'She's Wearing The Rolex I'll Be Like Pass Me The Watch'

I used to dislike Westwood but, through listening to his shows more often after becoming a self-appointed grime patron, I've come to accept he has comic value. That said I rarely tune in to his show on a Sunday night. Rinse FM had a promising line-up but technology fucked off when it was needed so, with some thoroughly legal BBC backing, Westwood passed over the airwaves. I locked in.

Asher D turned up with Swindle and Realist. I rate Asher highly; he's released a lot of material, he was one of my favourite MCs in the So Solid Crew, and Bullet Boy was one of the best urban UK films I've seen. Not that making a UK urban film that's better than the rest is that difficult, but it was a good film all the same. He seems to have a plan with his label AD82 as well, and his recent signing of Realist seems shrewd, even if it's too early to make any major conclusions about it all.



Swindle is also a part of the AD82 roster but, unfortunately, Westwood wasn't too clued up on his movements, so had to ask what he was about. Swindle replied he released his 140 Mixtape, surely grateful for any sort of plug, only for Westwood to ruin everything by piping up with 'what dawg, Kano's joint'?

I laughed.

Westwood covered his tracks by suggesting Kano might have had a bite on the title name. He did quite a good job of it. Realist also did a good job too, barring over Nocturnal's Stay Down The Road remix which was a good selection that matched the hype. The bars were grimey but he also came across as a courteous chap in bigging up his mum not once, but twice.



A quick detour. I finally got round to listening to 140 Grime Street recently. After a few listens, it's not bad. There's some pretty good tracks on there, although some did make me wince, such as Don't Come Around Here, on which I expected Lil' John to start growling at any moment, and the totally unforgettable Soldier. The accapellas are good lyrically, but they highlight the newish, Kano slur, and Missing Me concludes with 'I garaged it, hip-hopped it, ragga'ed it, now it's back to grime because they've been missing me like Madeleine'.

...

140 Grime Street is a misleading title but it's a decent effort overall, with Hustler, Hunting We Will Go, These MCs, Anywhere We Go, and Seems Like Things Have Changed lighting the way. A journalist from the Guardian called the album 'tremendously heartening'. I think that's going a little far, but everyone is entitled to their opinion and, generally, I did enjoy the album. The Guardian article also claims that the album is a step 'back on the right path'. Hopefully Kano treads that path for a while yet.

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