It’s about time we got to know the genre steadily making its way over from the UK onto American shores. Grime has been on the British scene for well over a decade, but in the last few years has experienced more mainstream success with the likes of Skepta and Stormzy. With a gritty sound and flows that never end, it can be daunting to approach, especially when you’ve got OVO luring you into a trance of reminiscence and tears. Like hip hop, not all grime music sounds the same, so we’re making it easy for you to take that first step by matching up hip hop and grime artists – if you’re a fan of one, we reckon you might just like the other.

If you like Travi$ Scott, you should listen to: Section Boyz

I hear your ask, “How does the trap king from Texas connect to one of the grittiest grime collectives around?” Although they officially sit in two distinct genres, let’s not be bound by labels. Both emanate a low-key vibe, heavy on repetition and wooziness (Travi$ Scott a little more so on the latter). Travi$ continues to produce songs that are simultaneously club bangers and bedroom appropriate, exemplified wonderfully by his latest tune Pick up the Phone feat. Young Thug and Quavo. It’s a magic formula for sure. Section Boyz don’t quite get reach those particular levels due to their ruthless lyrics, like “Wah? Road get lock arf / Face get chop arf”…doesn’t quite set the mood. But Section go deep and everything is club ready (Delete My Number, Trappin Ain’t Dead). But I’ve saved the best comparator until last; the most surprising collab of 2016 by far is Chris Brown and Section Boyz - Whippin’. I was ready to rinse this unimaginable co-sign but the song is GOOD. Somehow Section become RnB Lotharios alongside Chris Brown and their roadman image melts away. This track firmly brings the two artists closer together, and who knows, maybe next we’ll get a Section Boyz x Trey Songz track (z’s only).

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If you like Childish Gambino, you should listen to: Wretch 32

Wretch 32 is a funny one and another reason why genre pigeon-holing is outdated. He’s firmly part of the grime scene, and can spit with the best of them, but then demonstrates a softer side where he talks about his children and being in love (“Love drunk you and I will die sober”). So to ‘match’ him was tricky. I went with Childish because he too can play the boy-next-door (Heartbeat, Pink Toes) and then hit you with something like Backpackers and you no longer want him to be next door. Both artists sit on the periphery, refusing to conform to one sound, for which I respect them hugely. This semi-schizophrenic appearance keeps us guessing and brings a vibrancy to their music. Finally, the word play always impresses. You’ve got Wretch with lines like, “I’ve skipped death more than you’ve skipped breath in your gym sesh / Cardio won’t make the kid wretch” and Childish just being the smart guy that he is, “I ain’t Curren$y, but if there ain’t money in my name please murder me”. The main difference right now is that Wretch is bringing out new music and Childish isn’t…come on Donald, we’re waiting.

If you like Ludacris, you should listen to: Lethal Bizzle

You’ve probably heard Lethal Bizzle without knowing it. Remember that song Pow (Forward) back in 2004? That was him. One of the originals in the game, Lethal B has a precise and ridiculously accurate insight into how to get us pumped, which usually comes in the form of a song with a one or two-worded title and accompanying dance move (Dude, Box, Rari Workout, Fester Skank). There’s simply no getting away from Lethal B’s ability to get the whole club moving to his catchy hooks. Nothing is taken too seriously; I would go as far to say he’s the Joker of the grime scene, which I why I matched him with Ludacris. Luda has also been around for a very, very long time and with some exceptions, produces songs with heavy comic overtones (not to mention the videos, S/O MTV). They might not sound all that similar but if you dig the topics of Luda’s songs (females living in different locations, wanting females to get out the way) then you’ll appreciate the same levity from Lethal B. He’s got tracks about going to the gym, skanking in the club and girls wobbling; all bangers, all worth a listen.

We’ll be adding to our recommendations on a regular basis, so look out for the next installment. If you want to know who you should be listening to in grime, send in your favorite hip hop artists, and we’ll see what we can do!