Roll Deep

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Roll Deep
RollDeep.jpg
Roll Deep performing at the Love Music Hate Racism Festival in Barnsley
Background information
Origin Bow, London, England
Genres
Years active2001–2013 (on hiatus)
Labels
Members
Past members

Roll Deep (formerly Roll Deep Entourage) are a British grime crew. They were founded in 2001 by Wiley shortly before the disbandment of UK garage crew Pay As U Go Cartel. [1]

Contents

The group have had two UK No. 1 singles, "Good Times" and "Green Light", won an Urban Music Award, and between 2001 and 2012 they released five studio albums before entering an indefinite hiatus in 2013.

Current member Wiley and former members Dizzee Rascal and Tinchy Stryder have gone on to be successful solo artists in the UK, with songs that have topped charts. Flowdan won a Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording in 2024 for the song 'Rumble' (with Fred Again and Skrillex).

History

Inspired by the success of So Solid Crew, Wiley founded the UK garage crew Ladies Hit Squad alongside DJ Target and Maxwell D around the end of the 20th century (2000). At the same time, Plague, Slimzee, Geeneus, Major Ace and God's Gift were enjoying relative success with another garage crew called Pay As U Go Kartel. Geeneus, who also founded Rinse FM, invited both Wiley and Flowdan to join Pay As U Go. The group released their debut single, "Know We", in 2000. [2]

Two years later, Wiley, Flowdan, Jamakabi and Breeze recorded a song entitled "Terrible", which record stores perceived to be a follow-up to "Know We". Wiley decided he didn't want to release it under the Pay As U Go name, so Flowdan suggested the name Roll Deep: a homage to the phrase 'rolling deep', popular within bashment songs. Flowdan cites the introduction of Dizzee Rascal to Roll Deep and his subsequent popularity as the reason why Pay As U Go eventually disbanded and Roll Deep rose to prominence. [2]

The crew distributed a number of mixtapes and vinyl singles independently before being signed to a major label and releasing their debut album In at the Deep End in June 2005. Four singles were released from the album: "Heat Up", "The Avenue", "When I'm 'Ere" and "Shake a Leg". They won an Urban Music Award. [3]

In October 2006, Roll Deep participated in a project of Tate Modern museum where various groups and songwriters were invited to choose a work that inspired them from the gallery's collection of modern art and then write a track about it. [4] Roll Deep's submission, Searching, was inspired by the Anish Kapoor sculpture Ishi's Light, and can be heard on headphones in front of the work or on the Tate Tracks website. [5]

Their second album Rules and Regulations was released in 2007, followed by the release of Return of the Big Money Sound in 2008.

The group got their first UK No. 1 single with the song "Good Times" in May 2010 and the group's second UK No. 1 single was "Green Light" in August 2010. Their next single was "Take Control", featuring R&B singer Alesha Dixon, which charted at No. 29 on 7 November 2010. [6] Roll Deep released their next single "Picture Perfect" (produced by Agent X) peaking at No. 19 in the indie charts.

Roll Deep have appeared on BBC 1Xtra on numerous occasions. Members that appeared on the show include Wiley, Scratchy, Flowdan, Breeze, Brazen, Riko and Manga. In later years the group's work began to take a more mainstream oriented approach which led to members such as Riko and Flowdan becoming less active within the crew. In March 2014 Flowdan confirmed in an interview on Rinse FM the group's current hiatus and discussed the lack of drive from other members to work on music collectively. [7] However many members of the crew are still active as solo artists and none have ruled out a return to writing music together in the future.

In August 2018, DJ Karnage, Breeze, Manga, Brazen, Scratchy, Riko Dan and Flowdan all appeared at Riko Dan's Hard Food EP launch party, collectively billed as Roll Deep on the lineup. [8] Later the same month, Manga told Grime.com: "We've got tunes, but it just takes long to organise. We've got new songs — or we had new songs — I don't know where they are, I think Wiley's got them somewhere. But we've started about three [new] Roll Deep albums between us, but... oh, it's just long to get everyone together, man. Wiley lives in Cyprus, Target's on radio everyday, Flowdan's doing shows everyday, J2K's making restaurants and creps and all these type of ting there." [9] In August 2019, Scratchy and Flowdan appeared as Roll Deep on "Don't Lie", featuring Jammer and taken from his Lord of the Mics VIII compilation album.

Members

Current members

Past members

Politics

Roll Deep have been consistent supporters of Love Music Hate Racism and have played at many of the organisation's more high-profile events[ citation needed ] including the memorial for murdered teenager Anthony Walker, and released a single and video of "Racist People", from the Rules and Regulations LP. [12]

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation album

Mixtapes

Timeline

2002–2003

The Original and First line up of Roll Deep:

2004–2005

Second line up of the group:

Once Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder, Biggie Pitbull, Dom P, Wonder, Jamakabi, Bubbles & DJ Bionics left the group, Wiley brought in 7 new members for their 2005 album "In at the Deep End".

2006–2007

Third line up of the group:

Once Jet Le, Trim, Roachee, DJ Maximum & Syer Bars left the group, Wiley brought in 3 new members for their 2007 album "Rules and Regulations" and one new member to contribute to the album.

2008–2010

Fourth line up of the group:

Once Skepta, JME & Jammer left the group, Wiley brought in 2 new members for their 2008 album "Return of the Big Money Sound".

2010–2012

Fifth and final line up of the group:

Once Danny Weed, Killa P & Little Dee left the group, Wiley replaced them with female R&B singer Tania Foster.

Related Research Articles

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wiley (musician)</span> British rapper (born 1979)

Richard Kylea Cowie Jr. MBE, better known by his stage name Wiley, is a British grime MC, rapper, songwriter, DJ and record producer from Bow, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kano (British musician)</span> British rapper

Kane Brett Robinson, better known as Kano, is a British rapper, songwriter and actor from East Ham, London. A significant contributor to grime music, he is widely considered one of the pioneers of the grime culture, alongside artists such as Wiley and Dizzee Rascal. 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 is best known for playing the role of Sully in Top Boy.

<i>In at the Deep End</i> 2005 studio album by Roll Deep

In at the Deep End is the debut album of London-based grime collective Roll Deep. It went silver in the United Kingdom, selling more than 85,000 copies. The album won Best Album at the 2005 Urban Music Awards.

Run the Road is a series of compilations released on 679 Recordings and Vice. It is intended to showcase a wide variety of grime artists from the genre such as Dizzee Rascal, Wiley and Kano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boy Better Know</span> Music collective and label in Britain

Boy Better Know, often abbreviated as BBK, is a British grime collective and record label. The collective was founded in North London in 2005 as an independent record label by brothers Jamie and Joseph Adenuga, better known as Jme and Skepta, respectively. The former also serves as a sole owner and director of an associated company, Boy Better Know Limited, incorporated in 2008. All members of the collective use the record label as a means to publish their music, and is digitally distributed by The Orchard, a subsidiary of Sony Music.

The discography of Tinchy Stryder, a recording artist whose real name is Kwasi Danquah, consists of four studio albums, one compilation album, one collaboration album, five extended plays, four mixtapes, 17 singles, five singles as a featured artist, and ten collaborations. Danquah has sold over 22.2 million digital singles worldwide. Danquah performed under the stage name Stryder from 1997 to 2006, and has performed under the stage name Tinchy Stryder since 2006.

<i>Street Anthems</i> 2009 greatest hits album by Roll Deep

Street Anthems is a compilation album by Roll Deep, released on 19 October 2009. It features well-known tracks from 2001 to 2009 and some previously unreleased tracks, showing the early days of grime and Roll Deep, as well as presenting tracks from the early members of Roll Deep such as Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder, Syer Barz, Trim, Bubbles, Biggie Pitbull etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skepta</span> British rapper and record producer (born 1982)

Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr., known professionally as Skepta, is a British grime MC, rapper, record producer and DJ. Alongside his younger brother Jme, he briefly joined Roll Deep before they became founding members of Boy Better Know in 2005. With Boy Better Know, Skepta clashed with fellow MC Devilman for the video release Lord of the Mics 2, in what is remembered as one of the biggest clashes in grime history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jme</span> British grime MC (born 1985)

Jamie Adenuga, known professionally as Jme, is a British grime MC, songwriter, record producer and DJ who was born in Hackney, and raised in Tottenham. He is the co-founder of the crew and label Boy Better Know. He also serves as a sole owner and director of an associated company, Boy Better Know Limited, which he incorporated in 2008. He was previously part of the grime collective Meridian Crew and later Roll Deep alongside his older brother, Skepta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Times (Roll Deep song)</span> 2010 single by Roll Deep

"Good Times" is a single by London-based grime music collective Roll Deep, which features vocals by Jodie Connor. It was released for digital download on 25 April 2010 on Relentless / Virgin Records. The MCs who make an appearance in the song are Wiley, Breeze, Brazen and Scratchy. The song was produced by Takeover Entertainment producer David Dawood and the chorus topline was written by David Dawood, Jodie Connor & Charlotte. It has been parodied by Chris Moyles and Dave Vitty as "Good Rhyme" by artist Roll Deeper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skepta discography</span>

The following is a discography of Skepta, a British MC from Tottenham, London. He is a producer and DJ commonly associated with the North London grime scene, including Roll Deep and Boy Better Know. Skepta released his debut album Greatest Hits on 17 September 2007. It was released on the Boy Better Know label. Skepta self-released the first single "Rolex Sweep" in September 2008, which reached number 89 on the UK Singles Chart. He released the album Microphone Champion on 1 June 2009. The single "Too Many Man", with JME, Wiley, Frisco and Shorty, charted at number 79.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Light (Roll Deep song)</span> 2010 single by Roll Deep

"Green Light" is a single by London-based grime music collective, Roll Deep. It was released by digital download on 15 August 2010 on Relentless / Virgin Records. The MCs who make an appearance in the song are Wiley, J2K, Breeze, Brazen and Scratchy. It was co-written by UK singer Angel. "Green Light" debuted on the UK Singles Chart on 29 August 2010 at number one, marking the band's second number-one single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newham Generals</span> British grime duo

Newham Generals are a grime duo from East London, currently consisting of MCs D Double E and Footsie.

<i>Winner Stays On</i> 2010 studio album by Roll Deep

Winner Stays On is the fourth studio album by London-based grime music collective Roll Deep, it was released on 8 November 2010. Three singles have been released from the album, including "Good Times" and "Green Light", which both went to number 1 in the UK, plus the top 30 hit "Take Control", which features Alesha Dixon.

Trim is an English grime MC from East London and a former member of Roll Deep. Trim has an eclectic subject matter, beat selection and delivery.

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.

Dean Fullman, best known by his stage name DJ Slimzee, is an English DJ who currently hosts a show on Rinse FM, returning from his previous show on NTS. He is best known for his show on pirate radio station Rinse FM in the early noughties and its influential role in the development of grime music.

Marc Veira, better known by his stage name Flowdan, is an English grime MC and record producer from Bow and Poplar, East London. A founding member of Roll Deep, he was responsible for naming the group and remained a member until its hiatus. In 2015, he founded his own record label, SpentShell, which has since signed YGG and GHSTLY XXVII to its roster. In 2023, he featured on two songs which reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart and received his first Grammy nomination for the Skrillex and Fred Again collaboration "Rumble".

Pay As U Go or Pay As U Go Cartel were a UK garage crew formed in 2000. In 2002, the collective achieved a No. 13 UK hit with "Champagne Dance". After Pay As U Go disbanded, Wiley went on to form the grime crew Roll Deep with fellow Pay As U Go members. Roll Deep would eventually include prominent artists such as Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder and Skepta.

References

  1. Jones, Corinne (24 March 2013). "Wiley: soundtrack of my life". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 Cowie, Richard Kylea (2017). Eskiboy. London: William Heinemann. pp. 65–69. ISBN   978-1-785-15159-0.
  3. the same year. "Inside tracks: Iron Maiden, Les Mckeown and the Mobo awards". The Daily Telegraph. 25 August 2005. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
  4. "Tate Modern gets art soundtracks". BBC News. 1 September 2006. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
  5. "Tate - Tate Tracks". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2007.
  6. Tigo Sigel (16 September 2010). "NEWS : Roll Deep Hook-Up With Alesha Dixon For New Single". RWD . Archived from the original on 20 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  7. Rinse FM (25 March 2014). "Grime Show: Flowdan". Archived from the original on 16 December 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2014 via YouTube.
  8. Advisor, Resident. "Riko Dan - Hard Food [Live]". Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  9. GRIME (19 August 2018). "Manga Saint Hilare - Interview - New Album, Outlook Festival, Roll Deep & More - @GRIME". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021 via YouTube.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Roll Deep's Biography – iTunes". iTunes. Archived from the original on 25 December 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  11. "WileyBBK #MBE (@WileyUpdates) - Twitter". twitter.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  12. "Live Review: Love Music Hate Racism Festival". NME . 11 June 2009. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.