If you have ever been there, you will want to sign this.

woofahmag.com

I can barely believe I’m saying it but the new issue is here and ready to get out to you all!

Believe me it’s worth the wait – up to a massive 92 pages this time and some incredible content that I am completely amazed we managed to secure. And it’s still the same price!

In the shops next week, but you can order direct NOW:

woofah magazine » Buy.

(copies to contributors and allies will be mailed out early next week, or can be got from me in person)

From rooftops to chart-topping, the music’s never been more popular, nor harder to hear in public. Dan Hancox on the Met’s attempt to banish grime from the capital’s clubs.

Great stuff as usual from Dan.

weareie: Finally!!.

Woofah issue 4 just landed at Chateau Droid. The shipment will now cross the Irish sea and reach London early next week.

Hit the link for more info or stay tuned to this channel…

I’m excited – you should be too!

Lots of sampling and rejigging of the classic film Babylon going on at the moment. Aswad’s “Warrior Charge” tune is of course the sonic conrnerstone of the film.

It features on Dizzee’s Rascal’s latest album (which I have previously yacked about here) alongside Brinsley Forde’s “Can’t Take No More of That” chant from the climactic final scene of the film:

The tune is produced by Shy FX, so it’s a nice meeting of Grime and Jungle dons.

Kevin Martin has been playing the original “Warrior Charge” out in his sets as The Bug with Flowdan over the top.

And now Brinsley has teamed up with top producer Curtis Lynch on a Babylon inspired riddim also:

Check it out at Necessary Mayhem or Dub Vendor.

Of course, people who have checked my Babylon subsite will know that the first use of this sample was by ‘ardkore merchants Satin Storm way back in 1991:

So that’s a little UK soundsystem meme for you right there!

Great stuff from 2am last Friday morning, now available courtesy of the rinse podcast. Elijah and Skilliam also present and correct.

Five No 1 singles, record label feeding frenzies, influencing the US charts – no one imagined grime would get this big. Dan Hancox explains how Dizzee Rascal and Tynchy Stryder set the world alight.

Nice overview from Dan with some great links at the end that show grime’s real talent away from the Top 40. And some good jabs at the Met also.

I have no idea if I am the first person to comment on this or not, but Dizzee’s new album (almost) shares a title with an ancestor of his – Smiley Culture, one of the most commercially successful UK MCs of the eighties.

Shall I bore you with the parallels and divergences? Yes, I think I shall.

Smiley sprang to fame on Saxon soundsystem alongside Papa Levi, Asher Senator, Tippa Irie et al. Levi was the first to sign to a major, but Smiley’s anthemic “Cockney Translation” and “Police Officer” had significant chart success on proper London reggae label Fashion. He was snapped up by Polydor and released the above album in 1986 featuring unconvincing “pop” versions of some of his tunes alongside new material, did the rounds and then vanished. Last thing I heard he was running a PR agency or something. (If you are reading this Smiley – get in touch. Your story needs to be told properly!)

Dizzee on the other hand sprang to fame as part of grime crew Roll Deep, alongside Wiley, Flowdan, Trim et al. His first solo release “I Luv You” was I think out on a self released white label before he was signed to XL. He went on to win The Mercury Award in 2003 for his debut album “Boy In Da Corner” (which still sounds great today). Dizzee then set up his own label, Dirtee Stank and had some passable pop hits.

What does this tell us? Perhaps that during the last 23 years the music industry has found better ways of sustaining MC acts commercially? Or maybe that grime’s business model and materialism was more robust than the uncompromising world of reggae soundsystem in the eighties?

Matt on point as usual.

Characteristically on point article by Dan on the grime godfather’s top ten selected.

FACT magazine: music & art news, upfront videos, free downloads, classic vinyl, competitions, gigs, clubs, festivals & exhibitions – The Essential…Wiley.