Grime: Documenting the scene’s rise and reign

This is the extensive legacy of grime, as told by a pioneer of the scene.

With vivid imagery from Roony’s archive and firsthand accounts from MC’s, designers and artists, this illustrated guide invites you to experience the 140BPM beating heartbeat of grime – not just as a music genre, but as a living, breathing culture that continues to thrive, inspire, and boldly challenge the status quo.

“Grime to some is a just a genre; a specific form of music. But, to those involved, and anyone brought up in London around the early 2000’s, it’s way more than a BPM. Grime is a way of life, a voice for the ambitions and dreams of the inner-city youth. It’s a vessel for our creativity and a way to express ourselves. It’s a rebellion to the system; to those who said we can’t or don’t deserve to be involved, be better, or to want more.

Grime is the way you carry yourself, the way you talk, the way you wear your clothes. It’s a culture, it’s the heartbeat of the UK’s underdog story for this generation; it’s our punk. It’s acceptance across the world for the music we make and the respect we’ve commanded. It’s the evolution of the sounds brought to England and the culmination of cultures: the black, the white, the Turkish and the Asian, the working classes, the poor and the wanting more. It’s that little voice inside you that says, ‘go the extra mile and don’t give up’.”

Roony ‘Risky Roadz’ Keefe stands as a trusted chronicler of the grime scene’s early days. Starting as a fan armed with a handy cam, his RiskyRoadz series captured the buzz of the time, and blew up when YouTube emerged. He later directed iconic music videos that defined the genre’s visual identity – from Skepta’s “Man” and “It Ain’t Safe,” to Chip’s “Scene,” and Kano’s “3 Wheel-ups.” Legendary status runs in his bloodline; his grandmother is non other than 80-year-old viral sensation, Grime Gran.

GRIME spotlights the people and places across East London that shaped the genre: from its inception in the early 2000s, to today. It’s a portal into the gritty, authentic world of grime, offering a front-row seat to modern history; the beef, the social history, the personalities, the tracksuits, the tunes – and the reality of a revolution that reshaped a generation.

Contents:

• What is Grime?
• London
• Pioneers
• Marginalisation and Censorship
• YouTube & The Quiet Time
• Going Mainstream
• Iconic Artwork & Videos
• Fashion
• Gentrification& How We Speak
• Girls of Grime
• Friendships
• A-Z of Artists