"Now that's what I call Grime" track listing suggestions

Grievous Angel

Beast of Burden
With all the discussion of RTR2 and the need for a compilation of Grime big tunes I think it's worth starting a thread that brings all the suggestions into one place so we can settle on some kind ideal track listing.

Rules are as follows:

  • tunes have to be Grime not Dubstep. Incredibly Dubstep has had more and better compilation action than Grime has so lets focus on Grime. Dubstep cross over tracks will be considered (Midnight Request Line is the obvious candidate) but no halfstep brilliance will be entertained. Similarly, no newly forged UK Garage
  • the hypothetical CD will be an un-mixed compilation with companion mix CD (by Logan, no doubt)
  • we are looking for tunes with both maximum quality and maximum cross-over potential. Our inspiration is the classic-period jungle compilations, which showcased the scene and provided an entry point for the curious and the uncommitted. Dodgy half-arsed "grime-trying-to-be-hip-hop" tunes which pander to other scenes tastes may not make the cut. Equally, lets be realistic about our audience -- they don't want pop pap, they want tip-top Grime-age.
  • selections can be from any era of grime but I urge you to consider whether what was once considered a stand-out tune will really cut it with a fresh audience today
  • multiple tunes on the same riddim will be considered but will have to work hard to justify inclusion. Wiley fans, I'm looking at you.

I suggest we get lots of suggestions in (i.e. create a "long list") and then go back and rank them / cut them down.
 

gumdrops

Well-known member
since we can choose from any era, i'd go with kano - boys luv girls, ruff sqwad - underground, jammer - murkle man, dizzee - i luv u, roll deep - when im ere, tinchy stryder - move, newham generals - prangman for starters.
 

Blackdown

nexKeysound
2stepfan said:
tunes have to be Grime not Dubstep. Incredibly Dubstep has had more and better compilation action than Grime has so lets focus on Grime. Dubstep cross over tracks will be considered (Midnight Request Line is the obvious candidate) but no halfstep brilliance will be entertained. Similarly, no newly forged UK Garage

out of interest, i suspect the halfstep beat in dubstep came from grime, in particular Wonder's 'What'.
 

Tim F

Well-known member
A collection of not-too-old stuff that would make a good commercial comp:

Danny Weed - Shank Riddim
JME - Serious
Katie Pearl ft. Jendor - Mr. DJ
Ruff Sqwad - Future
Statik - Charge (Remix)
Bruza - Get Me
Wiley - They Just Can't Get Along With Wiley
Breeze - Marchin' On
Skepta - Single
Low Deep - Str8 Flush (Vocal Mix)
Shystie - Make It Easy (Davinche Remix)
Roll Deep - Poltergeist (Terra Danjah Mix)
Crazy Titch - Singalong
Roll Deep - Hardcore
Ears - Fine
Flirta D - Hype Hype (Wonder Remix)
Trim Taliban - Boogeyman
Newham Generals - Prangman
Ruff Sqwad - Anna
Roll Deep - Trouble
P Jam - Can't Hold It In
 

Blackdown

nexKeysound
i can't really begin to describe what a complex, expensive and difficult task doing a NTWICGrime comp that doesn't make massive losses would be. it's very deceptive. that list by tim is £15-25k worth of licencing alone. the sales of compilations and the narrow margins these days simply don't make this an easy or worthwhile project for the vast majority of labels.
 

Tyro

The Kandy Tangerine Man
Blackdown said:
out of interest, i suspect the halfstep beat in dubstep came from grime, in particular Wonder's 'What'.

That would be my take on it also.Is it possible not to get bogged down in endlessly sub dividing the genre?
 
S

simon silverdollar

Guest
someone should just give 'sidewinder' a proper release- loads of big MCs and a different grimey bassline for each MC! it's like a grime megamix...
 

Tyro

The Kandy Tangerine Man
Blackdown said:
halfstep isnt a subdivision of dubstep, just a way of describing a particular drum pattern.

Yes,I do understand your use of the term.However,the first post in the thread had stated that 'Midnight Request Line' would be a candidate,''but no halfstep brilliance will be entertained'' and was therefore helping to create a subdivision.
 

Grievous Angel

Beast of Burden
Gumdrops' off the cuff list is looking pretty good to me. Merkle Man is the sort of "in with a bullet" classic we're looking for. We need hooks so suggestions of Dizzee tunes would be welcome -- I'm note sure if I Luv U quite does it for me, or at least not alone; Jus’ A Rascal perhaps? I'm thinking stuff like Bear man - Drinking beer too. Lotta good ideas on Tim F's list (Just Can't Get Along With Wiley, Prangman for example).

Blackdown said:
i can't really begin to describe what a complex, expensive and difficult task doing a NTWICGrime comp that doesn't make massive losses would be. it's very deceptive. that list by tim is £15-25k worth of licencing alone. the sales of compilations and the narrow margins these days simply don't make this an easy or worthwhile project for the vast majority of labels.
Well, this exercise is partially a means of testing that proposition. Don't get me wrong -- your point is well-made. But with my economics hat on, I see that other genres can make money out of compilations. So lets try to visualise what the product would be like -- a really good (two CD?) compilation -- and then lets can think about finance and distribution. Run some numbers and see what the breakeven volume would be.

After all, pretty much everyone who buys music knows about Grime now, and with Roll Deep scoring a number 11, and with regular Grime appearances on Westwood (excellent Dizzee / Sway session on Saturday) there is obviously some cross over potential (i.e. beyond vinyl buyers and downloaders). Actually, I could see Westwood making quite a good fist of doing a Grime compo.

Tyro said:
,the first post in the thread had stated that 'Midnight Request Line' would be a candidate,''but no halfstep brilliance will be entertained'' and was therefore helping to create a subdivision.
No, I was being descriptive of (part of) dubstep, but let us not be detained by side-conversations -- let's build the long-list...
 

Paul Hotflush

techno head
I suspect the problem with getting something like this together (and the reason more compilations haven't been released) would be that the grime scene as a whole thinks it's bigger than it is. If the market for a grime compilation with a licensing budget of £20k was there, then someone would put one together. Obviously it's not.
 

Grievous Angel

Beast of Burden
Paul Hotflush said:
If the market for a grime compilation with a licensing budget of £20k was there, then someone would put one together. Obviously it's not.
Yes, this is an exercise in testing the limits of market failure. For my suspicion is that there is an untapped market which no-one has quite had the nous or nerve to address. Never forget -- the founding assumption of Merrill Lynch is that markets are imperfect, and that this affords opportunity. It's just a question of your appetite for risk...
 

Plasticman

Active member
Jammer - Murkle Man
N.A.S.T.Y. - Run For Cover
Skepta - Single
J.M.E. - Serious
Wiley - Sidewinder
Ruff Sqwad - Anna
Meridian - Private Caller
Tinchy Stryder - Underground
D Double E - Signal
Newham Generals - Prangman
Essentials Feat/ J2K & Dynasty - State Your Name
Kano - P's and Q's
Bearman - Drinking Beer
Plasticman feat. Shizzle, Fresh, Napper - Cha Vocal (biased sorry !)
Roll Deep - When I'm Ere

I think those are some good "recent" tracks which would all fare well on a commercial grime compilation. You've got the Channel U tracks on there which everyone knows as well, bound to help you with sales.

I'm not putting that down as a definitive list, if I could put one together myself I would choose differently, but I think to start with there are some core grime tracks in that list.
 

Grievous Angel

Beast of Burden
Plasticman said:
I think those are some good "recent" tracks which would all fare well on a commercial grime compilation. You've got the Channel U tracks on there which everyone knows as well, bound to help you with sales.
Excellent thoughts P-man, good commercial orientation too. (Has there ever been a time when the ardkore 'nuum hasn't been invigorated by a healthy respect for commercialism?)

For the record I'd put "Ready for Love" in my all-time Grime top 5.

Blackdown, you wanna expand on your point about likely licensing costs? What's the benchmark / data point?
 

Badmarsh

Well-known member
2stepfan said:
Yes, this is an exercise in testing the limits of market failure. For my suspicion is that there is an untapped market which no-one has quite had the nous or nerve to address. Never forget -- the founding assumption of Merrill Lynch is that markets are imperfect, and that this affords opportunity. It's just a question of your appetite for risk...[/QUOTE

Better make sure your set your stop losses right.
 

Grievous Angel

Beast of Burden
Badmarsh said:
Better make sure your set your stop losses right.
Ah, I'm not investing... not this week at any rate...

... next question: who are candidates for releasing such a compilation? Is Relentless still going?
 

Paul Hotflush

techno head
Yep, they've just made a pigs ear of the Roll Deep album/singles. I can't think of a worse label to get a decent grime album together.
 

Plasticman

Active member
I have been trying to get a decent grime comp out for the last year or so, the majors don't want to know.

It's all about setting up a compilation through a decent independant.
 
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