It's a funny old thing. Think Logan's comment is really on the money, I must say. On the one hand, RWD forums are all "WHO WD WIN OUT OF A CLASH BTWN TRIM AND GHETTO? TRIM IS BIGGLE" etc, and on the other, the blogsphere sometimes gets a little pretensious doesn't it? It's all good I suppose, people are really interested in grime for different reasons, but there's a real tendency to pick everything apart, too much in my view. at least this scene is getting documented for posterity.
speaking as a UK mo'fucker, I think the interest in grime, and what it's "about" for different people, speaks volumes about class in Britain today. It's a complicated point and I don't wanna be flippant...but talking about this music seems to lead to a lot of assumptions. I do think some of the interest is kinda like class tourism - "it's so exciting, these people talking about a life I will never understand". And the assumption seems to be - go on Dissensus, wax lyrical about grime and it's reference points etc = you are middle class, you have a media job, you are not/have not been "on road". like these producers and MCs are brave soldiers, out there living the tough life, documenting it for our benefit. and maybe people get pissed off when they feel that artists aren't being "brave" enough, wanting to make some coin - see reaction to Roll Deep's album, maybe?
personally speaking, i'm "educated" and all that shit, got a good degree eventually, know who Sun Ra and Guy DeBord are etc...but i've also sold drugs, been unemployed, robbed for a living, lived in really shit places, had family do jail, seen gun shit, blah blah blah...and i'm still broke. not saying "wow look at me, aren't I tough?"...suppose I'm saying, people get very frothy over grime coz it's so "street", but when talking about it sometimes come across a little strange and a bit patronising perhaps. some of the writing I've seen on the "blogsphere" does strike me as guilty intellectuals fantasising about tough black men. please, don't cuss me out here, like i say not trying to be flippant, just can't help thinking this more and more.
this also leads to all this "authenticity" crack. am I allowed to MC, for example? you see what I mean? and is Riko "allowed" to write a blog?
these points require further discussion and I don't wanna get sacked, so will leave it there for now.