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Inner City Pressure: The Story of Grime
A GUARDIAN , OBSERVER , PITCHFORK , NPR , METRO AND HERALD SCOTLAND BEST MUSIC BOOK OF 2018 ‘The definitive grime biography’ NME ’A landmark genre history’ Pitchfork The year 2000. As Britain celebrates the new millennium, something is stirring in the crumbling council estates of inner-city London. Making beats on stolen software, spitting lyrics on tower block rooftops and beaming out signals from pirate-radio aerials, a group of teenagers raised on UK garage, American hip-hop and Jamaican reggae stumble upon a dazzling new genre. Against all odds, these young MCs will grow up to become some of the UK’s most famous musicians, scoring number one records and dominating British pop culture for years to come. Hip-hop royalty will fawn over them, billion dollar brands will queue up to beg for their endorsements and through their determined DIY ethics they’ll turn the music industry's logic on its head. But getting there won’t be easy. Successive governments will attempt to control their music, their behaviour and even their clothes. The media will demonise them and the police will shut down their clubs. National radio stations and live music venues will ban them. There will be riots, fighting in the streets, even murder. And the inner-city landscape that shaped them will be changed beyond all recognition. Drawn from over a decade of in depth interviews and research with all the key MCs, DJs and industry players, in this extraordinary book the UK’s best grime journalist Dan Hancox tells the remarkable story of how a group of outsiders went on to create a genre that has become a British institution. Here, for the first time, is the full story of grime.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 17, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
June 6, 2018
This detailed exploration of the rise of Grime, from bedroom/back room battles and illegal radio to an essential part mainstream music and culture, features those from the early days who laboured in the dark to get their music heard, all the way up to the big names of today, who are played around the world in ways that early dreamers could never have imagined.
While it may be a love affair on the part of the author, Dan Hancox, and this shines through the writing from the first page to the last, this is no light hearted fare. Hancox aimed high, examining the origins and growth of a musical movement that has its foundation in racism, class, and an isolation from conventional society- something which created an intensely interconnected community of artists who often supported each other, building rather than trampling on the successes of their friends and forebears. However, the author’s relentless determination to highlight what he considers to be the injustices and failures of contemporary governments, particularly political and economic policy in the capital, made it hard reading at times. I came expecting a history of grime artists, I got an extended piece of investigative journalism on the social, political, and economic history of parts of London over the last 20-30 years, with specific reference to the way it affected lives, attitudes, and the potential futures of generations of young men in particular, and the resulting ways that influenced their musical expression. Such depth wasn’t unwelcome, but it meant less time for the individuals who blazed their way through these obstacles.
Overall though, this is a fascinating look at a music phenomenon which continues to evolve while holding firmly on to its British roots.
ARC via Netgalley
While it may be a love affair on the part of the author, Dan Hancox, and this shines through the writing from the first page to the last, this is no light hearted fare. Hancox aimed high, examining the origins and growth of a musical movement that has its foundation in racism, class, and an isolation from conventional society- something which created an intensely interconnected community of artists who often supported each other, building rather than trampling on the successes of their friends and forebears. However, the author’s relentless determination to highlight what he considers to be the injustices and failures of contemporary governments, particularly political and economic policy in the capital, made it hard reading at times. I came expecting a history of grime artists, I got an extended piece of investigative journalism on the social, political, and economic history of parts of London over the last 20-30 years, with specific reference to the way it affected lives, attitudes, and the potential futures of generations of young men in particular, and the resulting ways that influenced their musical expression. Such depth wasn’t unwelcome, but it meant less time for the individuals who blazed their way through these obstacles.
Overall though, this is a fascinating look at a music phenomenon which continues to evolve while holding firmly on to its British roots.
ARC via Netgalley
August 8, 2021
A book to teach you to love grime and hate London's urban development and policing. Written with the appropriate amount of righteous anger
November 4, 2020
Best book I’ve read this year
Read
January 2, 2024An extraordinary exploration of the socio-economic powers that created Grime in the early 2000s.
It's funny and brash throughout, at once citing Grime lyrics and politically white papers with equal efficacy.
Beautifully written and moving, it's made me re-evaluate the city I live in.
It's funny and brash throughout, at once citing Grime lyrics and politically white papers with equal efficacy.
Beautifully written and moving, it's made me re-evaluate the city I live in.
April 22, 2023
I think everyone should read this, ESPECIALLY people who live in London.
I have no idea why I bought this book (in Bath of all places) - possibly after I found out at my cousin’s wedding that he was a big fan of grime, and I had no idea what it was.
My first impression of the music itself was that it sounded dreadful, but I was interested in its “story”, as a genre that seemed to have developed quite organically and non-commercially. And although I didn’t really like the sound it seemed a lot more creative than various other stuff eg. all these earnest young men with accoustic guitars.
From a musical perspective I was trying to listen to it in too much of a “classical” way - listening for harmonies and melodies when frankly there’s not much of either. What i realised (probably 10 years after everybody else) is that it’s the WORDS that are important - I now think of it almost as a form of musical/rhythmic poetry.
Also, as the book explains, a lot of the more well known “grime” tracks that I would have heard are by definition the ones that have had more commercial success, and therefore catered to the demands of the charts/music industry - “the winning formula was simple: towering Ibiza electro house synths, slower rapping, and simple lyrics about cars, girls, and holidays, and schmaltzy sung choruses” - very superficial compared to the raw emotional lyrics of the songs about struggling to grow up in an area riddled with knife crime, poverty, and racism etc.
Other main Interesting points/topics:
1. The homemade nature of grime
A lot of the early stuff was literally made by teenagers on PlayStations
- “They would eventually overwhelm British pop, doing so with the barest minimum of equipment. And in most cases with almost no formal musical training.”
- “XTC is one of many of grime’s ephemeral geniuses… finished only a handful of tracks with Functions on the B side - it just happened to be a masterpiece. It’s a breath taking five minutes of longing, like a fleeting glimpse of the love of your life disappearing into the Hong Kong night - neon lights seen through a torrent of tears. It’s so heartbreaking, yet so addictive, so humane, that the moment it stops, you’re desperate to have it back. It took him half an hour to write, on FruityLoops, one morning while the rest of his family were still asleep. He used the computer keyboard in place of an actual keyboard, never got it mastered, rendered the audio file, burned a CD, and took it straight to the vinyl processing plant. And that was that.”
- Also interesting to see how it all happened pre internet - they’d make their tapes and then vie to get them played on this underground pirate radio station that everyone listened to that was run in someone’s bedroom and was constantly fleeing from the authorities
- Weird the concept of pirate radio where it was illegal to broadcast and the authorities were always out to hunt them down and confiscate equipment. Seems very totalitarian in the age of YouTube etc where anyone can post whatever they like
- The historic precursor to radio 1 was a pirate radio station on a literal boat
2. The political/welfare climate it developed in - youth clubs, etc - In a similar way to so many working class bands and singers in the 80s being supported on benefits and ending up doing amazing things, now those same people wouldn’t be granted the time or resources, would be much more forced into work. “Free education, a strong welfare state, and affordable housing has given working class creativity the space to breathe in the post war years. For new Labour, it was too much like a hand out; money for nothing.” “For all that we should celebrate Their independent DIY spirit and sheer self motivated perseverance, teenagers with nothing making something more dazzling and millennial modern than anyone could have imagined, They didso with the help of youth clubs, teachers,and a collective communitarian spirit that was being pummelled by a government determined to dismantle it in the name of remaking the inner city.”
3. Racism
- But few youth sub-cultures have ever been so consistently hammered by the authorities as grime - it certainly changed the sound… it was suppose to be dance music - but now could it be, if no one ever got the chance to dance to it.
(“- Rock music, of course, has a proud history of abstinence, obsequious law abidance, and general zen-like behaviour”) - interesting to think about how this genre would have developed differently if it hadn’t faced such a lot of racism from venues and record labels.
4. London in general
Eg - how separate the different communities appeared to feel from each other (and probably still do) - “laid out side by side, and not being mixed, not touching.”
Like in east london they built Canary Wharf and loads of very luxury apartments etc and the nearby council estates were physically fenced out.
And how in the 2012 olympics there was all this WE ARE HAPPY AND THRIVING marketing from London, when actually it was a time of real unrest and anger due to things like the EMA being abolished, brutal and racist policing, lots of people being unable to get jobs etc.
- “The shard, Mordor upon Thames, owned by Qatar”
I think my favourite song I listened to from this book - Ill manors plan b - which in an amazing crossover I didn’t know I needed samples Shostakovich 7 - “Shostakovich’s seventh is a perfect example, decades before hardcore or jungle or grime… of why political music needn’t have vocals explaining exactly why and how they are political. It’s a symphony with a direct descriptive nature, about the defence of Leningrad from the Nazi’s during the Second World War; a stirring call to arms in the face of a relentless, brutalising assault on the collective body. It’s about a great city under siege, and the ordinary people who suffer in its heart, frantically trying to survive “.
I have no idea why I bought this book (in Bath of all places) - possibly after I found out at my cousin’s wedding that he was a big fan of grime, and I had no idea what it was.
My first impression of the music itself was that it sounded dreadful, but I was interested in its “story”, as a genre that seemed to have developed quite organically and non-commercially. And although I didn’t really like the sound it seemed a lot more creative than various other stuff eg. all these earnest young men with accoustic guitars.
From a musical perspective I was trying to listen to it in too much of a “classical” way - listening for harmonies and melodies when frankly there’s not much of either. What i realised (probably 10 years after everybody else) is that it’s the WORDS that are important - I now think of it almost as a form of musical/rhythmic poetry.
Also, as the book explains, a lot of the more well known “grime” tracks that I would have heard are by definition the ones that have had more commercial success, and therefore catered to the demands of the charts/music industry - “the winning formula was simple: towering Ibiza electro house synths, slower rapping, and simple lyrics about cars, girls, and holidays, and schmaltzy sung choruses” - very superficial compared to the raw emotional lyrics of the songs about struggling to grow up in an area riddled with knife crime, poverty, and racism etc.
Other main Interesting points/topics:
1. The homemade nature of grime
A lot of the early stuff was literally made by teenagers on PlayStations
- “They would eventually overwhelm British pop, doing so with the barest minimum of equipment. And in most cases with almost no formal musical training.”
- “XTC is one of many of grime’s ephemeral geniuses… finished only a handful of tracks with Functions on the B side - it just happened to be a masterpiece. It’s a breath taking five minutes of longing, like a fleeting glimpse of the love of your life disappearing into the Hong Kong night - neon lights seen through a torrent of tears. It’s so heartbreaking, yet so addictive, so humane, that the moment it stops, you’re desperate to have it back. It took him half an hour to write, on FruityLoops, one morning while the rest of his family were still asleep. He used the computer keyboard in place of an actual keyboard, never got it mastered, rendered the audio file, burned a CD, and took it straight to the vinyl processing plant. And that was that.”
- Also interesting to see how it all happened pre internet - they’d make their tapes and then vie to get them played on this underground pirate radio station that everyone listened to that was run in someone’s bedroom and was constantly fleeing from the authorities
- Weird the concept of pirate radio where it was illegal to broadcast and the authorities were always out to hunt them down and confiscate equipment. Seems very totalitarian in the age of YouTube etc where anyone can post whatever they like
- The historic precursor to radio 1 was a pirate radio station on a literal boat
2. The political/welfare climate it developed in - youth clubs, etc - In a similar way to so many working class bands and singers in the 80s being supported on benefits and ending up doing amazing things, now those same people wouldn’t be granted the time or resources, would be much more forced into work. “Free education, a strong welfare state, and affordable housing has given working class creativity the space to breathe in the post war years. For new Labour, it was too much like a hand out; money for nothing.” “For all that we should celebrate Their independent DIY spirit and sheer self motivated perseverance, teenagers with nothing making something more dazzling and millennial modern than anyone could have imagined, They didso with the help of youth clubs, teachers,and a collective communitarian spirit that was being pummelled by a government determined to dismantle it in the name of remaking the inner city.”
3. Racism
- But few youth sub-cultures have ever been so consistently hammered by the authorities as grime - it certainly changed the sound… it was suppose to be dance music - but now could it be, if no one ever got the chance to dance to it.
(“- Rock music, of course, has a proud history of abstinence, obsequious law abidance, and general zen-like behaviour”) - interesting to think about how this genre would have developed differently if it hadn’t faced such a lot of racism from venues and record labels.
4. London in general
Eg - how separate the different communities appeared to feel from each other (and probably still do) - “laid out side by side, and not being mixed, not touching.”
Like in east london they built Canary Wharf and loads of very luxury apartments etc and the nearby council estates were physically fenced out.
And how in the 2012 olympics there was all this WE ARE HAPPY AND THRIVING marketing from London, when actually it was a time of real unrest and anger due to things like the EMA being abolished, brutal and racist policing, lots of people being unable to get jobs etc.
- “The shard, Mordor upon Thames, owned by Qatar”
I think my favourite song I listened to from this book - Ill manors plan b - which in an amazing crossover I didn’t know I needed samples Shostakovich 7 - “Shostakovich’s seventh is a perfect example, decades before hardcore or jungle or grime… of why political music needn’t have vocals explaining exactly why and how they are political. It’s a symphony with a direct descriptive nature, about the defence of Leningrad from the Nazi’s during the Second World War; a stirring call to arms in the face of a relentless, brutalising assault on the collective body. It’s about a great city under siege, and the ordinary people who suffer in its heart, frantically trying to survive “.
July 7, 2025
I recommend this to literally everyone, whether you know anything about Grime or not. This is the story of gentrification and late stage capitalism as told through the lens of youth culture. The best example of music journalism I have encountered in a long time.
October 12, 2018
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
Although I found this to be a interesting insight into the history and rise of Grime, I found it to be very heavy going in places.
Hence only the 3 stars.
Although I found this to be a interesting insight into the history and rise of Grime, I found it to be very heavy going in places.
Hence only the 3 stars.
April 23, 2019
This is a good history of grime music, but an EXCELLENT history of the gentrification of modern London under Blair and beyond. Delves deep into the social, political, and economic factors that led to the suppression and ultimate triumph of one of the most distinctly English forms of modern music.
January 23, 2025
I have read so many books about working class struggles, about revolutions, about fights for human freedom in my (omg) 70+ years. But I did not expect, this book, this beautiful, inspiring, book to be one of them. This is a book about the history of London in the 21st century, not just about the roots of grime, about the Roman Road and Bow but about what austerity, new Labour, the Tories have done to our city. It is not just a book about one grimey genre of music but is a story of how young working class Londoners collectively created a sound on their own terms, a d-i-y music, sticking radio transmitters on the roofs of tower blocks, selling records from the backs of vans, but always collectively. This is and was collective music making par excellence. And it is also story of fighting repression, fighting the feds who tried to get grime shut down, off the airwaves, out of the clubs. But in the end grime persisted and showed it didn’t need the system to survive and reached out of the manor to the suburbs and to beyond.
I have to add that I was as late a comer to grime as I could be. Probably sometime in 2017 or 2018 , high, somewhere in N16 that I first heard Skepta or Dizzee Rascal in the early hours. And getting to understand the music and to enjoy it was never going to be easy for this ‘pale, stale, male’. But I am so glad I did and I am so happy that I have friends who got me there. But this book has put my appreciation on a totally different level. A wonderful read
I have to add that I was as late a comer to grime as I could be. Probably sometime in 2017 or 2018 , high, somewhere in N16 that I first heard Skepta or Dizzee Rascal in the early hours. And getting to understand the music and to enjoy it was never going to be easy for this ‘pale, stale, male’. But I am so glad I did and I am so happy that I have friends who got me there. But this book has put my appreciation on a totally different level. A wonderful read
May 1, 2020
Having grown up religiously listening to pirate radio in my bedroom, then going to under 18, then over 18, raves like Liberty, Sidewinder, Garage Fever etc, I was one of the people watching Uk garage morph into grime through the early 00s. (This book made me dig out a v old mp3 of *that clash* between PAYG and Heartless hidden on my laptop somewhere.) Then struggling to find a garage rave because they were all shut down. Given that both music scenes have changed so much and the pirates don’t exist in the same way, it sometimes feels like none of it happened. So this book was such a nice bit of nostalgia, super well researched, and explained a lot of what and who I heard / saw / read going on at the time (mostly through message boards back then, I remember Logan Sama being prolific on those) in the garage/grime scene. I also found the political / social background of London and New Labour and how it linked to the scene interesting, especially at the start/middle. It was great context throughout. But there’s a lot of detail, and towards the end it felt quite full on, I found myself wanting to read more about the music itself. So 4 at stars on the basis that this is a very good book but it lost me with the heavy detail towards the end.
June 6, 2022
What a story! Dan Hancox beautifully narrates the tale of the (often forgotten) selfless founders of the UK music scene. With priceless interviews and incredible access, this book takes you right from Wiley’s living room, and the first days of Rinse FM, to the current state of UK music. In doing so, it shines an exposing light on the authorities and policy makers who intentionally and methodically attempted to stop young talent from thriving in the early 2000s. The book expertly breaks down the impact of racist policing, gentrification, tabloid manufactured panic and capitalism - and the role each played in the development of grime. An incredibly inspiring story of togetherness, selflessness and community, told by someone who saw it all first hand.
“Grime had drawn its power from a rupture at the start of a new millennium. It was a sonically violent enactment of the claustrophobia
of the inner city, and a confrontation with the society that was determined grime's creators would remain on the margins, unheard. It was a
stunning exercise in collective alchemy that this anger and alienation so often manifested itself in joy and irreverence, but there was no denying that it was all born from poverty, and all born from pain.”
“Grime had drawn its power from a rupture at the start of a new millennium. It was a sonically violent enactment of the claustrophobia
of the inner city, and a confrontation with the society that was determined grime's creators would remain on the margins, unheard. It was a
stunning exercise in collective alchemy that this anger and alienation so often manifested itself in joy and irreverence, but there was no denying that it was all born from poverty, and all born from pain.”
May 6, 2021
Really enjoyed this nostalgic and insightful study of grime's history.
I lived in London throughout the rise, fall and resurrection of grime, and was making 'grime-adjacent' music, but I never paid all that much attention to the genre (beyond listening to and enjoying a few of the stand-out tracks). Hancox covers the history in great detail, and brings in a sociological and political analysis that makes this book essential reading even for those who aren't particular fans of the music. Especially interesting is the incisive account of New Labour's 'regeneration' strategy, predicated on privatisation, gentrification, mass surveillance, and a war on youth culture - in particular black, working class youth culture.
The writing is credible and intelligent without being stuffy and academic; it is at once an urgent political history and a warm reflection on a music scene. Recommended.
I lived in London throughout the rise, fall and resurrection of grime, and was making 'grime-adjacent' music, but I never paid all that much attention to the genre (beyond listening to and enjoying a few of the stand-out tracks). Hancox covers the history in great detail, and brings in a sociological and political analysis that makes this book essential reading even for those who aren't particular fans of the music. Especially interesting is the incisive account of New Labour's 'regeneration' strategy, predicated on privatisation, gentrification, mass surveillance, and a war on youth culture - in particular black, working class youth culture.
The writing is credible and intelligent without being stuffy and academic; it is at once an urgent political history and a warm reflection on a music scene. Recommended.
June 17, 2021
I'm not really a fan of Grime outside of a few well-known songs so there were a few people mentioned that I hadn't heard of but I liked this book and thought the author did a very good job in telling the rise of the industry in detail using plenty of interviews whilst also explaining what was going on at the time in inner-city London from a sociological and political perspective. Regeneration, gentrification, the rise of CCTV cameras, over-policing, depictions of young black boys/men in the media.
Hancox cares deeply about the music, its people and the areas the scene was borne from and that comes through in his writing.
3.5*
Hancox cares deeply about the music, its people and the areas the scene was borne from and that comes through in his writing.
3.5*
March 18, 2023
The very word "definitive" was invented for the books like this one. Hancox provides us with overwhelming sociocultural analysis of the local scene that went global. Playful and witty at some points, poignant and, oh well, grimey at the others.
To make sort of audio companion, I collected some of the tracks mentioned in the book in the playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2nM...
To make sort of audio companion, I collected some of the tracks mentioned in the book in the playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2nM...
September 3, 2019
What a amazing book and insight into the grime scene. It works well, because it is not only abut the facts and scene, but also about sociopolitical context of London of late 90's/early 00's. Through this we can easily see that grime was response to turbulent gentrification of London caused by greedy and mindless politics of New Labour. Book is also rich with great stories and interviews of key figures of the scene and it's educative read from start to the end. You will learn a lot about London and about musical scene there. Read this book! And take that Nokia!
April 25, 2019
Wow! One of the best books about music I've ever read. Very deep and thorough, it's basically the history of London in the last 20 years through the prism of grime.
Only gets 4 stars because sometimes it's so dense with information that it gets hard to follow. But super recommended.
Only gets 4 stars because sometimes it's so dense with information that it gets hard to follow. But super recommended.
January 24, 2021
Dizzee for PM
July 16, 2022
Almost *too* detailed, at least early on. Covers the early days with a lot of detail then kind of coasts through the last few years. Still though - excellent.
January 7, 2026
5 STARS
April 19, 2021
An outstanding book which seemingly covers all aspects and nuances of Grime. From its very inception, to its persecution and eradication in the late 2000s, right up to the triumphant return around 2014/2015, Hancox takes you every step of the way in vivid and captivating detail - I felt like I was there myself, tuning into pirate radios and attending clashes. It struck me just how dedicated the people who originated it were, stopping at absolutely nothing to be heard by as many people as possible, in an environment where all the odds were stacked against them; from Slimzee and Geeneus climbing up tower blocks to dangle aerials for pirate radios, to sampling PS1 games and films through AV cables among many other things I can't think of off the top of my head. It was never about the money or the fame, these pioneers were going to express themselves if it killed them. Hancox also succeeds in providing a perfect sociopolitical picture through the years, which ultimately shaped Grime and made it what it was and is today. As someone who is merely a fan of the genre but has never been enthralled by it, this book is utterly fantastic.
January 10, 2019
Hancox's book is as much a social history of 21st century London as it is a book about the music. That works pretty well, as he is arguing that grime was borne out of the challenges facing inner city youth from the most deprived boroughs in the country. His opinion is pretty evident throughout the book, and he does - at points - stray too far towards romanticising the deprivation that created the art form he loves. (Even though I'm sure he'd tell me that's way off the mark.) Nonetheless, it is an interesting read and I learned an awful lot about one of the most innovative music genres of recent times.
June 11, 2018
I love music, I love most kinds of music and I love nearly all music books. My knowledge of grime is lacking though. I own the first Dizzee Rascal album but beyond that only know a few songs. Dizzee’s lyrics tell a lot of his story but when I started this book I realised how little I actually knew. Dan Hancox goes right back to the start and the origins of grime which began with pirate radio. An enterprising team of music enthusiasts would scale the rooftops of London looking for likely spots to fix their pitches. Unsurprisingly this was a dangerous undertaking with the pirates at risk of arrest for trespassing or even rival stations pulling down your gear. The rewards were worth it though and these stations were avidly followed by fans and rappers alike. Hancox describes how rival mcs would call each other out and then battle live on air. The atmosphere sounds electric if at times chaotic, but you don’t get the magic without the chaos right? Hancox has interviews with all the major players, Dizzee Rascal, Lethal Bizzle, Skepta and many, many more. He obviously knows London inside out and his love for the city comes through in this book, which is as much a story of the last ten years of London life as it is about grime. He eloquently describes how the garage band So Solid Crew were effectively shut down as a touring concern by the police. Yes, there was trouble at some of their shows but there’s often trouble at many rock gigs too and it’s hard to see the heavy handed reaction of the police and councils as having anything less than a racist undertone. Much of the music has gone mainstream now and there’s an interesting section about staying true to the roots of the music while acknowledging that some of the harder elements may need softening for a wider audience. In one of my favourite parts Lethal Bizzle’s track “Pow!” is deemed unplayable by many club djs as it was so energetic there was simply nothing that could follow it! As I mentioned above I only have a rudimentary knowledge of grime and I found this a fascinating and extremely enjoyable book. I imagine if you love grime then you’d love this book too. I’d also mark it as essential reading for anyone interested in inner city London and the recent riots as it offers some real insight and background. A fantastic book on many levels.
I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
July 25, 2018
It was 2003, I was 14, when I first heard Grime music, by way of of Dizzee Rascal's "Boy In Da Corner". As a Hip Hop obsessed immigrant teenager living in the rainy Amsterdam metropolitan area, I was immediately drawn to Grime's sounds and narratives. Although it sounded so new, it felt familiar. I have had a fondness for the genre ever since.
I went into "Inner City Pressure: The Story of Grime" expecting it to be Grime's version of Jeff Chang's rigorous "Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation". It isn't. Like "Can't Stop Won't Stop", "Inner City Pressure" delivers a lot of context within which the story of its genre took place (or rather is taking place, as Grime is still a young genre), but unlike "Can't Stop Won't Stop", it seemingly does this without following rigourous academic writing standards. Whereas "Can't Stop Won't Stop" is in many ways a classic academic history book, "Inner City Pressure" reads like a very long piece of contemporary music criticism that, although incredibly well researched, relies on a lot of interpretation and extrapolation, often with a strong Marxist tilt. Whether or not you agree with any or all of the author's many conclusions is up to you, but know what to expect. Despite this (or because of it, depending on your point of view), "Inner City Pressure" is a very well written, very informative and often touching (and also troubling) book for anyone looking to gain greater understanding of Grime, its origins and its history.
For audiobook fans: The narration, by the otherwise very talented actor Ash Hunter, is good overall, but occasionally boring.
I went into "Inner City Pressure: The Story of Grime" expecting it to be Grime's version of Jeff Chang's rigorous "Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation". It isn't. Like "Can't Stop Won't Stop", "Inner City Pressure" delivers a lot of context within which the story of its genre took place (or rather is taking place, as Grime is still a young genre), but unlike "Can't Stop Won't Stop", it seemingly does this without following rigourous academic writing standards. Whereas "Can't Stop Won't Stop" is in many ways a classic academic history book, "Inner City Pressure" reads like a very long piece of contemporary music criticism that, although incredibly well researched, relies on a lot of interpretation and extrapolation, often with a strong Marxist tilt. Whether or not you agree with any or all of the author's many conclusions is up to you, but know what to expect. Despite this (or because of it, depending on your point of view), "Inner City Pressure" is a very well written, very informative and often touching (and also troubling) book for anyone looking to gain greater understanding of Grime, its origins and its history.
For audiobook fans: The narration, by the otherwise very talented actor Ash Hunter, is good overall, but occasionally boring.
April 12, 2019
4.5 stars
This was an unexpected gem of a book.
This book was chosen by my book club 'Let's Read...' for our April 2019 book. I have no interest in Grime. And the name Dan Hancox meant nothing to me in any context. I assumed he was another middle-aged middle-class white man trying to be cool. This is not something I would have chosen to read in a million years but damn, I want to thank WJ for making the choice and the author for putting together this great social-political commentary set against the backdrop of Grime from its infancy as a local underground scene, to its turbulent rise to mainstream favourite, becoming a definitive British Cultural export.
This book describes the struggles and pressures felt by working class Londoners over the last 20 years perfectly. But so have others. What make this standout for me is the passion and the energy in the writing about both the music and societal ills. Things I'd forgotten about or didn't appreciate the significance of at the time are bought to life by the language.
I got angry being reminded what successive Tory and Labour Governments have done to demonise and punish The Poor, The Black and The Young, (especially males). But I was also a bit jealous at not being a Grime fan because I feel like I missed out on an exciting time of musical growth and camaraderie. I almost want to become a fan, just to get even more from the book. But I won't.
This book could have been 5 stars if it wasn't for the delusion at best and but quite frankly factually incorrect statement 'one of the crew's biggest MCs, Lisa Maffia' - Thankfully it didn't put me off reading what was a wonderfully enjoyable book
This was an unexpected gem of a book.
This book was chosen by my book club 'Let's Read...' for our April 2019 book. I have no interest in Grime. And the name Dan Hancox meant nothing to me in any context. I assumed he was another middle-aged middle-class white man trying to be cool. This is not something I would have chosen to read in a million years but damn, I want to thank WJ for making the choice and the author for putting together this great social-political commentary set against the backdrop of Grime from its infancy as a local underground scene, to its turbulent rise to mainstream favourite, becoming a definitive British Cultural export.
This book describes the struggles and pressures felt by working class Londoners over the last 20 years perfectly. But so have others. What make this standout for me is the passion and the energy in the writing about both the music and societal ills. Things I'd forgotten about or didn't appreciate the significance of at the time are bought to life by the language.
I got angry being reminded what successive Tory and Labour Governments have done to demonise and punish The Poor, The Black and The Young, (especially males). But I was also a bit jealous at not being a Grime fan because I feel like I missed out on an exciting time of musical growth and camaraderie. I almost want to become a fan, just to get even more from the book. But I won't.
This book could have been 5 stars if it wasn't for the delusion at best and but quite frankly factually incorrect statement 'one of the crew's biggest MCs, Lisa Maffia' - Thankfully it didn't put me off reading what was a wonderfully enjoyable book
October 28, 2024
An absolute must-read for anyone interested in grime music as well as the issues of race, class, and poverty in the UK, this book not only examines the history of grime but also offers an in-depth look at life in London for those living in poverty, grappling with racism while residing in council estates overshadowed by affluent enclaves like Canary Wharf.
Hancox explores the political and musical backdrop that fostered the emergence of grime, highlighting the community and dedication of the MCs, producers, and DJs who helped this scene flourish. Growing up in London, close to the shadow of Canary Wharf and not having a lot of money myself I deeply resonated with the anger and despair of feeling trapped, feeling like I was never going to make it out. A feeling that grime, particularly early grime really captured and one that Hancox captures beautifully.
I particularly appreciate his commitment to addressing the complexities of race and class with great empathy. Toward the end, he examines the implications of gentrification on London; six years after its publication, the areas that once nurtured grime bear even less resemblance to their former selves, serving as a poignant reminder that community and resistance are more important than ever.
August 1, 2023
Really loved this. Not only a compelling biography on late garage, grime and drill but a powerful analysis of hyper-gentification, as well as media scaremongering and mass hysteria of young men just expressing themselves and their environments in the noughties.
Also fuck New Labour. Fuck the Tories.
"Criticising grime or road rap's negativity and violence might be fair game artistically, but demonising it, of course, achieved nothing. Grime can be as nihilistic as setting a car on fire. As was punk. As was Dadaism... It wasn't the first time angry young men have screamed 'fuck the world' into the void... The grime kids had been punished and policed with ASBOs, curfews and dispersal orders; they had been surveilled, harassed, kettled and endlessly stopped and searched; their public space had been privatised, their clubs and pirate stations shut down, their youth clubs closed, and their route out of poverty through education barricaded by a political class determined to blame them for their own oppression. Whose streets? Not their streets. Whose city? Not their fucking city."
Also fuck New Labour. Fuck the Tories.
"Criticising grime or road rap's negativity and violence might be fair game artistically, but demonising it, of course, achieved nothing. Grime can be as nihilistic as setting a car on fire. As was punk. As was Dadaism... It wasn't the first time angry young men have screamed 'fuck the world' into the void... The grime kids had been punished and policed with ASBOs, curfews and dispersal orders; they had been surveilled, harassed, kettled and endlessly stopped and searched; their public space had been privatised, their clubs and pirate stations shut down, their youth clubs closed, and their route out of poverty through education barricaded by a political class determined to blame them for their own oppression. Whose streets? Not their streets. Whose city? Not their fucking city."
July 3, 2022
“Inner City Pressure” is a well-written book of journalistic, documentary music history. Hancox has much love for the genre of Grime and presents its inception and evolution in a thorough and comprehensive manner. But since Grime is tightly bound to the inner city of London, this is not just a book about a musical genre but also about London as a sociogeographical place, about poverty, gentrification, racism, cultural and sociopolitical recognition and participation. Hancox, in my opinion, provides a lot of necessary context without overwhelming readers.
Some passages are reiterations of earlier arguments and could / should have been edited to create a more concise, less repetitive version of the text, but this is only a minor problem.
If you are interested in Grime but also in music history in general and how music is connected to place and a specific sociopolitical environment, I highly recommend reading this book.
Some passages are reiterations of earlier arguments and could / should have been edited to create a more concise, less repetitive version of the text, but this is only a minor problem.
If you are interested in Grime but also in music history in general and how music is connected to place and a specific sociopolitical environment, I highly recommend reading this book.
March 22, 2020
Having been a fan of artists like Fizzer Rascal, Wiley and Kano for sometime I was looking forward to delving in and seeing how this subgenre and atypical British music came about.
What I didn't expect from this book was the socio-economic background it gave on London on how that helped to form the music. It was fascinating to read how systemic racism and economic policies in the capital led to the angst that formed this music. Also how the unity of everyone involved because of this, created a brotherhood in the genre.
I would have liked more on how/why acts such as the ones mentioned branched out in to more pop-friendly music in the late 00s. It's also worth noting for anyone that this primarily focusses on London, which after all is the birthplace.
Expertly written by someone who evidently has a massive passion for the subject. Highlight recommended.
What I didn't expect from this book was the socio-economic background it gave on London on how that helped to form the music. It was fascinating to read how systemic racism and economic policies in the capital led to the angst that formed this music. Also how the unity of everyone involved because of this, created a brotherhood in the genre.
I would have liked more on how/why acts such as the ones mentioned branched out in to more pop-friendly music in the late 00s. It's also worth noting for anyone that this primarily focusses on London, which after all is the birthplace.
Expertly written by someone who evidently has a massive passion for the subject. Highlight recommended.
January 27, 2020
An excellent piece of work not just on a style of music, but a DIY subculture that overcame just about every obstacle thrown at it. Hancox's is a captivating writer, teasing anecdotes from an extensive interview schedule and what is clearly a deep love for the style. He weaves in the recent social and political history of the UK effortlessly, never once seeming as if they are crow-barred in, from the communitarianism of early New Labour, through to the Olympic bid which steamrolled much of grime's ground zero, to the riots of 2011 and the Grenfell tower disaster. There's little of the sensational of safari-style tabloid coverage here, just quality research, bookish knowledge and heartfelt passion to tell a story that needed to be told honestly.
December 25, 2021
I discovered grime from across the Atlantic a few years ago and it hasn’t left my Spotify rotation since. Hancox does an amazing job tracing the social and political roots of this musical genre, and does so in an incredibly compelling way, pointing out the steps in the improbable journey where fates aligned or, more often, callous, classist, and racist political decisions forced young poor black artists to fine a poetics and rhythm of resistance. It’s a masterful work, and one that gave me a much deeper appreciation of London’s recent history. I’m only subtracting a star because the focus is heavily on London, sometimes to the detriment of the music. This is still essential reading for relative newcomers like me to this exciting medium.
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