HIP HOP STYLE

Grime drum patterns.

Around 140 BPM with sparse, square-wave drums and a rigid snare, built on bedroom software in east London in the early 2000s.

59 grooves
2000–2015
4 landmarks

The Grime timeline

19 of 19 grooves

2000
Know We Open Know We in a new tab
Pay As U Go Cartel
Wiley's garage crew pushing toward darker, MC-led beats; one of the main contenders for the first grime record
2001
21 Seconds Open 21 Seconds in a new tab
So Solid Crew
Root: UK No. 1 garage track rotating MCs over stripped 2-step drums, a bridge from garage to grime's MC format
2001
Booo!Open Booo! in a new tab
Sticky ft. Ms Dynamite
Root: dubplate-turned-hit whose heavy, dark garage production helped steer UK garage toward grime
2002
Landmark
Pulse X Open Pulse X in a new tab
Musical Mob (Youngstar)
ReBirth-sequenced 16-bar loop with no intro that drops to bare kick and snare; widely called grime's first beat
2002
Landmark
Eskimo Open Eskimo in a new tab
Wiley
Archetype of Wiley's eskibeat: icy synths over awkward, off-kilter drums, first sold on white-label 12-inch
2002
Creeper Open Creeper in a new tab
Danny Weed
Roll Deep producer's creaking string riff over a plain grime beat, among the first tracks labelled grime
2003
Landmark
I Luv U Open I Luv U in a new tab
Dizzee Rascal
Made at 16; a stuttering intro drops into a jerky, bass-heavy rhythm he linked to crunk and Three 6 Mafia
2003
Ice Rink (Dizzee Rascal vocal)Open Ice Rink (Dizzee Rascal vocal) in a new tab
Wiley
Eskibeat riddim of car-door-slam drums and clicks landing off the expected beat; voiced by a wave of East London MCs
2003
War Open War in a new tab
Jon E Cash
Black Ops sublow instrumental: slinkier, garage-rooted drums over deep sub-bass; revoiced by Novelist in 2015
2003
Cock Back Open Cock Back in a new tab
Terror Danjah ft. Hyper, Crazy Titch, D Double E & Riko
Eerie Aftershock riddim first out as a 2003 Nasty Crew single, then opener of 2005's Run the Road compilation
2003
Fix Up, Look Sharp Open Fix Up, Look Sharp in a new tab
Dizzee Rascal
Built on a sample of Billy Squier's 'The Big Beat' and its drum break; Dizzee's first UK top-20 hit (No. 17)
2004
Wot Do U Call It?Open Wot Do U Call It? in a new tab
Wiley
Wiley's naming-debate single; his Korg Triton work here helped make that synth a grime staple
2004
Functions on the Low Open Functions on the Low in a new tab
Ruff Sqwad (XTC)
XTC's melodic instrumental, one of grime's most-voiced riddims; reused for Stormzy's 2015 hit 'Shut Up'
2004
Pow! (Forward)Open Pow! (Forward) in a new tab
Lethal Bizzle
Dexplicit's riddim under a posse cut that hit UK No. 11 and was banned by venues over claims it sparked fights
2012
Kowloon Open Kowloon in a new tab
Logos
Keysound EP that thinned eski drums into sparse, spacious patterns, a starting point of instrumental grime's revival
2014
German Whip Open German Whip in a new tab
Meridian Dan ft. Big H & JME
HeavyTrackerz production that reached UK No. 13 and is credited with kick-starting grime's mid-2010s comeback
2014
Landmark
That's Not Me Open That's Not Me in a new tab
Skepta ft. JME
Skepta's deliberate throwback to early grime with an 80-pound video; Complex's most impactful grime song of the 2010s
2014
Take Time Open Take Time in a new tab
Mumdance ft. Novelist
Mumdance production for teenage Lewisham MC Novelist; Clash called it one of that year's defining grime tracks
2015
Shutdown Open Shutdown in a new tab
Skepta
Ragz Originale and Skepta beat with a Drake Vine sample; a revival anthem from the Mercury-winning Konnichiwa