Grime has always been about outsiders. Whether that refers to the way general folk looked at the genre – a 140bpm-sped commentary on council flat life – or looking from the inside out. By that we’re referring to the MCs with an unorthodox, yet celebrated approach. Flirta D is definitely one. A champion of onomatopoeia, he had a knack for piecing together SFX soundbites into his bars. Scratchy from Roll Deep could produce a high trilling war chant from the back of his throat mid-flow. Both had their own styles, and it undoubtedly worked in their favour.
For the fourth edition in our Boiler Room and ICA celebration of grime, Logan Sama turns to two more outsiders. Trim and Big Narstie are rightfully heralded for their distinct approaches to eskibeat. Trim happens to be one of the most revered outsiders grime has ever seen. Where many of his contemporaries opted for rapid-fire flow, Trim was almost conversational. Big Narstie is without a doubt, a champion of the grime culture with equal bags of talent and ‘out there’ charisma. He’s also been an active MC since 2002 if anyone cares to forget.
Both will be joined by a team of youngsters putting in hard work on the internet radio circuit. Backed by DJ Frampster, the likes of Darkos and Nico Lindsay will be on hand to warm the mic. Finally, Liminal Sounds head honcho and radio host, Sam Elsewhere, will be spinning some of grime’s gems in the opening hour.
The action kicks off on Sunday 10 May at the Institute of Contemporary Arts from 21:00 (BST). Find out more information here.