The women who shape grime

Grime has always been a forward-facing and subversive genre, from Dizzee Rascal’s own brand of Afrofuturism, inspired by the aesthetic of Canary Wharf, to its latest incarnation as a vehicle for the YouTube voices of youth in revolt in overlooked towns like Blackpool or Paisley. Historically, though, the culture has often adhered to out-of-date stereotypes when it comes to gender. Not only has the content often been misogynistic, but only recently have female MCs started to enjoy mainstream success on a par with their male counterparts.

But Julie Adenuga’s 2015 appointment as one of three lead presenters at Beats 1 was a sign that women from grime’s culture were finally being trusted as music industry gatekeepers. And although the likes of journalist Hattie Collins and agent Rebecca Prochnik were present both front of house and behind the scenes from those early pioneering days, only now are young women within the structures which shape, present and celebrate grime becoming powerhouses in their own right. Here are five exceptional women shaping grime in 2016.

When we catch up with A.G she warns us that her banter is “on three per cent right now,” as she’s unwell, but on air for her NTS MnM show she’s on-point. “I feel like I’m more connected to songs, sets, instrumentals and videos than to people,” she tells us. “I have my favourite MCs, producers and DJs but I try not to get too connected ’cause my heart’s been broken too many times. For instance, I had almost given up hope of a ‘Boy In Da Corner’ London performance.”

The 23-year-old East Londoner grew up mostly in Hackney and got into grime aged eight, when she saw her cousin and others in her area spitting lyrics. Within a few years she had a blog and was doing a trial show for a pirate station. Now she’s got Rinse FM, BBC Asian Network and 1Xtra under her belt. 1Xtra is where she recently did a month of guest mix takeovers on Sian Anderson’s show, Sian describing A.G as “the most talented grime DJ I’ve come across in recent years.” Though she’s used to doing most things solo, “this year I’ve worked with loads of talented people including Armzout and Nico Lindsay – I did an EP with Armzout and I suggest Nico for everything as he’s one of my closest friends and I like ruining his plans of freedom.”

Clothes: Rokit

Madam X, aka Milton Keynes-born Christiana Vassilakis, is a champion of the more industrial-leaning variety of experimental grime. Her career began with Manchester collectives Murkage and BPM, where she brought the likes of Royal T, Riko Dan and Terror Danjah to the city’s clubs before going on to push the culture on 1Xtra, standing in for DJ Q and Cameo. Her ability to curate line-ups which created avenues for underground artists to move forward led the 25-year-old to set up her own label, Kaizen, now also a way for her to “explore other musical styles and carve my identity as an artist.”

Now she DJs all over the world with her distinctive, choppy mixing style, but still fondly recalls the hectic early days. “When I first met Kahn & Neek on Tim and Barry’s Just Jam channel, they rocked up with a load of liquor and a pot of jam and started violating the bear mascot. We hit it off straight away,” she laughs. And she still has the no-nonsense Northern sensibility shared by Manchester artists Chimpo and Trigga, with whom she recently filmed a grime documentary for NTS: “I just don’t have time for gas merchants and egos.”

Clothes: Missguided

“I left education in my first year of college to do journalism at a youth organisation called Live Magazine and have been in the music industry ever since,” says Sian Anderson, perhaps the leading writer in the grime scene. The 25-year-old Londoner began by interviewing artists whose music she rated, “the first being Ruff Sqwad, Nu Brand Flexxx, Kano and P Money. I then became the go-to girl for grime artists who other journalists couldn’t get in contact with because they had no representation and could only be found on the block.” Alongside working as a broadcaster for 1Xtra and running her own PR firm, Sian mentors female DJs like A.G.

Her work ethic isn’t lost on peers, Madam X describing the self-titled grime activist as “relentless and non-stop.” She’s been involved in many of the culture’s key moments, like presenting the BBC Proms for 1Xtra’s Grime Symphony in 2015 or being on the marketing team behind Wiley’s 2013 crossover album ‘The Ascent’. “I remember getting an email saying we’d hit a million singles and feeling stunned. I’d seen grime artists go on to sell a million before, but I never imagined I’d be a part of it.”

Clothes: Supply & Demand

“You can showcase anything as long as you have a place to do it and people to come along,” says Rianna Tamara. The 23-year-old videographer from North London is talking about what comes next after the Photo Pit exhibition she curated in May, featuring the work of grime documentarians such as Vicky Grout, Isaac Cambridge, Courtney Francis and Ashley Verse. Keen to explore digital painting in upcoming exhibitions, Tamara’s multidisciplinary vision is driven by narrative, with her Behind The Music project “trying to give fans an insight into [artists’] lives as a way to connect with them on a personal level,” – no mean feat in a culture rife with bravado.

Rianna grew up with grime via Channel U, and began documenting it as a photography intern at an urban news and gossip site four years ago. Her career really took off when she was hired for videography projects at labels like Motown and Universal. “People told me you can’t make a living from shooting in music – but this showed it wasn’t true,” she says. She now works closely with Splurgeboys PAP, and wants to find new ways to “celebrate the people behind the scenes – and help push grime that extra bit forward.”

Clothes: H&M

Procrastination is a concept 20-year-old Vicky Grout isn’t familiar with. She doesn’t even drink because a day hungover is a day wasted. Combine this dedication with her talent and in the space of three years she’s gone from fan girl to leading grime photographer with a wildly successful solo exhibition (AAA, at the Hoxton Gallery back in August) and more coming soon, such as the Hattie Collins curated ‘An Eye on Grime’ with Red Bull. Polish-born Grout’s most iconic photo is the Skepta ‘Shutdown’ cover image, but she says her proudest moment isn’t a specific shoot; “more the fact that I have been able to go full-time doing what I love most.”

While fashion is another mainstay of her portfolio, Grout also documents the issues affecting London’s youth, from the closure of fabric to Black Lives Matter protests – and she can be found at most festivals where grime acts are booked. With AJ Tracey, Faze Miyake and Spooky as close friends, she’s both of the culture and shaping it from the inside, which sets her apart from the documentarians of grime’s first wave and gives her photos a unique intimacy.

Clothes: The Basement