KANO - 140 GRIME STREET

“You could say I’m going back [to grime]” says Kano about his latest album, 140 Grime Street, “but I’m going forward at the same time. The album really tells a story. It begins with me in my bedroom wanting to get out, but the end is me after I’ve been through the whole industry scene and now I wanna do it my own way.”

It’s easy to be sceptical about that statement, especially given that when Kano last went back to his roots, with 2007’s ‘Is this Grimey Enough?’ it, well, wasn’t. Or to be precise, it felt like a rushed attempt to prove that he could still be street while collaborating with Kate Nash and Leo from the Streets (and lest we forget, Celebrity Love Island). A bit like when Dizzee pops up on Rinse FM once a year to plug his new record and asks the fans to support him when he hasn’t reciprocated that support in years.

But let’s be optimistic. Like Dizzee, Kano was practically untouchable in his younger days, and celebrated tracks like ‘Ps & Qs’, ‘Typical Me’ and ‘Boys luv Girls’ only tell half the story. Track down some N.A.S.T.Y Crew pirate radio sets from 2003-2004 and you’ll see what we mean – there’s an unparalleled combination of talent and hunger to his MCing that doesn’t just go away. The 2006 remix of ‘Mic Check’, released as a b-side to the ‘Remember Me’ single on 679 is still one of grime’s best tracks to date, and hopefully the Grime Street sessions will provide some equally gripping moments. Release date is 29th September on BPM.

Amy x