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This unusual account of a musical movement eschews grand narratives and embraces the small-scalePerhaps because so much post-millennial music has seemed safe and blandly palatable by comparison, grime – and the distinctive forms of homegrown rap that emerged in its wake – still boasts a freshness that distracts from its actual age. Those old enough to remember its birth might flatter themselves into thinking it’s still a nascent art form, but it’s really not. Dizzee Rascal, once the boy in da corner, turns 40 this year. Hits by stars such as Wiley, Lethal Bizzle and Kano are now considered old-school throwbacks. Grime is entering middle-age and feeling a bit wistful, as evidenced in last year’s BBC documentary 8Bar: The Evolution of Grime or DJ Target’s book Grime Kids (recently adapted into a BBC drama).Fitting this mood of reminiscence, Aniefiok Ekpoudom has crafted a singular account of the rise of the genre, focusing on a careful selection of the people and places that shaped the music. Continue reading...