An oldschool UK underground classic which I recently came across during the Channel U Documentary on YouTube. A sound I missed out on when I first moved to the UK in the early 00s. This sound would eventually break it onto the mainstream via tracks like Green Light by Roll Deep and Skepta’s Amnesia and Rescue Me, where kids outside of London would finally get a taste of what the UK underground had to offer. Although, if you ask a lot of artists today about that mainstream period, you’ll be sure to get mixed reviews.
The skit at the end of the track is also gold, spelling out the awkwardness of teenage experience that many have undoubtedly been through.
Another Oldschool Grime remix from Oakland, which is also on Sportify unlike many of the bootleg edits of today. A smooth RnB take on JME, Bossman Birdie and Big H’s infamous clip. Unlike the WIZE Edit version, this track takes the lyrics down a more relaxed route, not to take anything away from WIZE’s energetic take.
A track I just stumbled across, packing an absolute tonne of energy. Putting a HIP HOP spin on Headie One’s Drill classic, Golden Boot, it’s certainly one for any fans of the original. I’ll be waiting for the day this hits Spotify. Uploaded over a year ago, lets hope this rework gets the recognition it truly deserves.
Since Grime MC Legend, DJ, Producer, Actor and artist Skepta’s Nike contract ended earlier this year, he has wasted no time in finding another brand to keep his feet laced. What may at first have seemed like an unlikely partnership may actually have been the best move for the newly found music label and German footwear company.
We firstly got hints at a possible Nike collaboration way back in 2014, before any SK Air logo hit the streets of London (lots of people thought this was a Sadiq Kahn collab which could have been lowkey fire). Skepta and a few BBK members donned what looked like an exclusive all black Nike Tracksuit on stage at Red Bull Culture Clash, a subtle large swoosh across the chest.
This was before the Swoosh was coming out with clothing encompassing large logos and about two years before Virgil had released his The Ten collection. I mention this collection to say, after witnessing the consumers reception, there was a huge directional change in terms of design philosophy, adopting their ethos from someone who birthed brands such as Off White and Hood By Air. The tracksuit BBK members were wearing on stage at Culture Clash was supposedly designed by Skepta himself and had tapped into something different before the brand itself had even realised it. The MC even had a bit of a Kanye moment a year or so down the line in 2015 suggesting in an interview that the brand had been difficult to work with and were being finicky when it came to the contract details.
As we all know now, Skepta’s run of Air Max’s all did exceptionally well with is first release, the 97 arguably being the best of the bunch. All of his shoes had its own unique spin, even the “No Sleep on Tour” inspired Air Max Deluxe. Unfortunately this one felt most like Nike’s attempt to add much-desired traction onto a silhouette they had retro’d for that year (2018) only to receive a mixed reception.
After the release of the Tailwind 5’s in the two colourways, Skepta’s five shoe deal was over and he was a free agent once again. This was also made clear by the abundance of Prada America Cup’s and other high end fashion shoe’s he was rocking on his socials. Whilst he is by no means alien to high fashion, he made it abundantly clear that no sportswear brands were getting any unpaid shine till a cheque was cleared. Much to everyone’s surprise, he debuted the announcement that Big Smoke Corp was signing a deal with Puma. Whilst a large portion of his fans don’t see this as a wise idea, I beg to differ.
We’ve recently seen New Balance blow up the last two years with their solid releases of old models and great roster of collaborations. However, in my opinion this hype train can only go on for so long before it eventually gets slowed down by the ever-changing trends. Puma is a brand that has not been ‘on top’ since the Puma Suede’s had a moment back in 2012. This was the precursor to the Stan Smith moment that occurred shortly after that. You know for a fact that every teenage girl and boy were hitting up Schuh and Office walking out feeling funky fresh in their new Stan Smith’s. Many PE lessons were seldom filled with Bethany arguing her pair was better than Tallulah’s because she had pink lace tips, a detail she looks back on now as the birthing of her wokeness. #Slay?
Ten years have passed since then, with brands like Asics having their Gel Lyte era, adidas Boost doing its thing and now New Balance with their current reign. All have basked in their temporary time in the Sun, only to be eventually blocked out by Nike, once they had figured out how to catch up. With this logical pattern in mind, I think Puma is set to have a rise within the next two to three years. They have shown some promise with silhouettes such as the Thunder Spectra selling out back in 2019, a shoe which provided sneaker heads with a more accessible alternative to the Wave Runner 700 which debuted back in 2017. They also had steady success with their RS Runner lines which can be seen on foot in your local City if you pay close attention. Puma has proved they can successfully collaborate with celebrities as we’ve seen with their majorly successful Puma x Fenty line. Rhianna clearly does a lot to sell this product through the sheer weight of her name however the marketing for the shoes were also a huge factor behind its success. The partnership ended after the 2018 summer collection but this was after a few years of consistently high sales.
I see no reason why Big Smoke Corp’s collaboration can’t do the same. Skepta clearly has proven himself at Nike with the ability to resonate with sneakerheads both in the UK and across the pond. Whilst his choice of Air Max silhouettes was backed with personal attachments and memories, this was only a partial factor in the success of his shoes. Whilst Skepta’s history with Puma as a product may be sparse, it is no problem for him to paint a picture (pardon the pun) when it comes to storytelling. For example, it’s not like Stormzy was rocking Gazelles during Northampton away at Rochdale, whilst on the piss with the lads and tucking into a Pucka Pie (don’t compromise). Yet he still managed to make the adidas tracksuit massively popular again with his Fire in the Park music video. Both him and Kanye made the black adi Tracksuit bottoms practically uniform back in the run of 2015 to 2017. This just goes to show how an artist can adopt an entirely new product or brand and make it their own. If you want another and more direct example of this simply look at Skepta’s Ed Hardy era of style and how he embraced that brand. This was a total 180 compared to the 2015 That’s Not Me era of a simple white T shirt and black tracksuit combinations. The guy can undoubtedly switch it up without anyone blinking an eye. This being said, there is a whole lot more attention on the artist now than there was even back in 2015 so his moves are being increasingly watched.
He recently took to the art world with his debut painting, Mamma Goes to Market. This was sold, along with a curated collection from friends and artists, in London’s Sotheby’s. The painting went for double its max expected sale price at £80,000 pounds. It is almost as if everything he touches turns to gold and I can’t see that changing for in relation to his current footwear deal.
Now we don’t know about the final ins and outs of the contracts at the moment. For all we know it could be like the UFC’s previous Reebok deal in which we saw Dana’s athletes obligingly wear the product for cage walks and press events. This could be the same for the Big Smoke Corp deal as artist under the label may have to wear a certain amount of Puma product in order to be part of the musical umbrella. Think signing your contract with BSC, receiving the silver razor blade chain, then getting handed a pair of Puma Suede’s and having to remove your pair of high-end kicks you bought in anticipation of your contract signing. Goals? I mean I wouldn’t mind, throw me some Puma Rockets instead and we’re sound.
We can see Skepta already appearing in Puma shoes and clothing over on his Instagram. He wore a simple black and white colourway when making the short walk to his private jet and also during his performance at New York Fashion Week. Whilst the brand is small compared to the likes of Nike and adidas, it has got an extensive catalogue and rich history to tap into. Take a look in Sneaker Freaker’s Soled Out and you can not only see the history for yourself, but how popular the cat was too.
If Skepta and Puma work together to hit the right notes, there is no way they can fail. All they need is a release of meaningful collaborations and excellent marketing, the rest is up to sneakerheads to realise once again how cool Puma is as a brand. I do however realise this is easier said than done. With the support of his english fanbase alone, I think the people are more than ready to back him on yet another venture. Here’s hoping Puma’s new deal with Big Smoke Corp is a success for everyone involved and we get great products as a result.
Gassed to have finally found the Livestream I tuned into back in 2015 with London Legend Skepta and at-the-time Ratking MC Wiki. I wasn’t a fan of Wiki back then, still a bit confused by the two mixing together. I didn’t see how it made sense. In hindsight I now realise how similar both of them are musically in their ability to tell a story and communicate a feeling through their music. I saw Skepta retweet the link back then and tuned in not knowing what to expect. Now a favourite producer of mine, Sporting Life was also at the helm of this livestream, as seen on the left working the decks and drumpad.
This livestream and following collaborations between Skepta and Ratking members would be the start of breaking the boundaries for Grime in the US. Specifically minutes 9:45 – 12:10 are some of my favourite moments in music history, bar that microphone feedback. Skepta has just come and spat his first bars. Sporting Life is feeding off this energy even though it’s only just starting, looking off to the side at Wiki knowing something special is happening. You even get the host himself pulling a “yeah I know” face over to the sidelines too. The stream is just starting but everyone knows the fusion between these two MC’s is sigificant.
Another part of the leavestream that gives me goosebumps comes at 26:45 – 28:50. This is definitely Wiki’s best part of the stream, thanks largely in part to the beat used. You can once again feel the energy coming through the screen as both Skepta and the other DJ are fully vibing to what the US side is transmitting.
Whilst this livestream is not perfect by any means, there are moments of brilliance sprinkled throughout. The video captures these two worlds trying to match wavelengths and get them working in unison. What is clear is that both sides have no issue channeling their raw energy, only figuring out how they can both exist in the same Universe.
About this time last year, I came across an old school grime video. It was on an Instagram page which uploaded underground Grime clips. This one however was different. I could see the watermark in the corner which clearly told me that it had been edited. I had seen the clip before but didn’t recognise the instrumental. The video was Skepta, Big H and JME in a booth at BBC radio 1 going bar for bar. The high calibre lyricism was still there yet the backing instrumental had been given a new life. Usually when you are watching these clips on YouTube you would find a recognisable instrumental that you would expect to hear from the 2000s era of Grime. This time however, the beat was bouncy and had you shaking your head like Jammer in the background of every grime video ever. I must have played the video back at least ten times, eager to find out who had created it.
It took some thinking of how I could shazam the clip but eventually I found the original creator, Wize edits. I scrolled through his various videos, finding he had rejigged classic after classic. The next edit that was an instant favourite was the Wiley and Skepta clip taken from the classic 10 minute long Risky Roadz video. Currently the video has been taken down but once again, Wize’s ability to match the original video’s energy with his instrumental choice was spot on. After spending almost an hour going through his selections, it was obvious that Wize was undoubtably elevating these already legendary clips. When it comes to Grime, especially its early 2000s era, touching the instrumentals was unthinkable, even sacrilege.
Apart from the MCs and their iconic bars, there is nothing more signature about the genre than its instrumental style. Yet, Wize a producer and MC himself, has managed to distinctly create a whole new energy with his edits. Living in an era where Drill and Afro beats has taken over the UK charts, it is easy to see how Wize has taken influence from the genres bounce and lively drum tracking. Whilst the classic grime feel had you bobbing your head, throwing up gun fingers and all the rest, Wize had you moving different. Breathing a new lease of life into these old tracks, it had me hearing bars differently. Take for example, Potter Payper’s edit where he says, “It’s me or them, so I’m tryin’ to JLS, make sure your heart don’t beat again”, a line that has stuck with me ever since. Had it not been for this laid-back instrumental and the way the track served as platform to elevate Potter’s writing, I would have never discovered or more importantly, stood out to me.
The same goes for the Ice Kid Westwood video. Here we have a minute and a half of pure vigour coming from then Grime-prodigy Ice Kid. I remember watching a video years ago of Ice and Chipmunk on a school day, spitting whilst the other sat on the street shutter post. These two kids were meant to be the up-and-coming Grime artists, it’s easy to see why. This grabbed the attention of Wiley himself which led to the infamous clip of the two displaying their talent at Westwood’s radio show. That being said, until his reappearance in 2014’s Red Bull Culture Clash, everyone including myself had forgotten about the kid. This was until Wize once again did his thing, reignited his soulful bars with his fiery instrumental. You can tell Ice is mature beyond his age with lines like, “stack dough so I can move to a next Island, I might move to Ireland, with my family, somewhere I don’t move from sirens”, aware of how his ambitions can help him escape an area that will hold him back. He was only 16 when he spat those bars on Westwood’s show so who knows what he could have gone to do.
Since first discovering Wize, his following has increased massively and deservingly so. He’s now working more on his own music and producing instrumentals for current day artists, all whilst finding the time to release the classic edited clips. I thought he was the only producer doing this type of thing until I came across Knxwledge’s Instagram story.
I had known of the American producer since his 2-hour long mixes with Earl Sweatshirt. One day he posted a story about how his Meek Mill edits had been copyrighted, speculating it was someone at the Meek’s label. He described his frustration because he loved these old Meek clips, the initial reason for his edits. Knowing I was a fan of old school clip revamps, I began a deep dive into works of Knxwledge. The first video I came across was whatuneed_ and whilst it was clear there was a distinct difference in sound, the essence was still the same.
Once again, we had a producer wanting to update the energy from an old video of his favourite artist. The music’s equivalent of updating a VHS or DVD into a Blu-ray copy. You want to mimic the feeling you had of when you first watched the clip; yet when you relisten to it, the audio sounds muddy due to the video’s age and the backing track lacks that punch. The soulfulness on whatuneed_ , similar to that of Wize’s Potter Payper edit, provides a great platter for Meek’s lyricism.
We must recognise that the producers do have an advantage in these cases. This whole style relies on a sense of hindsight and the understanding what these MC’s have gone on to achieve. Back when the video surfaced, the artist would have been a newcomer and was giving it their best to prove their talent. Therefore, these old beats served to boost the genre and were ground-breaking during that period; more-so in the case of the Grime clips. The power belonged to the instrumental, with the MC having to match the energy of the track. Wize and Knxwledge have to do the reverse of that, paying homage to the moment created by the MC. We as the audience, watch these videos of Skepta and Meek Mill with the understanding that they went on to do and are doing, something greater. There is not only a sense of nostalgia when we watch these videos back but a recognition that these early examples of their talent are more important now. The videos hold more weight because they are the first embers of a fire that is currently blazing.
Both Wize and Knxwledge as fans as well producers, recognise this too. They have the same task the MC/Rapper did back then, by paying respect to the other half of the track. Their instrumental must absorb the lyrical meanings and cadences during their performance, deciding how best to uplift their performance. It is comparable to how special effects teams spend months colourising old War footage, making it easier for the modern-day audience to connect with what they are experiencing. Through their skill, they remove the barrier that is time. Acknowledging the difficulty of pulling this off only garners more respect for both the producers. Both Wize and Knxwledge are, in my opinion, creating an almost new wave in the music industry. Their ability to breath new life into already classic moments is truly beautiful. I am undoubtably a fan of this new movement and judging by the traction they are receiving, so is the rest of the World.
wear shoes, write poems 