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Grime Kids: The Inside Story of the Global Grime Takeover
An explosive insider account of grime, from subculture to international phenomenon.
*****
A group of kids in the 2000s had a dream to make their voice heard - and this book documents their seminal impact on today's pop culture.
DJ Target grew up in Bow under the shadow of Canary Wharf, with money looming close on the skyline. The 'Godfather of Grime' Wiley and Dizzee Rascal first met each other in his bedroom. They were all just grime kids on the block back then, and didn't realise they were to become pioneers of an international music revolution. A movement that permeates deep into British culture and beyond. Household names were borne out of those housing estates, and the music industry now jumps to the beat of their gritty reality rather than the tune of glossy aspiration. Grime has shaken the world and Target is revealing its explosive and expansive journey in full, using his own unique insight and drawing on the input of grime's greatest names.
*****
A group of kids in the 2000s had a dream to make their voice heard - and this book documents their seminal impact on today's pop culture.
DJ Target grew up in Bow under the shadow of Canary Wharf, with money looming close on the skyline. The 'Godfather of Grime' Wiley and Dizzee Rascal first met each other in his bedroom. They were all just grime kids on the block back then, and didn't realise they were to become pioneers of an international music revolution. A movement that permeates deep into British culture and beyond. Household names were borne out of those housing estates, and the music industry now jumps to the beat of their gritty reality rather than the tune of glossy aspiration. Grime has shaken the world and Target is revealing its explosive and expansive journey in full, using his own unique insight and drawing on the input of grime's greatest names.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published September 4, 2018
28 people are currently reading
388 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 3, 2020
Great to read about such an iconic time. A bit repetitive in parts, but overall an easy, light read.
April 7, 2024
A great book on a hugely influential genre.
Too few books are written on such underground movements, big up DJ Target for sitting down and documenting this account.
The writing style at times was slightly repetitive and simple but it was effective. Good for light reading and for anybody interested in UK music.
Too few books are written on such underground movements, big up DJ Target for sitting down and documenting this account.
The writing style at times was slightly repetitive and simple but it was effective. Good for light reading and for anybody interested in UK music.
July 9, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed reading first hand how Grime evolved . The book brought back memories - recording radio sets , free calling . There were a few grammatical errors & spelling mistakes which I hope will be rectified in another edition of the book .
February 25, 2020
Absolutely loved this! So necessary, easy to get into, and full of well-told stories and anecdotes.
From jungle, to UK garage, to the origins of grime, I loved every second of this, and I'm looking forward to similar projects in the future! 👌🏽
From jungle, to UK garage, to the origins of grime, I loved every second of this, and I'm looking forward to similar projects in the future! 👌🏽
January 3, 2024
Really enjoyed this. Really insightful and interesting, if a little repetitive at times. Puts you onto some crazy bangers as well.
January 2, 2019
Loved this. It took me back. Repeated itself a fair bit but hearing about where it all started and the important events that took place was fascinating. Hoped there would be more on Dizzee but Wiley got the coverage you’d expect. Going to read his Auto soon.
Would highly recommend this book. If not for the story, but the track list I’ve created as a result!
Would highly recommend this book. If not for the story, but the track list I’ve created as a result!
October 10, 2021
An authentic history on grime music from someone who was there and was a part of the scene from the beginning. It has a lot of great song recommendations which mean a lot more after reading this book. This whole week I've been listening to dizzee sidewinder sets. Although I'm too young to have been going to the original Eskimo dance raves, I have great memories of bluetoothing Kano and Dizzee tracks to my friends at school and reading rwd mag online in ICT lessons. I remember all the channel u bangers Target mentioned in the book, and when he talks about the grime revival in 2014, I was at the red bull sound clash he mentions. A trip down memory lane for me.
October 5, 2018
This is a great book that goes right from the start before grime music and details the evolution from garage. It details the impact it continues to have on the culture. The stories took me back to things i experienced first hand, bits i didn't know and bits that I'll go back and look on YouTube. Dj Target is a true legend of the game and comes across as a genuine guy both on his radio sets and through this book.
September 9, 2019
Gave up reading it ... I hate giving up on books but I couldn’t get through this one.
It started off really well and was very interesting but after the first 100 pages it was like trudging through clay ... every page is the same - lists of names and songs, lists of names and songs etc there is no variation and it is poorly written.
It started off really well and was very interesting but after the first 100 pages it was like trudging through clay ... every page is the same - lists of names and songs, lists of names and songs etc there is no variation and it is poorly written.
August 1, 2023
This should’ve been written as an autobiography proper, rather than an attempt to summarise the history of grime. Given the existence of clashes and the musical backdrop to grime, it’s quite brazen to attempt to attribute grime’s rise to one group or individual. Otherwise - I enjoyed the accounts of touring Europe’s rave scene rather a lot.
August 15, 2018
This book took me back to a time where I partied hard in London and shows how far UK music has come.
It’s also refreshing to read a book about our culture for our culture as so much has been written about the various US urban scenes.
I love grime and would recommend any grime fan read this.
It’s also refreshing to read a book about our culture for our culture as so much has been written about the various US urban scenes.
I love grime and would recommend any grime fan read this.
February 18, 2019
Oh my days! It’s been a while since a book has made me feel so energised. I had to stop and listen to some old school garage and then grime as I moved through. Excellently written and interesting book. I want to recommend it to everyone
August 22, 2020
First-person account of how some kids from East London shaped youth culture. Three acts: The Rise; the Fall (when grime overreached itself); and the Redemption, thanks to Stormzy and the acceptance of black British culture among the youth.
July 4, 2018
Une mine d'or d'informations sur la genèse et l'évolution du grime. Très bon complément à "This is Grime" et "Eskiboy". Editing un peu moyen et assez brouillon par passages.
June 8, 2020
A bit repetitive and vanilla for s book on one of the most exciting genres of music to come out of the uk.
February 21, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed this description of Target's life in the grime scene!
January 6, 2024
I was always going to love this book, coming up in the 90's and a 'garage girl'. A total love letter to grime...nostaligic in parts, history lesson in others, but 100% real. 140 BPM to the world x.
September 1, 2025
Great read. My boss is in the second half of this book so was funny to read about him as their manager.
December 29, 2025
Thought I knew a fair bit about grime up until now🤷♂️ just need one that covers garage music next👌👌
February 17, 2020
Im around the same age as the author and from the same area and this was like a nostalgic look back at my own life. Quite surreal as he names many people I actually know as well.
Its a great book that really describes the UK urban music scene better than anything else. Im glad he showed love to pirate radio where he started and made the importance of that platform prominent in this book.
Its a good read even for those coming into it fresh without knowledge of the scene. Its accessible and very interesting.
Its a great book that really describes the UK urban music scene better than anything else. Im glad he showed love to pirate radio where he started and made the importance of that platform prominent in this book.
Its a good read even for those coming into it fresh without knowledge of the scene. Its accessible and very interesting.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews