A new show at the Museum of London tells the history of a scene that shaped British music, streetwear and slang – and launched the careers of Ghetts, Skepta and JME
Born in early 2000s east London, grime, an unapologetically dark music genre, was created as an outlet for a generation of young people living through a time of unprecedented violence and profound social change. This was post-punk angst on wax – a heady mix of dancehall, jungle and UK garage, inspired by Jamaican ragga toasting and the storytelling of US hip-hop.
More than two decades later, the story goes on. “Grime is one of those genres that once it’s in you, it never leaves,” say Roony “Risky” Keefe. He is talking from the black cab that he operates during the week; he’s just got back from registering the name of his newborn child. “The first letters of his first, middle and last name spell out BBK,” says Keefe, referring to the grime collective Boy Better Know, whose members include JME, Skepta, Jammer and more, “and that was by coincidence!”
