Blay Vision – Do Not Disturb
Blay is a grime veteran at this point, but he approaches his recorded output with the vigour of an MC fresh to the game. Consistently releasing music with an actual idea behind it, he’s slowly built a strong back catalogue that can rival any rapper in the country – we’re talking about someone who released three albums in two years, here. ‘Do Not Disturb’ dropped in August, a nice follow up to his last EP. It features all the trappings of a Blay track: great melodies, greaze chat garnished with R&B-like harmonies and a hook that is screaming out to be sung along to at a headline show. Blay has sharpened his craft so much, that each facet of it gets better with every release.
Grandmixxer x Mez – Real G Countdown
Grandmixxer and Mez have developed a set that feels really symbiotic. Their individual styles meet in the middle, with Mez delivering his weird dictionary of catchphrases over Grandmixxer’s unrelenting productions. You can see shades of influence throughout: the performative aspect of grime spitting and the rowdy stageshow element brought in from dancehall very much loom over what they have put together. ‘Real G Countdown’ was a track from their first joint EP ‘Socially Awkward’, the lyrics crash into each other as Mez orchestrates organised chaos on the mic.
Jaykae – Heartache
Jaykae’s career has sky rocketed over the past few years, but his current wave arguably kicked off with 2016’s Toothache. He went on to release ‘Headache’, completing the loose trilogy at the beginning of the year with ‘Heartache’. Where the first track weighed up the effects of death and considered the gains and losses of continuing road life; ‘Heartache’ asked how further the musical path can be travelled, who he writes bars for and had flashes of deserved self congratulation. Jaykae’s at his best when he strips away the glamour and goes in with the bars, because you can hear the palace of emotion he’s drawing from when he writes in this manner. It sets him apart from other MCs, as you can feel what he has been through and what he has had to overcome to arrive at his current destination. When the beat drops midway through the track, it’s on. Jaykae is charged up, hammering home the story of the track underneath palpable orchestral motifs and booming low end. Overall, it’s a remarkable marrying of individual musical elements.
Manga Saint Hilare – Fear No One
‘Fear No One’ was grime for the summer months. Featuring echo-laden patois samples with bass lodged into the foundations of the track, it created a strong foundation for Manga to extol the importance of love and family, delivered in a flow as light as the melodies that stroll in and out of the track.
Maxsta, Eyez & Capo Lee – Hustler’s Prayer
Maxsta’s ‘Hustler’s Prayer’ tells a story, both through its words and brisk production techniques. From the minute he tells us the outside is ‘frying’ underneath the brisk percussion, he brings to life the precarity of surviving life on the roads. Eyez and Capo join in for guest verses later on in the track, and all three MCs create a track that leaves you with plenty to think about afterwards.
Frisco – Imagine
Boy Better Know is full of big personalities, but Frisco’s always played the role of understated barrer. He doesn’t have the immediate reach of Skepta, but the lifers know he’s one of the best when it comes to flowing. On ‘Imagine’ he effortlessly squeezes out bars upon bars, taking some time to imagine what the scene would be like without him.
Yizzy ft Scrufizzer – Deh Suh
Yizzy has faced some intense criticism, but this year has been his most successful yet. He’s the type of MC that does a great job of transmitting a vibe and an energy, making the dancehall leaning sounds of ‘Deh Suh’ perfect for his style. The verses are heavy, the hook memorable, and the beat gets the balance of melodic and intense perfectly.
Flowdan – One Question
Flowdan’s work often circles the conceptual, and on ‘One Question’ he maps out the mind of someone dealing with a inner voice that won’t go away. He delivers the main part of the song in his own voice, but manipulates his voice for the bars that are gnawing away at the protagonists head. It’s a pretty cool concept, especially when it’s unclear whether he’s crafting a character or talking from lived experience.
Mayhem – French Montana
Finally released in November, ‘French Montana Riddim’ flipped the rappers ‘Shot Caller’ tune into a heavy grime joint. It’s hard to pick a stand out one out of the four, but Mayhem’s version takes the trophy home thanks to a brilliant sequence where he syncs his ad lib with a part of the beat. If you know, you know.
P Money – It’s All Good
There were many great tracks on ‘Money Over Everyone III’, but the one that caught my eye was closing track ‘It’s All Good’. P goes into storytelling mode, detailing the history of his close friendship with scene camera man Sketch. Later on, he talks about the frustrations of running a top level grime collective, speaking directly to the now passed N.E. P Money can really deliver the heat when he’s going in hard on a track, but on ‘It’s All Good’ he proves once again he can have just the same impact when reaching deeper into his thoughts.
The Art of Grime 