lots of blacks.

― scg, Saturday, 17 April 2004 14:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I get all my bashment from Rough Trade.

― scg, Saturday, 17 April 2004 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

"pretty pretty riddim! rough trade comes with the exclusives again! even the pirates havent heard this! u get me!" - poster, march 04

― prima fassy (mwah), Saturday, 17 April 2004 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Uptown Records, across the road from Blackmarket.

― JoB (JoB), Sunday, 18 April 2004 10:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Rhythm Divivsion really is the one for grime (the road it's on is cool, too for proper Eastend cultcha, cafes etc and there's a nice old pub a few minutes away), Blackmarket's okay and Dan behind the counter is a nice friendly helpful guy (DJs as Youngsta), Uptown's also cool but a little less convivial (you can do both of these on a nice lazy walk thru Soho and stop at historic boozers on the way and make like you're hanging with Francis Bacon, Jeffrey Bernard and Dylan Thomas if you're of a mind to). Much as I hate to, I agree with Fassy on anything, he's right re Blacker Dread - rude, intimidating , will prob ignore you or if the do deign to speak to you, try to sell you shit no one else wants for inflated prices – it's taken me FIVE YEARS to get them to stop trying to fuck me about and it still sometimes happens. Shame as they do have the best sides in town there, but it's on a grotesque road in Brixton anyway, so you can all-round do without the grief. Dub Vendor in Ladbroke Grove is quite a bit better and less scary, but my fave for service and friendliness is Regal Records on Lower Clapton Road, Hackney - a short bus ride from Rhythm Division and a few doors away from the spectacularly funny Don's Café - a greasy spoon run by two little old dudes (one called Don Ferrari!!!) who look like Yoda, forget stuff constantly and burn things to a soundtrack of French accordion music. They make a great cup of tea, though, so drop in for a sit down and enjoy!

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Sunday, 18 April 2004 13:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Much as I hate to, I agree with Fassy on anything

AAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH! that was obviously supposed to say "much as i hate to agree with fassy on anything", not that i agree with him re everything!!!

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Sunday, 18 April 2004 13:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I went into Independance in Lewisham once. It was scary. Lots of blacks

this is just written to wind people up, isn't it? obviously you want a comment, don't you?

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Sunday, 18 April 2004 13:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I think prima is saying that blackmarket and cage/rhythm division would be the one to avoid and that he recommends blacker dread and independance.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 18 April 2004 14:33 (twenty-two years ago)

what on earth has it got to do with you?

― Ronan (Ronan), Sunday, 18 April 2004 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

or me either, please don't reply.

― Ronan (Ronan), Sunday, 18 April 2004 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

what are you on about?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 18 April 2004 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

you stir worse than a precocious 11 year old

― Ronan (Ronan), Sunday, 18 April 2004 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I wasn't stirring anything, just seeing contradictory info on the thread, and as I was looking for info into this as well...

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 18 April 2004 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Re: Don's, here are the wonderful words of our very own Tracer Hand:

"Don's" in Hackney(Or is it Dalston?) is run by two ebullient old men who have Italian wedding music on a continuous mix. The habit of their movements seem to have melded with the music to become a rolling oeuvre of whimsy; when they pour your coffee they make a litle flourish at the end, humming boisterously to each other and jiggling themselves distractedly on the balls of their feet. The high windows are indeterminedly opaque, and the inside looks like a horse stable painted over with yellow gloss. The food's ok.
-- Tracer Hand (tracerhan...), April 6th, 2004 2:00 PM.

I really need to track this place down. And maybe buy some records in the process.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Sunday, 18 April 2004 15:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks for the information (including quality tea procuring), I only just got into UK after an extended stopover in Japan. Now all I have to do is decide to only buy a couple of records, which I can fit in my baggage, or buy a record bag, screw my account and by as much as I can.

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Friday, 23 April 2004 16:38 (twenty-two years ago)

oh u guyz! julio is right tho. blackmarket MAY WELL have nice ppl to chum up to but they have no records and the ones they do are late. but cameo at uptown is more than happy to pretend to be your friend while he waits for your card to clear. couldn't disagree more about blacker dread really, "Shame as they do have the best sides in town there" soz but thats all that counts! i have never experienced this foisting of old stuff u dont want at hi prices, he'd rather u left his shop soon as poss, but once u get the old sourpuss to play some riddims out he's perfectly happy, and v v clued up on whats coming soon. tap the counter for the ones u want and shut your trap, any stupid questions and he'll bark at u. gives me a boner, man

― prima fassy (mwah), Friday, 23 April 2004 17:45 (twenty-two years ago)

also the ladbroke grove dub vendor has the worst staff ever and only gets what clapham junction branch is done with. you dont get to be rude if ur clueless liars

independance has a lovely bloke, a dog and some sort of deal with wiley cos they have an amazing back catalogue. if ur looking to stop over and pick up some classics u must make the effort to go here

generally the rule is surprise suprise, know what u want. not much of a tourist industry in jamaica

― prima fassy (mwah), Friday, 23 April 2004 17:52 (twenty-two years ago)

and coldhardbour lane is grotesque?!

― prima fassy (mwah), Friday, 23 April 2004 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

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