Is Grime really the future?

Within the society we live in today, music has a big effect on people, particularly as youths. Music has become a way to mobilise and inspire listeners to think differently and take action. Grime has become more popular within the last 10 years having artists like Dizzie rascal having three number 1’s in a row and Tinchy stryder hitting top spot with his single ‘I will never leave you’.

Dreamer is a grime artist hailing from Lewisham, South east London. Despite being exposed to the ills of street life the narratives of his life experiences focus on rising above humble circumstances and pursuing ‘dreams’ and aspirations. Dreamer came to prominence first in 2009 with his single ‘Heart on the Radio’. Since then he has been working hard to break out from the Grime scene and become more mainstream, which he thinks is more accepted in the UK.

Six or seven years ago a rave club would always play underground music from various grime artists such as lethal Bizzle. Dizzie rascal hit ‘I luv you’ from his first album boy in the corner was described one of those epoch-defining moments, on a par with Sex pistols’ ‘Anarchy in the UK’. ‘Grime to me is the sound of the gritty underground in Britain, dark sounds and tempo beats’. Grime was written up as truly home-grown, utterly British phenomenon that would inevitably come to dominate the charts and define a generation.

Now, in 2009, looking back Grime never really happened. Instead of storming the charts, grime stumbled down the dead end of grindie, before (so it seemed) fizzling out and seemly giving up any designs on the mainstream. But the question on everyone’s lips is why we aren’t celebrating dizze rascals number 1’s or sway single feat akon, silver and gold? Are grime ‘stars’ still making grime music? Dreamer admits, “The painful truth about grime music is that the mainstream market can’t accept it because it is not easily marketed.”

It seems that Lethal bizzle and co have become brain washed and have totally changed their identities from making underground music to making music that is radio-friendly and electro-pop.

The grime scene doesn’t seem to be struggling in 2009 as Wiley feat chew fu has just released a track ‘take that’ and Roll deep album ‘when I’m ere’ is in the making. Were living in a diverse society where ‘crazy’ and ‘abnormal’ things are becoming more accepted. Dreamer explains that now people are being rated for doing what they like and expressing their true identity as it would be seen as ‘different’ and different is good. If there was ever a time for grime to burst into the mainstream now would be it.

Although chipmunk has previous odd grime tracks and Dizzee rascal signed on artists for example jammer doesn’t mean to say that they are sticking to his roots and still producing grime music. But maybe it’s a good thing that it hasn’t broken into the mainstream and still has its originality.

Does grime really have a future within the mainstream market? According to dreamer grime is not dead, far from it, it just lacks honesty. as long as there are ‘gangs’ and ‘hood rats’ there will always be a place for grime in society just because we don't listen to it no more don’t mean its dying out. It would just be nice if grime artists created tracks that portray a sincere message.