Woebot
Well-known member
I've searched my soul about posting this so I'm going to phrase it quite openly and see what people think.
I just picked up the new Lethal Bizzle/Dexplicit track "Backwards" (heard on the Sama show about 6 months ago). Its a diss tune based on what is for the most part the Forward rhythm playing backwards. That tactic of playing the riddim backwards is musically identical to Creation Rebel's "Starship Africa" (the final track of which Sherwood reverses) or perhaps semiotically something like 4Hero's "Journey from the Light". Furthermore in terms of 'moving backwards' the track (with its endless micro-political attacks on Riko, Wiley and Gods Gift) seems graphic evidence that More Fire are unable to move any further "Forward", that they are mired in the grassroots scene in the worst way possible like the characters Dizzy criticised in "Trapped".
"Journey from The Light"!!! What the fuck is he talking about? I dunno, its crazy, but it seems like everyones estimation of the commercial potential of Grime is not so much putting it on the par of the heady commercial heights of UK Garage a few years back (don't laugh!) but, maybe absurdly, more in the territory of Eminem or Jay-Z. I'm up for this boundless enthusiasm, i fully endorse it in fact, but it does worry me a bit.
"Forward" stands along with "Oi" (feels like a century ago) as the absolute limit of the genres commercial potential singles-wise to date, and I'd be very surpised if they charted outside of the UK. (I havent seen the figures but "Boy in Da Corner" must pretty much be the largest-selling LP, and maybe if the scene is to grow it will be as an LP-based phenomenon) Looked at like this wouldn't Grime's international potential be more closely compared with Roots Reggae's circa Althea and Donna's "Uptown Top Ranking", though even that strikes me as a generous comparison at the moment.
Obviously this is no criticism of the energy or talent on offer, but I cant help but feel that alot of people's expectations are going to be crushed. As to whether the usual pattern we've seen over the fifteen years will come into play, whereby the currently vibrant scene becomes severed from the underground (vis a vis Drum and Bass floating in a cultural bubble), well thats a whole other question.
I just picked up the new Lethal Bizzle/Dexplicit track "Backwards" (heard on the Sama show about 6 months ago). Its a diss tune based on what is for the most part the Forward rhythm playing backwards. That tactic of playing the riddim backwards is musically identical to Creation Rebel's "Starship Africa" (the final track of which Sherwood reverses) or perhaps semiotically something like 4Hero's "Journey from the Light". Furthermore in terms of 'moving backwards' the track (with its endless micro-political attacks on Riko, Wiley and Gods Gift) seems graphic evidence that More Fire are unable to move any further "Forward", that they are mired in the grassroots scene in the worst way possible like the characters Dizzy criticised in "Trapped".
"Journey from The Light"!!! What the fuck is he talking about? I dunno, its crazy, but it seems like everyones estimation of the commercial potential of Grime is not so much putting it on the par of the heady commercial heights of UK Garage a few years back (don't laugh!) but, maybe absurdly, more in the territory of Eminem or Jay-Z. I'm up for this boundless enthusiasm, i fully endorse it in fact, but it does worry me a bit.
"Forward" stands along with "Oi" (feels like a century ago) as the absolute limit of the genres commercial potential singles-wise to date, and I'd be very surpised if they charted outside of the UK. (I havent seen the figures but "Boy in Da Corner" must pretty much be the largest-selling LP, and maybe if the scene is to grow it will be as an LP-based phenomenon) Looked at like this wouldn't Grime's international potential be more closely compared with Roots Reggae's circa Althea and Donna's "Uptown Top Ranking", though even that strikes me as a generous comparison at the moment.
Obviously this is no criticism of the energy or talent on offer, but I cant help but feel that alot of people's expectations are going to be crushed. As to whether the usual pattern we've seen over the fifteen years will come into play, whereby the currently vibrant scene becomes severed from the underground (vis a vis Drum and Bass floating in a cultural bubble), well thats a whole other question.