BBC Learnings · Section 3

Grime Music from architecture

In this 6 Minute English, we're talking about music. What sort of music do you like listening to, Sam?

Level: B1 · 87 sentences

Transcript

  1. In this 6 Minute English, we're talking about music.
  2. What sort of music do you like listening to, Sam?
  3. Well, I wouldn't say I have one specific type.
  4. My taste in songs is more eclectic — a word that describes taste which includes a wide variety of styles.
  5. Well, in this programme we're talking all about grime — a style of music which originated in London,
  6. specifically in the tower blocks of East and South East London.
  7. Yes, the artists are predominantly young black men
  8. and often cite the decaying tower blocks they grew up
  9. in as an inspiration for the urban style of music.
  10. Well, before we continue talking about grime music, I have a question for you, Sam.
  11. Stormzy is one of the most famous grime artists, but what is his real name?
  12. Is it a Michael Omari, b Martin Owusu or c Marvin Appiah?
  13. I think I might know this one.
  14. I'll say a Michael Omari.
  15. We can find out if you're right at the end of this programme.
  16. For many people,
  17. knowing the origin of a type of music helps them to understand more about the style and lyrics.
  18. Here's writer Jude Yawson talking with BBC journalist Andrew Marr
  19. about his experience growing up on an estate in south-east London
  20. on the BBC Radio 4 programme Start the Week.
  21. Yeah, so I live, like, at an estate.
  22. It's in Annerley, near Crystal Palace.
  23. For me, growing up, the experience was, like,
  24. literally acknowledging the different cultures and peoples that live within,
  25. like, this estate.
  26. And it was around the age of about, say, seven or eight,
  27. that's when things for me in my particular estate started to get a bit more contentious with the other people,
  28. like, moving in, kids becoming of age, becoming more, like,
  29. free and venturing out and around the estate and,
  30. you know, police kind of, like, harassing, but...
  31. So, you've got different cultures knocking into each other and then the police knocking into everybody else?
  32. Yeah.
  33. So, Jude Yorson describes his upbringing.
  34. He used the word contentious — likely to cause or create an argument — to describe life on the estate.
  35. Yes, and he said the kids were coming of age,
  36. meaning transitioning from a child to an adult.
  37. In his interview,
  38. he goes on to say how a teacher gave him the advice that if he ever got stabbed,
  39. not to remove the knife as he would bleed to death.
  40. He says that at the age of 14
  41. when he was told that he felt grateful
  42. and that the teacher was looking out for him,
  43. but in hindsight questions why a teenager should receive that information.
  44. What this does is give us an insight into life and the background that led to some people,
  45. like Stormzy, creating grime music.
  46. He says that it started off in the bedrooms
  47. and basements of tower blocks and homes in these areas of London,
  48. with many artists' work being broadcast on pirate radio stations.
  49. That said, for some people, this type of music represents something different.
  50. There are some who think the hard-hitting lyrics and strong beats glorify violence.
  51. They see it as an aggressive and violent form of music.
  52. However, Jude Yawson,
  53. speaking with Andrew Marr on the BBC Radio 4 programme Start the Week,
  54. has a different interpretation of what grime music is all about.
  55. I describe grime as like a soulful shout.
  56. There's a necessity in literally getting all of this content out of yourself.
  57. And one of the most predominant grime artists, Wiley,
  58. was basically the first person that created this sound.
  59. It's like 140 beats per minute.
  60. because that's such a raw tune.
  61. But the chorus literally chants like,
  62. there are lots of signs in life, some that you may not realise.
  63. And for me, I was listening to that as like a 11,
  64. 12-year-old, and it's very existential.
  65. He used the word predominant,
  66. which describes the strongest or most important thing, to describe the artist Wiley.
  67. That's who Jude Yorson says was the first person to create the grime sound.
  68. He also used the verb chance
  69. sings repeatedly over and over to talk about the chorus
  70. from one of Wylie's songs.
  71. And he described the experience of listening to it as being existential — relating to human existence.
  72. Which inspires me to go and listen to some grime music after today's show.
  73. But before we do,
  74. I ask you a question about the real name of the grime artist Stormzy.
  75. You did! And being a fan of many different music styles, I think I know this one.
  76. I said A Michael Omari.
  77. You really do know your music, Sam.
  78. You are right.
  79. In fact, his full name is Michael Ebenezer Kwajo Omari Wuyo Jr.
  80. I think I'll have to make the next question much harder for you.
  81. So, before we leave today, let's recap the vocabulary, starting with eclectic.
  82. a word which describes taste which includes a wide variety of styles.
  83. Contentious means creating or causing arguments.
  84. We also had coming of age, transitioning from child to adult.
  85. Predominant refers to something that is the strongest or most important.
  86. Chance is a verb which means sing or repeat the same thing over and over again,
  87. and existential means relating to human existence.