Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post provides information about Grime music and showcases Black British artist Stormzy's 2015 hit Grime record "Shut Up".
Explanations about certain terms in that composition are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, linguistic, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Stormzy for this composition and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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WARNING: The video that is embedded in this post and the lyrics for this composition include a small amount of profanity.
Because pancocojams is a family friendly blog, words that are considered profanity aren't fully spelled out and the modified spelling is indicated by asterisks.
This showcased Grime composition also includes the one instance of the use of a form of the referent that is commonly known as "the n word". A modified form of that referent is also given in this post.
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INFORMATION ABOUT GRIME MUSIC
Excerpt #1:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grime_(music_genre)
"Grime is a genre of music that emerged in London in the early 2000s. It developed out of earlier UK electronic music styles, including UK garage and jungle,[3] and draws influence from dancehall, ragga, and hip hop.[4] The style is typified by rapid, syncopated breakbeats, generally around 130 or 140 bpm,[3] and often features an aggressive or jagged electronic sound.[5] Rapping is also a significant element of the style, and lyrics often revolve around gritty depictions of urban life.[6]"...
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Excerpt #2
From https://pigeonsandplanes.com/in-depth/2015/11/grime-hip-hop
Deeper Than Rap: Grime is Not a Subgenre of Hip-Hop
With grime gaining momentum in America, many are calling it an offshoot of rap, but it has roots of its own. Grime isn't hip-hop.
By Alex De Lacey, Nov 3, 2015
Let’s face it, ever since Kanye decided to bring a bunch of grime artists on stage at the BRITs and Skepta and Drake became best friends, it seems the entire world is getting excited about grime. Something that comes up all to often is grime’s similarities to hip-hop..and those just getting familiar with the genre often refer to it as British rap.
These incessant comparisons frustrate and mislead, since—although there are shared characteristics between grime and hip-hop—grime is a musical form in its own right, with roots of its own. It needs to be made clear that a grime freestyle is different from a hip-hop freestyle, grime artists often end each line with the same phrase....
Grime developed from a multitude of styles; primarily reggae, bashment, dancehall, garage, and drum and bass. To simply call it a subgenre of hip-hop disavows these vital influences, and denies the unique cultural heritage that has secured its place as one of the most vibrant and idiosyncratic performance forms that exists today."...
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INFORMATION ABOUT STORMZY
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stormzy
"Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. (born 26 July 1993), better known by his stage name Stormzy, is an English grime and hip hop artist. He won Best Grime Act at the 2014 and 2015 MOBO Awards and was named as an artist to look out for in the BBC's influential Sound of 2015 list.[6][7] His most successful song to date is the BPI platinum-selling "Shut Up", which was initially released as a freestyle on YouTube. The track was then officially released and got to number eight on the UK Singles Chart after Stormzy launched a campaign[8] to reach Christmas number one.
His debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, was released on 24 February 2017 and was the first grime album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart."...
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: STORMZY - SHUT UP
Stormzy, Published on May 17, 2015
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Statistics (as of April 30, 2018 8:53 PM EST):
76,247,374- total number of views
476, 000- total number of likes
19, 000 - total number of dislikes
33,233 - total number of comments
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LYRICS & INFORMATION ABOUT THIS COMPOSITION
From https://genius.com/Stormzy-shut-up-lyrics
{Intro]
Right
State your name, cuz
Stormzy, innit?
What we doing today?
Repping, innit?
Yeah, f&&king* repping, innit?
Yeah, fire in the park, let's go!
[Verse]
Man try say he's better than me
Tell my man, shut up
Mention my name in your tweets
Oi, rudeboy, shut up
Better than me?
Shut up
Best in the scene
Tell my man, yo, yo
Couple man called me a backup dancer
Onstage at the BRITs, I'm a backup dancer
If that makes me a backup dancer
The man in your vids? Backup dancer
The man in your pics? Backup dancer
Man wanna chat about backup dancer
Big man like me with a beard
I'm a big man, how the f&&k* can I–?
Army comes everywhere I go
I can't run when my enemies show
Walk in the club with all of my tugs
Party's done, everybody go home
Apart from the girl dem, you lot stay
Walk in the club, all the girls say, "Hey"
Tell a man like I'm K to the A
There's no champagne, we don't rave
Yeah, I'm the best, I'm so cocky
I've got a mob like A$AP Rocky
I set trends, dem man copy
They catch feelings, I catch bodies
They roll deep, I roll squaddy
Got about 25 goons in my posse
They drink Bailey's, I drink Vossy
I get merky, they get worried
If you got a G-A-T, bring it out
Most of the real bad boys live in south
If you wanna do me something, I'm about
I'm not a gangster, I'm just about
But you see my man over there with the pouch?
Dare one of you man try get loud
All of my mandem move so foul
I might sing but I ain't sold out
Nowadays all of my shows sold out
Headline tour, yeah blud, sold out
When we roll in, they roll out
I'm so London, I'm so south
Food in the ends like there ain't no drought
Flipz don't talk like he's got no mouth
I wanna make my mum so proud
Like, "Yo, Mum, book a flight, go now"
All of my ex-girls stalking me hard
Talk to my face, don't talk to my palm
Had four bills and I bought me a car
Little red whip that I bought for my marge
I straight murk, it's a walk in the park
I take care when I water my plants
These MCs wanna talk about Lord of the Mics
You ain't even lord of your yard
Dead MCs, blud, leave me alone
Me and your girl, we speak on the phone
Kill a whole crew of MCs on my own
Kill a whole crew of MCs for the throne
I was out hungry, so damn hungry
Man tried to eat then leave me the bones
Now these ni&&as*, they need me to grow
Hot chocolate and a panini to go
I'm a big man, f&&k* a postcode war
Man were upset about the MOBO Awards
Yeah, I was gassed at the MOBO Awards
Why? 'Cause I ain't won a MOBO before
Duh! All of you MCs sound so bitter
Shut down Wireless, shut down Twitter
Shoutout Deepee, shoutout Flipper
Best my age, yeah blud, look
If you don't rate me, shame on you
If you don't rate me, shame on you
Can I order a deathbed for a MC?
He wants beef? Let me make that two
Anyone else wanna make that move?
Anyone else wanna pay their dues?
Imposters wanna take my tunes
Stiff Chocolate, yeah, my face so smooth, check it
Don't even talk too much, you're a talker
Dem man still go halves on a quarter
Saw me turn from a prince to a pauper
Two cigarettes and a bottle of water
Told the bouncer, get the bottles in order
Man in the kitchen putting in orders
Stiff Chocolate, skin clear like water
Smooth on this ting, start locking up daughters"
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*These words are fully spelled out on that genuis.com page.
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"About Shut up
Created by ImReallyDead, 2015
Accepted by Luke Balance, 2015
Stormzy looks to DJ XTC’s old school grime beat, “Functions on the Low,” to drop a freestyle in the park, detailing his influence in the grime scene. It was so well-received that he re-recorded it in the studio, releasing it as the B-side to the “Wicked Skengman 4” single. It later went platinum in March 2017 following a relatively successful campaign to get the song to Christmas number one in the UK; the song peaked at number eight.
Stormzy also performed the song live prior to the titular fight at Anthony Joshua vs Dillian Whyte with adapted lyrics.
The song’s most memorable lines, the first eight bars, are directed at Wiley’s brother Cadell, who had been sending for Stormzy throughout 2015 and accusing him of riding off Wiley’s success. Stormzy also addresses the comments by Big Narstie, J Spades and Link Up TV’s Remel London about how he was a “backup dancer” for Kanye at the BRIT Awards."
**
Luke Balance, 2017
Asked by Adam Wills, 2017
"Why is it called "Shut Up"? What is he getting at?
This lyric is presumably directed at East Londoner Cadell, who posted some offensive tweets about Stormzy and claimed to be a better MC. Stormzy’s response—or, the concise version—is to tell him to “shut up.”"
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EXPLANATIONS FOR CERTAIN TERMS AND REFERENCES IN THIS COMPOSITION
(This words are given in the order of their inclusion in that composition and numbered for referencing purposes only. Additions and corrections are welcome.)
1. cuz= [in the context of this use] = cousin (implying a close relationship that is the same as with one's family; although this term may also be used facetiously when a positive relationship isn't assumed or intented
2. innit= isn't it? ; meaning "Don't you agree [with what was just said]?
3. reppin - positively publicly representing one's group, neighborhood, city, nation etc
4. rudeboy
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rude_boy
"Rude boy, rudeboy, rudie, rudi, and rudy are slang terms that originated in 1960s Jamaican street culture,[1] and that are still used today. In the late 1970s, the 2 Tone ska revival in England saw the terms rude boy and rude girl, among other variations, being used to describe fans of that genre. This use of the word moved into the more contemporary Ska Punk movement as well. In the UK, the terms rude boy and rude girl are used in a similar way to gangsta or badman.[2]
[...]
Jamaica
The rude boy subculture arose from the poorer sections of Kingston, Jamaica, and was associated with violent discontented youths.[3] Along with ska and rocksteady music, many rude boys favored sharp suits, thin ties, and pork pie or Trilby hats, showing an influence of the fashions of American jazz musicians and soul music artists. American cowboy and gangster/outlaw films from that period were also influential factors in shaping the rude boy image.[4].
[...]
United Kingdom
...In more recent times in multicultural Britain, the term rudeboy has become associated with street or urban culture, and is a common greeting. The term rudeboy has become associated with music genres such as ragga, jungle, drum and bass, garage, and grime - although is still used by many ska and Ska Punk bands, old and new - predominantly in the UK and USA."...
5. The BRITs
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit_Awards
"The BRIT Awards (often simply called The BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored by Britannia Music Club), but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trusts Show.[1] In addition, an equivalent awards ceremony for classical music, called the Classic BRIT Awards, is held in the month of May. ….
The awards were first held in 1977 and originated as an annual event in 1982 under the auspices of the British record industry's trade association, the BPI. In 1989, they were renamed The BRIT Awards.[2] [The Brits is] “The highest profile music awards ceremony in the UK” "...
6. tugs
From https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tug
“People that listen to grime and that are mainly from London would call themselves tugs.“...
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UPDATE May 1, 2018: My guess is that the word "tug" is derived from the word "thugs" (which is probably a complimentary referent in that culture.)
7. MCs
From https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=MC
"Master of Ceremonies or Microphone Controller. A rapper who is either the host of an event; someone with enough flow and skill to be considered a master of the art of rap"...
8. blud
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blud
"mainly used in the uk
"blud" comes from bredrin (brother)
or blood brother
blud, doesn't havent to mean a literal brother
more like a friend"...
9. gassed
From https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gassed
"Gassed
To get excited or get hopes up."
10. MOBO Awards
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOBO_Awards
"The MOBO Awards stands for "Music of Black Origin" and was established in 1996 by Kanya King and Andy Ruffell. The MOBO Award show is held annually in the United Kingdom. Since its inception in 1996, the MOBO Awards has become one of Europe’s biggest and most influential music award ceremonies, celebrating excellence in black music in the UK and internationally for more than 20 years in the musical fields of hip-hop, grime, RnB, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and African music. The MOBO Awards are seen[by whom?] as a UK equivalent to the BET Awards and Soul Train Awards.
[...]
Awarded for: Excellence in black music
Country: United Kingdom
first awarded: 1996”...
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