Chaos On The Streets Of London: Reprehensible and Abhorrent

London was transformed into war zone in the wake of the Mark Duggan shooting and a considerable amount of criticism has been pointed firmly at the black community and its musical role models. While the riots were clearly multicultural, and those rioting in Salford can hardly be described as young and black, it would be foolishly to sweep the role model issue under the rug simply because north and east London’s young black men were some among many. Grime and its superstars have been tackling the root causes of social unrest and police mistrust for generations, well aware what a Duggan-like incident could entice.

Grime was the bastion of progressive modern music at a time when hip-hop was at its laziest and most indulgent. Where Hip Hop was glitzy American fantasy, Grime was bleak, abrasive, and real (at times terrifyingly so).

Dizzee Rascal’s debut may have conquered the charts with its irresistible hits, but it was the jarring blurts of unsettling, stabbing instrumentation that revolutionized the UK urban scene in the wake of Garage. It was dislocated, detached, and despairingly cold. Defined by brutality, “I Luv U” may have been hilarious with it’s “give brains…give knowledge” wordplay, but its underlying message of callous abandonment was anything but: “Pregnant? What Ya Talking About Before? Fifteen, Underage, That’s Raw”.

Lethal Bizzle: a former Reading & Leeds Favourite, but responsible for one of Grimes most detestable but brilliant anthems "Pow".

Grime’s defining anthem “Pow” dominated my stay at university some two years after its original release. Lethal Bizzle’s stand out single has become a feel good party anthem, but it was born of disgusting violent misery. The arrangement, albeit familiar in 2011, is still visceral, jagged, mosh-pit music, and the lyrics are horrifying. A Sexist and homophobic stream of boast that glorify intimidation, aggression, murder and the big man persona; its disgusting in uncompromising idiocy. For all the tracks abhorrent macho posturing it remains a brilliant work, and a genuine reflection of a pervading attitude that values intimidation and revels in the gang aesthetic.

Predating “Pow” Dizzee Rascal clearly outlined the get mine at any cost culture that is now dominating the political discourse on the deliciously jarring “Stop Dat”. The very notion that the rioters of ethos of rampant self-interested and the disregard for the local community could have taken anyone by surprise is ludicrous. Boy In Da Corner outlined every single issue that we are now collectively threating over. When Dizzee labeled himself “a problem for Antony Blair” in 2003, he wasn’t making a thuggish boast, it was a warning to the politicians and community leaders of London that there were fundamental social and cultural issue that simply had to be addressed, before the bubbled over.

The Young Dizzee: Before Conquering The Reading & Leeds Main Stage, He Finds Himself, Alone, Aghast In The Corner, Surrounded By Drugs, Violence, Distrust And Oppressive Policing

On “Brand New Day” and on Dizzee’s career best work “Sittin’ Here”, the London MC found himself huddled sheepishly in the corner as he witness a world of violence, disregard, and distress that defied belief. It left Dizzee so dismayed, that he could neither take part, nor rebel against it; he simply sat aghast, secretly planning to use his natural gifts to escape.

Sadly, Grime’s superstars have often reinforced money-obsessed stereotypes that blight the genre. Tynchy, Tinnie, N-Duz, Chipmunk, Professor Green, and other recent success stories, place primacy upon escape rather than resolution. However, despite this several key positive anthems have emerged.

Roll Deep’s “Badman” was another track that exploded during my time at university. It wasn’t on club rotation, but it dominated Channel U and was the talk of the Internet. To this day it remains one of the boldest and most brazen critiques of gang culture. Complete with an ultra-poignant video, Roll Deep ridiculed the “Badman”, pointed out the lunacy of the “be a good soldier” credo, and implored London’s young to use their loaf, abandon their gang, and get off the streets. It valued life and intellect, shunning violence; it was the anti-“Pow” that grime needed.

Akala: Festival Favourite And Level Headed Voice Of Reason And Optimism

Akala has long been a voice of reason, like his sister before him. He shunned the notion of posture, despised gang culture, and celebrated intellect and hope. “Stand Up” was an assault on the glorification of badman culture across the UK, and “Bullshit” was an equally fierce attack on racial inequality and governmental hypocrisy of all kinds. Bashy was one of the boldest advocates of hope with his wonderfully level headed “Black Boys”, who’s abiding message was “soon we’ll be getting it right…things are going to get easier”. A rallying cry for the black community to unite and move in the right direction.

Across the board, even from the positive and detached grime superstars, distrust of the police has been endemic. Young boys being stifled, harassed, searched and shot are themes that recur again and again in UK hip-hop. Even those, like Akala, who have no interest in looking like a gangster, have warned repeatedly that the status quo was simply not maintainable and an outburst was coming.

Mark Duggan: The Man Who's Death Sparked Legitimate Protest, Societal Outrage and A Series Of Mindless, Moronic, Thuggish, And Unjustifiable Riots

Mark Duggan’s death was a legitimate spark for a small aggrieved slice of our community (not the idiotic majority who copied what they saw), and it is telling that while Grime MCs are lining up to condemn the riots, they are also making clear that they wish they’d been there to (peacefully) protest the shooting of Mark Duggan.

This has been a long time coming, no one knew it would be expressed in this way, but the evidence has been there for longest time. Not in stats, figures, or murder rates, but in music, and our cultural artifacts. The prominent spokespeople for the young, underprivileged black community have been waving the red flag for years.

By know you might be wondering why I’m concentrating on what is now old, outdated music rather than today’s stars like Giggs, Trim and Wretch-32, and there are two main reasons. Firstly, the grime of 2003-2006 means so much to me, it was a part of my youth and cultural exploration, and it was bloody brilliant.

Secondly, to make it abundantly clear that these are not Johnny come lately issues. We’ve been aware of these deep-rooted social attitudes and injustices for generations. I picked the era I’m most fond of, but Wiley, Ms. Dynamite, So Solid, and even Kalashnikov reflected and documented these issues long before Roll Deep dropped “Badman”.

Buses Ablaze: The Insane Imagery Of The Callous Criminality That Gripped Tottenham

In the 2000s, in the 1990s, as soon as there was a medium for expression, the realities of the Pembrey Estate were made plain and clear for all to see. This isn’t a new problem, it’s been growing, out of site and out of mind, among people who don’t vote, and therefor don’t matter. Crime receded, we became wealthier, and we’ve had no cause to pay attention, but now the situation cannot be ignored.

Dizzee Rascal prediction was half right, the explosion was coming, but rather than being a problem for Anthony Blair, it’s a problem for David Cameron and the entire United Kingdom.

Its not “a black issue” (it’s far more wide reaching than that), but the black community and its most prominent culture spokespeople have been despairingly rolling their eyes for generations. It’s time to sit up and take notice; condemnation and punitive punishment will only do so much. These cultural forces must be combatted, and we cannot leave a handful of well meaning MCs and youth workers on the frontline. Teachers, communities, charities, parents, police and parliament have to stand strong and join the ongoing struggle, with ration, reason, and real, long term, solutions.

“MCs better start chatting about what’s really happening, because if your not chatting about what’s happening then where you living, what you talking about?

‘Cause You Know, and I Know It’s Gonna Be A Hot Summer, And You Know What? It’s Going Be An Even Hotter Winter, And I Ain’t Even Talking About The Weather”

“Brand New Day”, Dizzee Rascal, 2003.