I got both of these albums from Benny (Rick Derris) earlier in the week. He made me promise not to shit all over them until I had listened thrice all the way through. Couldn't keep that one. Original Pirate Material was heard three times, and Grand Don't Come for Free twice. Both were given car and home stereo treatment

This guy has a pretty cool voice (probably just because its a thick limey accent) and some stuff to say. Get him a real production team, and he might even be worth talking about.

His beats and the choruses contained on both albums cannot help but sink them. They are beyond a-melodic and completely ruin what could be intriguing flows.

I would rather listen to an album of trite gangster-isms interrupted by Beyonce's off-key caterwauling than be subjected to most of this again.

I see potential, but homeboy needs HELP, stat, if he is to be anything more than a novelty on these shores.

NP: Primal Scream, Screamadelica

I'm not a fan.

you guys are idiots.

oh wait i agree with you both.

Roots Manuva has a new album coming out soon.

YESSSSSS!!!!!

Fookin Geezahs!! Oi! Oi!

I have a Root Manuva track from, I think the Qmagazine Best of 2001 Comp. This is precisely the type of English Hip Hop I can get with. The beat is tight and complements the flow, w/o unnecessary singing, flouncing or wordy stupid choruses.

I'd like to check out some more of it.

I have to agree with you. While some of Mike Skinner's commentary is interesting, the songs themselves didn't make a lasting impression on me. I don't get what all the fuss is about with him.

I don't love it, but i like it well enough. If you approach it considering it as Hiphop, then all you'll see(hear?) is his odd flow over some weak, lofi beats. It ain't Hiphop, its almost spoken word. Some of the 'beats' really fit the lyrics though - 'Dry your Eyes' would lose effect with a more bombastic beat and 'Blinded By The Lights' sounds like a drugged out haze.

I like it a lot primarily because it breaks out of the rut most hip hop rides in these days. Yeah, it sounds a bit off-kilter, but to me, that's better than just another assembly-line rap record. I've liked rap from the early 80s and to my ears, there's never been less variation within the big hip hop artists than there is today. To me, anything that breaks this up is a good thing.

Hip hop in the US is pretty static, taken over by production teams more than anything else. Sure, you have the occasional artist that breaks the mold, but I think they're becoming fewer and further inbetween all the time. A breath of fresh air and a new perspective has been needed for a while the way I hear it. It's nice to see what another culture does with hip hop when they're not just aping the US scene.

They'll never break much in the states because the popular hip hop audience these days is way too narrow minded to want to hear anything that strays too far from the beaten path. Sure, the people who listen to more underground and/or indie hip hop will keep jumping on this kinda shit, but I doubt it'll ever get big this side of the pond.

I pretty much feel exactly the opposite as the Senator about this issue. When I first heard a Streets track, however, I thought "what the hell is this? Is this guy trying to rap? Terrible..." I forget what made me get Original Pirate Material eventually (probably KPH's praise), but I fell in love with it after its first proper listen. He may misfire with a beat on occasion, but there are also perfect moments when everything locks into place. Those are what really caught me. Of course, the social commentary gives it a lot of staying power, and having his mates sing off-key choruses makes the whole thing a bit more down-to-earth and humble.

I would never expect Skinner to do well in the States, though, because most Americans (such as my first impression or Senator's post) will judge it using hip-hop criteria. The problem with that it is these aren't hip-hop records. It's garage/2-step, a dance genre that IIRC formed in New York but was adopted by UK club culture as its own. What garage I've heard hasn't impressed me; think ragga vocals of a hybrid house/D'n'B beat (or Dizzee Rascal, whom I respect but can really only take in small doses). Most Americans (self included) barely know any club music at all, which makes it hard to describe the Streets or compare them to anybody. Skinner is visionary and unusually conscious for an artist regardless of his genre but especially within his own. That's why I like his stuff... a lot.

I'm more than open to Dalen or the southern CA crew slam me on my lack of dance music knowledge, but I stand my opinion.

EDIT: Oh, and I love Roots Manuva within a certain tempo range (Leftfield's "Dusted" is fan-friggin-tastic). His new one is marked as 'probable' on the to buy list. I've got two older LPs in my listening queue and will probably get to them next week.

what sketch said. . .

c.

i just think it's fun.

Yeah, don't listen to it as hip-hop, don't expect similar conventions to hip-hop, and I think you will enjoy the listen a great deal more.

I don't really listen to it as hip-hop, but I still have trouble making it through repeated listens of either of his albums.

I told Loogar to approach The Streets from a storytelling point of view. I think if you put Mike Skinner in with the likes of Ray Davies and approach his music from the traditional English singer/songwriter perspective it's a more interesting listen. Not saying he's Ray Davies worthy yet though, not even the same genre.

I read some review about "A Grand Don't Come for Free" where they said if you listen to it intently and listen to the stories it's an engrossing listen but as background music it's worthless.

Kind of how I feel about it.

Funny, because I thought, while listening to this "It's modern day Kinks" i.e. stuff for Anglophiles, etc. As I said, he has an intriguing voice and some stuff to say, but the music is just SO FUCKING BAD taht I dunno if I'll ever really like it.

Wankers.

Yeah, I agree - I think it's more storytelling than anything else. But then I start asking myself how many times I really want to hear the same story, when it's not accompanied by music that I can focus my attention on if the story isn't holding me on that particular listen.

I think A Grand Don't Come for Free is likely to be an album that I only want to listen to once or twice a year. That said, it's not like I don't buy books just because I'll only read them once or twice. So I don't know if I really think this is a problem.

I hate everything

I'd compare the Streets to Artful Dodger. Not the vocals- but the beats. 2-step wasn't very big here... I enjoy it, esp. Artful Dodger & MJ Cole. I do agree with what you said, pretty good description of what garage/2-step is.

What Sketch said, along with this offering from our mutual buddy and Camdenite, Cheryl...

I'm not a huge fan of Skinner, but he's been marketed all wrong in the States. A rapper, my arse. Here he's more Ian Dury-in-a-Burberry-baseball cap. And even if he were a rapper, at least he's doing something different that the same old shite which has made rap/r&b the most boring genre the world has ever seen. And I'm including 'jazz funk' in said analysis of boring music shite.

I love it.

Song of the year=Blinded by the lights

it makes me feel like i am blowing yay in a shitty club/bar

I listen to the Streets as Hiphop. It is hip hop. I think the beats are great and the storytelling is superb. I love real hip-hop. It may have elements of 2-step and garage but it certainly doesn't compare to Roni Size, Krust, etc.... of those genre's. The beats may have roots in the british dance culture but lyrically it talks about everyday living from an honest perspective. It has humor.

I can totally understand why people may not connect with it but i do love it.

The beat for "It was supposed to be so easy" is brilliant despite being sparse. That's a near perfect song.

I like Dizzee Rascal quite a bit as well. Along with Roots Manuva.

No thanks. Not my cup of tea, either.

I'm on the "love" side. I think both albums are fantastic. I liked Original Pirate Material immediately, best song for me is 'Weak Becomes Heroes". A Grand Don't Come for Free took about 3 listens and I then found myself liking it more overall than Original, probably due to the narrative; best song for me is "Blinded by the Lights".