Grime is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) that emerged in London in the early 2000s. It developed out of the earlier UK dance style UK garage, and draws influences from jungle, dancehall, and hip hop. The style is typified by rapid, syncopated breakbeats, generally around 140 beats per minute, and often features an aggressive or jagged electronic sound. Emceeing is a significant element of the style, and lyrics often revolve around gritty depictions of urban life.
Maxwell Owusu Ansah, known by his stage name Lethal Bizzle, is a British rapper from Walthamstow, London, of Ghanaian origin. He emerged in 2002 as a grime MC as part of More Fire Crew, with their grime single "Oi!" charting in the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. His debut solo single "Pow! (Forward)" attracted attention for its aggressive content, charting at number 11 despite being banned from airplay and clubs. Although known notably for his single releases, Lethal Bizzle released his debut studio album, Against All Oddz, in 2005, followed by Back to Bizznizz in 2007.
Kane Brett Robinson, better known as Kano, is a British rapper, songwriter and actor from East Ham, London. His fifth album, Made in the Manor was shortlisted for the 2016 Mercury Prize and won Best Album at the 2016 MOBO Awards. On screen, he played the role of Sully in Top Boy.
Grindie, also known as grime-indie or grime indie, is a form of music that emerged in early 2006. It is a fusion of indie rock or alternative rock and grime music.
The Urban Music Awards (UMA) are a hip-hop, R&B, dance, and soul music awards ceremony that was launched by Jordan Kensington in 2003 and is now held in multiple countries.
Charlie Ian Paul Rouillon, known professionally as Charlie Sloth, is a British DJ, hype man, producer and TV presenter.
Jahmaal Noel Fyffe, better known by his stage name Chip, is an English rapper from Tottenham, London. In the past 14 years he has collaborated with the likes of Skepta, T.I., Meek Mill, Young Adz and many others. In 2009, he released his debut album, I Am Chipmunk, featuring four songs which peaked in the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, including the chart-topping "Oopsy Daisy". In 2011, Chipmunk released his follow-up album, the American hip hop-influenced Transition. It included the single "Champion" featuring Chris Brown, which peaked at #2 on the UK Singles Chart.
Isaac Charles Bortey Borquaye, better known as Guvna B, is a rapper, author, and broadcaster from Custom House, London. He has released 10 albums, written two books, produced segments for the BBC, and served as a football pundit for Sky Sports News' Good Morning Transfers. He has also made appearances on television and in schools to discuss topics that affect young people from underprivileged communities.
Ruff Sqwad are an English grime crew. The group was formed in 2001 in Bow, East London. Various members and affiliates of the crew are considered key figures in the early development of grime music.
Henry Alfred Steinway, better known by his stage name RL Grime, is an American record producer and DJ. RL Grime specializes in trap and bass music and is a member of the Los Angeles electronic music collective WeDidIt. His debut Grapes EP was released in April 2012 on WeDidIt. RL Grime premiered a popular Halloween mix in October 2012, which have continued to be released annually through 2023. His follow-up EP High Beams was released in July 2013 on Fool's Gold Records, which debuted at No. 8 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums chart, and No. 1 on the iTunes Electronic Chart. RL Grime has produced remixes for Benny Benassi, Chief Keef, Jamie Lidell, and Shlohmo. His second studio album, Nova, was released in 2018. In February 2019, RL Grime announced the founding of his record label Sable Valley.
Darq E Freaker is an English electronic music record producer and DJ from Peckham, London, England. He is best known for his work with and as a member of grime collective Nu Brand Flexxx. Freaker has released multiple EPs, most notably "Cherryade" on Oil Gang and "Blueberry" which featured Danny Brown. Freaker released 'Minger" on UK record label Numbers in June 2014.
Kwadwo Quentin Kankam, better known by his stage name Novelist, is a British grime MC and record producer from Lewisham in South London. He was a founding member of the Square crew and was nominated for Best Grime Act at the 2014 MOBO Awards. He has been called the "new face of grime" and was described as "the poster child for the first generation of real grime kids" by DJ Logan Sama.
Julie Oluwatoyin Chidozie Adenuga is a British broadcaster, radio host and the creator of Don't Trust The Internet. She was one of the three lead DJs for Beats 1, Apple's 24/7 radio station as part of Apple Music.
Aaron Daniel Davies, known professionally as Bugzy Malone, is a British rapper and actor from Manchester, England. Malone has been described as one of the key artists instigating a "grime revival" moving the UK urban scene away from more commercially-oriented music, and the first artist in the grime genre from Manchester to commercially succeed in the UK.
Khaled Mohammed Khaled, known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry artists to perform on singles and albums, for which he often serves as hype man. His distinctions are his booming voice presence, "motivational" abstractions, and numerous catchphrases. While his musical contribution is often questioned, Khaled's role has been described as "organization, direction, [and] promotion".
Ché Wolton Grant, known professionally as AJ Tracey, is an independent British rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is from Ladbroke Grove, West London. Tracey rose to popularity in 2016 and was listed by The Guardian in a list of "best new acts to catch at festivals in 2016".
Jammz is a grime MC and record producer from Hackney, East London and the founder of the record label I Am Grime.
The Big Narstie Show is a British chat show, presented by rapper Big Narstie with comedian Mo Gilligan as his sidekick, that debuted on Channel 4 on 29 June 2018. Big Narstie is a rapper from the grime scene and has been cited as one of the original purveyors in the grime comedy genre.
Mosiah Bikila Gilligan is a British stand-up comedian, television presenter and content creator. He is known for his observational comedy. After several years of uploading comedy clips to social media, he found global success in 2017. He hosted The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan (2019) on Channel 4. He currently co-hosts The Big Narstie Show on Channel 4, and is a judge on The Masked Singer UK since the second series in 2020, and a judge on The Masked Dancer UK since 2021. In 2022 Gilligan took a break from The Masked Dancer UK due to work conflicts, and was replaced by Peter Crouch.
Dean West, better known by his stage name Black the Ripper, was a British rapper, grime emcee, activist, cannabis activist, and entrepreneur from Edmonton, London. He ran his own record label, Dank of England, which expanded into a clothing line and cannabis accessory company. He was also known for his viral stunts of smoking cannabis in public places, which he hoped would lead to the outcome of legalised cannabis in the United Kingdom.
