Various - Grime 2016

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  • In recent years, a huge amount of column inches have been dedicated to grime's supposed comeback and the genre finally getting worldwide recognition. It's not without reason, as there were a number of pivotal moments this year. Perhaps most notable was Dizzee Rascal performing his Mercury Prize-winning Boy In Da Corner in its entirety for the first time—in New York, no less. This was also the year that grime received its second Mercury Prize, for Skepta's Konnichiwa. The style is more popular than ever, both at home and abroad, so Grime 2016, the second annual compilation from Elijah & Skilliam's Butterz label, is well-timed. If you're not already familiar the music, it's a perfect opportunity to look into what all the fuss is about, coming from a label that has consistently released some of the most vital grime tracks since its inception in 2010. The term "grime" has come to tie together various increasingly disparate musical threads, from the video game-indebted melancholy of Mr. Mitch to the harsh abstraction on Mumdance and Logos' Different Circles label. This isn't the case here: Grime 2016 comprises only vocal tracks that keep the genre's foundations close to heart. That said, it still gives a pretty wide view of what the scene is capable of. Kano's "GarageSkankFreestyle" has a poppy, radio-ready sheen, while Swindle & D Double E's "Lemon Trees" pairs self-deprecating humour with G-funk synths. The Murlo remix of AJ Tracey's "Naila," Dusky & Wiley's "Sort It Out Sharon" and Ghetts's "You Dun Know Already" are all dance floor weapons, leaning heavily on grime's garage roots. "iSwear," by Dapz On The Map, and "Moving," by Bugzy Malone, are the rarest gems: emotional and restrained grime tracks that actually work. "Stereotype" sees P Money fuelled by political rage, and The Bug & Riko Dan's "Iceman" goes for pure menace. Dread D & Jammz's "10 Missed Calls" is almost an archetypal grime record, with an explosive beat and a lecture on good phone etiquette. Trim shows up twice to rep vocal grime's experimental side. The only unnecessary track on Grime 2016 is Dizzee Rascal & Giggs's "Nutcracker," which feels like it's only here to get Dizzee on the tracklist. Of the ten artists that appeared on the cover of Grime 2015, nine return this time. And 11 of these 42 tracks come from arguably the four biggest grime releases this year: Skepta's Konnichiwa, Kano's Made In The Manor, Swindle's Funk & Grime and 1-800-Dinosaur Presents Trim. As such, diehard grime fans may find the selection lacking, but the comp succeeds as a snapshot of where vocal grime is right now. The reality is that this scene is still very much dominated by its big names. Even if you are a grime nerd, however, Grime 2016 is still worth picking up for the two continuous mixes. Elijah & Skilliam specialise in the kind of quick transitions and cuts the genre requires, especially when there are no instrumental tracks to space out the vocal lines. It might not be a particularly flashy approach, but it sure is effective. You'd be hard pressed to find a better mix of the year's biggest grime bangers.
  • Tracklist
      CD1 01. Skepta - Lyrics feat. Novelist 02. Kano - 3 Wheel Ups feat. Wiley & Giggs 03. Souble S - Style & Flows feat. JME 04. P Money - 10/10 05. Capo Lee - Mud feat. D Double E 06. Wiley - P Money 07. Swindle - Lemon Trees feat. D Double E 08. AJ Tracey - Naila (Murlo Remix) 09. Kano - GarageSkankFreestyle 10. Newham Generals - Locked In 11. Ghetts & Rude Kid - One Take 12. Frisco - Them Man There 13. Mez & Davinche - Lex Luther feat. Stormzy 14. Skepta - Detox feat. Boy Better Know 15. Footsie - Hot Water feat. Giggs 16. The Bug - Iceman feat. Riko Dan 17. Chip - Where's Ice Kid At feat. Ice Kid 18. Dapz On The Map - iSwear 19. Bugzy Malone - Moving 20. P Money - Stereotype CD2 01. Dusky - Sort It Out Sharon feat. Wiley 02. MJ Cole & AJ Tracey - The Rumble 03. Novelist - Endz 04. Trim - Man Like Me 05. Flowdan - Horror Show Style 06. JD. Reid - Roshi feat. D Double E 07. Commodo - Set It Straight feat. Rocks Foe 08. Ghetts - You Dun Know Already 09. TRC & P Money - Dun Know 10. C4 - Go Back feat. JME 11. Frisco - Raving Tonight feat. Skepta & Wiley 12. The Bug - Box feat. D Double E 13. Sir Spyro - Topper Top feat. Teddy Brukshot, Lady Chann & Killa P 14. Chase & Status - Funny feat. Frisco 15. Dread D & Jammz - 10 Missed Calls 16. President T - House & Pop feat. JME & Splurgeboys 17. Swindle - Works Haffi Run feat. Ghetts 18. Grim Sickers - Kane 19. Skepta - Man 20. Last Japan - Ascend feat. AJ Tracey 21. Dizzee Rascal - Nutcrackerz feat. Giggs 22. Trim - Before I Lied
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