Grime is a
style of
music, even a
lifestyle to some.
Similar to hip hop, grime borrows from a wide range of music styles.
Grime is heavily influenced by
hip hop and
speed garage, essentially being a cross between the two. Other strong influences in grime include
drum 'n' bass,
dub,
dubstep,
reggea, and
soul.
Grime
mc's spit slower than
rave mc's (ie
happy hardcore mc's), yet faster than most hip hop mc's. In terms of
tempo, grime ranges between 120bpm and 140bpm usually following a 2/4 or
4/4 time signature.
Grime has a very close,
dry sound.
Effects such as big
reverbs, long
echos,
phazers and
choruses etc are generally not used in grime
production. Grime instrumentals have
sparse beats, often sounding slightly off kilter or out of time.
Basses borrow heavily from speed garage and drum 'n' bass while
backing vocals are often
sampled from soul and
pop records. Sped up
chipmonk voices are also ever
popular.
The grime scene in the UK is about the same size as the UK hip hop scene. Many
artists cross over somewhat between the two styles in their flows.
Most grime
headz dress in
track suits,
baggy tees and
baseball caps. Generally speaking, grime fans are
young and live in
urban areas.
