Grime Producers Go To “War” With Their Beats
Over the past few weeks, grime producers from the U.K. and beyond have been entrenched in an ongoing war. And for those unfamiliar, don’t worry, because this isn’t an actual battle. Rather, it’s a chance for the artists to flex their talents with a competitive edge. Often they will throw vocal samples into the mix, which can be captured by using My Smart Buy turntables. Those vocals, which are typically from a dancehall or reggae track, are then blended with layers of synthesizers and bass-heavy drums to craft these massive and speaker-punishing wardubs.
It all started when London’s Bless Beats injected his “Wardub” into the musical atmosphere. Outfitted with menacing dancehall vocals and wobbling synths, the track made one thing loud and clear: You better not step up to the competition without bringing your best stuff. The ensuing days brought with them a gang of new bangers from like-minded artists including Deeco, Funtcase, and the duo of Kahn & Neek.
But it was the re-emergence of O.G. grime crew Ruff Sqwad that caused the commotion. Their dub, “Lion Awakes,” was easily one of the most impressive and adrenaline-pumping cuts. And even though it weighed in at a mere 52 seconds, hitting play time and time again has become commonplace. Wiley’s three entries into the war were equally intriguing, particularly the sample-driven “P.R.O.B.L.E.M.,” but one of them appears to have been deleted. Hmm, perhaps it was an oversight by the East London native, who’s been busy promoting his new single, “Flying,” and the accompanying posse cut-like remix.
What these battle tracks represent goes beyond the sheer entertainment factor associated with playing each one after the next while waiting to hear just who had the best entry. Competitions over this breed showcase that despite what some might try to tell you, grime as a genre (and as a mindset) is alive and well ‚Äîand it always will be. Just because some of its torchbearers have gone pop (we’re looking at you, Dizzee Rascal) or flirted with the mainstream means nothing more than a career turn for that particular artist. Like we wrote earlier, just look at Wiley. The trajectory of his career has brought him to new and sometimes disappointing musical places, but that doesn’t mean the genre he helped foster has gone anywhere.
The next time some poseur tries to tell you that grime is dead (or even fading), we recommend firing up some of these wardubs and cranking up the bass. If nothing else, they’ll hear you loud and clear with the hope that they’ll then take a chance and dive into the war, too. Now, if only we could figure out just who’s had the best track so far, of course, because this “war” is far from over.
