Following in the wake of Defenders Ent-presented This Is UK Grime Vol 1, comes the second part of the compilation. Its predecessor charted Grime’s classic early-to-mid noughty releases, but Vol 2 samples sounds from a new generation…

The compilation balances mainstream and underground content well. There are some charting Grime hits from veterans. Pow 2011 features seminal MCs, including Lethal Bizzle, Wiley, Ghetts, Chipmunk, Face, P Money, and Kano. Wiley’s Numbers In Action, Tinchy Stryder’s Breakaway, Roll Deep’s No MC, and Lethal Bizzle’s dubbed out Mind Spinning all make appearances. Tracks that sparked online controversy when they appeared feature: Ghetts’ MTV attack, Who’s On The Panel?, is here, as is Skepta and Chipmunk’s Asian Girl. There are underground classics, among them Crazy Titch’s I Can C U, and street bangers like the one that heralded No Lay’s entry to the game, No Help No Handouts.

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A new wave of artists are also included. Spartan Rmx sees Kozzie, Marger, Merky Ace, Rival, Ego and Scrufizzer offering rhymes. The track is frenetically sparse, as is Scrufizzer’s Fizzy Flow. Minimal Grime sounds are supplemented by computer game samples. Scrufizzer demonstrates lyrical dexterity, spitting with intensity.

Considering his phenomenal projection into the mainstream this year, it’s only right that Wretch 32 features. He’s here with slower beats and an innovative flow on Punctuation, featuring with Badness on the reverb-heavy, Inna Da Ghetto. 2010’s success story, Tinie Tempah, makes a pre-DiscOvery appearance, with the eerily string-sampled, Wifey.

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Vol 2 highlights major cross-pollinations in the genre. Ed Sheeran and P Money’s track, Family proves that Folk and Grime are not such strange bedfellows. Lauren Mason’s subtly Grime-influenced melodic PS is here, whilst Marger’s My Thing highlights Grime’s Dubstep affiliations with a plunging beat. There are tracks from cross-genre artists, including Ragga/Grime MC, Doctor’s, humorous, “Gotta Man”, and Aggro Santos’s fusion of Asian and Latino sounds on Free Yard.

If anything, it would be nice to see work from more female MCs on a compilation like this. Admittedly, it’s not a genre which favours female artists, but Lady Leshurr is a surprising omission, particularly considering her production innovations. But, overall, it’s a vital compilation, with a wide spectrum of beats and vocal styles, and more than an indication of where the genre might take us next.

Presented by: Defenders Ent

Tracklist:

01.Boy Better Know – Goin In
02.Lethal Bizzle – Pow 2011
03.Manga ft Roll Deep – No MC
04.Footsie – DYGMB
05.Jammer – Mc Jammer
06.Ramzee ft Various – Who’s That
07.Wiley – Numbers In Action
08.Chronik – Ring
09.Tre Mission – Maxing Everything
10.Marger – My Thing
11.Skepta feat Chipmunk – Asian Girl
12.Ed Sheeran feat P Money – Family
13.Devlin – Giant
14.Lethal Bizzle – Mind Spinning
15.D Double – feat Dizzie Rascal – Bluku Bluku
16.Kele Le Roc – Shoot You Down
17.Fire Camp – Move
18.Kozzie – Spartan Remix
19.Scruffizzer – Fizzy Flow
20.Ghetts – Who’s On The Panel
21.Tinie Tempah – Wifey
22.Tinchy Stryder – Breakdown
23.Kano – P’s & Q’s
24.Wretch 32 – Punctuation
25.Tempa T – Battle Riddim
26.Various – Cock Back
27.Nolay – No Help No Handouts
28.Little Dee – Star In The Making
29.Doctor – Gotta Man
30.Aggros Santos – Free Yard
31.Nu Brand – Gash By The Hour
32.Mastermind – Rep Your Endz South
33.BMD – North Weezie
34.Ice Kid & Stylo G – My Yout
35.Ruff Swqad – Xtra
36.Bruza – Get Me
37.Crazy Titch – I Can See You
38.Lauren Mason – PS
39.JME – Serious RMX
40.Badness – Inna Da Ghetto

Words by Fiona Guest