Grime isn't a music genre that is commonly heard in the United States; it's very British in it's execution and the majority of artists that have flourished in the genre are all from the UK. If I had to categorize it for American audiences, I'd have to say that it is a mixture of hip hop, dancehall, and breakbeats. It is heavily influenced by music from the Caribbean; ragga, dancehall with a bit of EDM mixed in. It's generally syncopated and the lyrics that ride on those beats follow that same syncopation. The rhyme structures will move across bars and measures and can be spit with a rapid fire delivery. Much like all music, it pulls influence from what's happening in society around the artists that are crafting this. There have been notable artists such as Chipmunk, Dizzee Rascal, and most recently Stormzy.
Signal is a rapper from Basingstoke, Hampshire and has been making music for quite some time. With the August 11th release date of his first EP, "Progression", Signal is doing an amazing job at starting to make a name for himself. Whether it be supporting Chipmunk or heading the local music festival and getting your name on the front page of the local paper. "Progression" was produced by Jay Picasso, who also produced the debut album from Britain’s Got Talent finalist Wayne Woodward. The singles off the album are absolutely amazing. This man has got an incredible flow and knows exactly how to build his rhymes to get the most out of the beats and production laid down by Jay. The songs are reflections of what he sees in his life and chronicle his experiences coming up in South Central England. In many areas around the world, the youth of today is perceived poorly but Signal, a 25 year old native of Basingstoke, has been working on honing his craft for the past 10 years; getting off the streets but never forgetting how those perceptions shaped the young man he's grown into.
"Down" is different than a lot of hip hop that American audiences have experienced. It's a damn banger that's for sure but the thing that will stick out is just how Signal flows. His lyrical command is ridiculous. He knows how to make the most out of every syllable he spits. It just makes you want to get down into the beat and get your feet moving but at the same time harnessing the grime feeling to it's fullest. The beat is fire, the lyrics are fire and the addition of Eclipse as a guest artist just fills out this track amazingly. This is an amazing independent track but it's got a tremendous amount of mass market appeal and could easily find it's way to BBC Radio and hopefully cross over to American audiences.
I'll feature more of the music off "Progression" in the coming weeks and I suggest you get a copy of it as it's going to be one of the best releases of 2017. Check back with me and I'll keep you updated on just how far this young man is going to go in this industry.
Signal on the Web
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SignalOfficial/
Instagram: @signalofficial
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw-KEkYwFmhcxAm-eb006bg
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