Far from being the obscure, underground scenes they once were, British grime, drill and rap music has taken centre stage in the UK music industry.
Back in 2020, Headie One’s debut album, Edna, went number one in the UK. The significance? It might be somewhat of a regular occurrence now, but until recently, young Black grime artists weren’t selling out arenas and making chart-topping hits. The rise of British grime, drill and rap music has been astronomical. At first, it was the sort of music passed around in local communities and listened to in estate blocks – now, people of all ages and backgrounds sing along to some of the genre’s biggest tracks. It’s gone from being labelled as the soundtrack to hooliganism to being Britain’s most commercially-successful brand of music – contributing a cool $2.5 billion to the UK economy.
How did it happen? A few reasons. The power of record labels decreased, the internet began to explode and smaller, talented artists began to find their voice. The ‘underground’ scene started expanding its reach.
The 2000s, the internet and the rise of artists
With the widespread use of the internet and social media came change; artists no longer had to rely on major platforms to release their music. With the introduction of sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, labels began scrambling for ways to regain their control.
Not only did publishing your own music become easier, but advertising also became more accessible and less expensive. The ability to share something – to like or retweet it – became a game-changer. Record labels no longer held all the cards.
But despite newfound ways of releasing and sharing music, the money simply wasn’t there – nor was it coming in. Sharing talent had its perks, of course, but fans’ ability to access it for free meant there was little commercial success. As Ghetts said in GRM Daily’s hit documentary: “My bank account didn’t match how man was known.”
The beginnings of commercial success for British grime, rap, and drill music would come in the late 2000s with the arrival of artists like Tinchy Strider and N-Dubz.
The first big commercial success? Tinie Tempah and his debut album, Discovery.
Tinie changes the tide
In 2011, Discovery was released; it was No.1 in the UK, and subsequently became a platinum-selling album.
Interestingly, as many people noted at the time, the first album supposedly credited with shattering the glass ceiling for grime music wasn’t really grime music at all, or, as some argued, grime in its purest form. With an infusion of pop and mainstream sounds, Tinie Tempah tapped into a new audience.
But with innovative ways to commercialise music and new audiences to reach, grime and its original sound soon began to make a comeback. GRM Daily, SBTV and Link Up TV served as platforms for new talent and the playground of established legends – giving millions of people access to the music they loved.
GRM Daily, in particular, was a game-changer; its YouTube channel quickly became the go-to for aspiring grime artists and their fans. With digital content like Daily Duppy and regular music videos, the site became the most viewed channel and website for all things grime, drill and rap.
From 2014 onwards, with a recognised platform to demonstrate their talents, grime artists began to gain millions of views, fans and – ultimately – money.
Take the example of Stormzy; after making his name on YouTube with hits such as “Shut Up” and “WickedSkengMan 4”, he began to take the world by storm (pun intended). In 2017, his debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, was a hit. It garnered millions of downloads, a number one spot in the UK charts (the first grime album to do so) and was a huge commercial success. Through the power of the internet, grime had found a platform to flourish, and with Stormzy’s astronomical success, another glass ceiling was broken – grime music was now mainstream.
Then came Dave. An artist of unquestionable talent, using everything, it seems – from politics to family, family to money – as a topic of discussion. He’s conquered the Brits, sold stadiums and made galvanised huge support.
Over the years, British grime, drill and rap music has become part of the UK’s recognised culture – look no further than Drake’s London-inspired Nike brand for proof of that. But for politics and social issues, too, artists are using their platforms for good.
With more talent inevitably waiting to burst onto the scene, British grime, drill and rap music is on course for world domination – if it’s not already global, that is.
Stormzy may have made his name as a grime artist, but he’s much more than that – read why here.