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I felt strange after my last post, one which described my personal drug use at a music event, especially after Fabric's damning but non-surprising closure. It wasn't because I felt guilty for taking drugs - what I do with my mightily hard-earned wages really is up to me, but there was an overwhelming sense of hypocrisy sweeping through me every time I tweeted a counter argument versus some armchair veteran, the ones bemoaning the availability of drugs in the club scene, all the while I'm pictured at every rave starry-eyed clutching a bottle of water. Whether or not we buy into the reasons given for the clubs closure, and anyone with half a brain cell left shouldn't, I felt my post on SW4 only helped perpetuate the notion that everyone and anyone at a dance-music-do is off their head, but further, I questioned where exactly I'm heading with my writing.

The truth is that I don't know. I've never known, and I'll probably never ever realise. When I was on a hot-streak years back, the biggest feedback I got was on my interviews - I liked to think they went against the grain of samey-samey bullshit questions, idiots wasting people's time with enquiries on how crews developed their names - OK Magazine rubbish from middle-class journalists, many of whom pretending to be anything but, being dressed up as journalistic sensations. Facebook memories promptly reminds me daily of some of my better bits, but often I look back and cringe, so I promise form now on to produce content that won't make me rage-exit my browser in six years time having read back, nor should it make you do similar whilst reading.

I think some sort of diarised (made up word? verb? to record in diary-style?) writing will work for now, helping to cover a lot of things I won't have the time to type extended posts for, even though they may deserve it. Negative reviews aren't worth the energy, interviews will be aplenty (albeit, having grown tired of the question and answer format, I'll probably opt for some opinion/quote mixture) and I'll cover the best of radio where appropriate.

The glaringly obvious thing to cover before any of that: the Mercury Awards. Thirteen years after Dizzee picked up the prestigious prize, Skepta did the unthinkable and followed suit, putting Grime on it's highest pedestal yet - higher than the Culture Clash win, higher than the Shut Up/Stormzy phenomenon, higher than the chart entry's, American endorsements, the legal wins - all of it. It was unthinkable for me simply because I didn't believe as an album that it was superior to Kano's Made In The Manor, but for wider audiences, on name-value alone, the surprise will lie in beating Bowie (god-like), Radiohead (dross-like) and The 1975 (pop-like). The question now: where does Grime go from here? I'm not going to attempt to answer a question of such proportions, but I'm convinced the answer will in some form come from the aforementioned Croydon boy.

Regular posting to resume shortly.

r&g

Once again a massive shout out to the Complex massive. They asked me to compile a list of rhythm and grime tracks worth revisiting, you can check the list out and read some small commentary on each selection here.

Some points of interest: there are loads of tunes not on the list because they're (currently) not on any sort of streaming platform such as YouTube or Soundcloud. Not to suggest that any one tune on the list would have instantly been "drop-able" but there are some absentees that exist only on old records and hard to find mix tapes. Such examples include Chanel & Skepta's 'Fly Away', the majority of DVA's 'Voice Of Grime' CD and other little gems that eventually I'll get around to ripping.

There was a lot of "do I or don't I" with the inclusion, or non-inclusion rather, of some tracks - I anticipate somebody dutifully reminding me of some obscure Mssingo bootleg they picked up at a Kale Milkshake selling record fair - ultimately I had to pick the tunes that I knew people would relate to in terms of the description I provided in the opening paragraph.

I believe I'm right in my comments r.e Terror's productions as well. His discography is a mighty one, with a lot of bits falling into the aforementioned ether of non-ripped vinyls and murky radio rips, he alone could've surely filled a list of the best rather than a revisiting piece and maybe that's a thought for future writing. No one will ever write a piece about r&g and not mention Ruff Sqwad - 'Together' was the obvious choice really. I wrestled with the idea of daring to include others like 'Ur Love Feels' and perhaps I should be berated for not opting for the even more prominent 'Functions', but the Wiley-influenced track made perfect sense to me.

To make the list appear at least slightly diverse, I chose the Scandalous Ultd and Low Deep tracks. Many of Scandalous' productions are often unspoken of, rather unfairly I might add, whereas it's seemingly Low Deep's instrumental contributions that only get noticed: I feel 'Unsung' as an album went a little under the radar.

Anyway, there's ten tracks in the list and a little bit of feedback would honestly be appreciated. Hit me up: @mfcfrankos.

half time whistle

The year (in vocals) so far, for me. Words to follow.

Skepta - Konnichiwa - Some Thoughts..

More rambling then reviewing, but all the same.

When I first moved to Lewisham in my pre-teens, the only access I had to Grime was my radio and one local record shop. I think sometimes people underestimate the reality of how important tape-swapping was back then (we're talking early noughties) and from a small bedroom in South East London with limited internet access, it was impossible to pick up stations such as Heat FM, where Skepta once held his own slot. Independence Records was a stone throw away from where I was living and it was there I grabbed my first Skepta vinyl and met someone who could provide me with all the tapes I wanted and more. The Tottenham born MC had a flow that was different for me at the time: not as blisteringly assaulting as say, Ghetto's, but far more assertive and commanding than the likes of Trim, encapsulating a seriousness not seen in Garage. This is as cliché as I'll ever sound, but who in their right mind would imagine that over ten years later, Skepta would be on the brink of securing a number one album?

 The build-up for Konnichiwa has been a much drawn out yet compelling period. As frequently noted by various journalistic outlets during the waiting time, Skepta has evolved as an artist immensely, binning the awful pop attempts and reverting back to the much sought after Grime icon  [this is best summarised via this article on Dazed]. Unlike the commercial world where artists tend to vanish in between big releases, we've had the Blacklisted & Tim Westwood mix tapes to fill the void between this album and 2011's Doin It Again, with no less than five singles off of the album to wet our appetites. Three of the five, in my mind, are instant classics. I outlined in this article for Complex UK the importance of Shutdown and That's Not Me and whilst Man might not carry the same social significance, it's another anthem which exhibits the stripped-back "tracksuit mafia" persona of Skepta that suits him a little better than the American influenced side.

 It discomforts me indulging in the over-categorising of music and it's irritating to further resurrect the time-old arguments of what Grime is and isn't, so I'll relay my thoughts like this: if you're the sort who craves for one-hundred percent Grime bangers, then barring (the quite incredible) Lyrics, you've heard the best of Konnichiwa already. Should you find yourself just wanting to enjoy a body of music, rap-tinted tracks included, you'll be replaying the whole album for a while. I'll think about those points whilst trying not to remain somewhere lost in the middle, all the while belting out the hook for It Ain't Safe at an absurd volume, but racing to the skip button just at the thought of the Pharrell assisted Numbers.

"Boy Better Know man went to the Brits on the train / think it's a game? / man shutdown Wireless then walked home in the rain"

 Features and nostalgic references during the album don't come any bigger than on my personal favourite Lyrics. "lyrics for lyrics calm" is extracted from a brief audio clip of the heated [2001] exchange between Pay As You Go and Heartless Crew, one of the moments that I firmly believe birthed the scene we love. In the way Pay As You Go (albeit more specifically Wiley) paved the way for Skepta, the North Londoner has played a big part in the rise of young MC Novelist, so it's of little surprise that Nov's supporting role on the track becomes one of the bigger highlights, with his hungry approach embodying the spirit we commonly associate with the best emerging talents and his smooth skipping on the track evoking memories of an early D Double E...

 There are points on this album where I do ask whether Skepta is being as wilfully obscure as made out, with Numbers being a prime example. Is he really comfortable being that laid back? Or is he using Pharrell's name to over emphasise the magnitude of the pirate radio-to-Drake narrative that Konnichiwa aims to showcase? Both are capable of producing music greatly superior but in honesty, besides the needless skits at the close of promising tracks such as Corn On The Cob and Crime Riddim, there is quite little to moan about on the album.

 There are more glimpses of the Skepta I alluded to in the opening paragraph on this album then there has been for a very long time. Whilst there may be a certain dissonance between the UK and US sounds, it's more of a welcome blend as opposed to a vulgar clash and for the first time ever, Skepta has delivered an album that guarantees replay value. Comparison is often a poor way of appraising music, but in the year where Kano drops the sure to be perpetually amazing Made In The Manor and Wiley hinting at something possibly as huge, Skepta manages to confidently weigh-in a titanic effort, rescuing his legacy amongst the Grime all-stars.

Skepta Top 25

Made a small contribution to this Complex UK piece, click the picture and read the full piece.

Some personal almost-made-it's:

Shadetek Feat. Skepta - Reign 

Here's Skepta making waves in the US before Drake even knew what Stone Island was. Those like me that are lucky enough to have this on vinyl will know that you can't reload the infamous "gun in my boxers bar" enough. Copies still floating, somewhere...

Skepta - Go On Then (Eye Of The Tiger mixtape)

Big tune from a big yet forgotten mixtape. One for the ravers.



Skepta - Pulse Eskimo a.k.a Gun Shot Riddim (Only up until 1.10 in this clip below, the other versions are either sped up or incorrectly labelled).

Well, can't have a blog named after it and not include it. Don't listen to YouTubers either, Skepta made this, not Wiley. This is my favourite Grime instrumental.



Skepta - Rockstar (Stageshow E.P)

Come on, we all know this beat.



I'd also recommend having a browse through YouTube, particularly SilverDrizzle's channel here, some good bits that probably won't see daylight.