Biography
Roll Deep stood out as the leading trailblazers among grime collectives at a time when the style itself had yet to receive that label. Their sound fused East London hip-hop elements with intricate electronic production, where rhythms jerked unpredictably as though afflicted by spasms while lyrics darted in jagged patterns above them. This approach grew directly from the British garage rap movement, prompting reviewer Simon Reynolds to label the result gabba-gangsta-garage. Although Wiley, the crew’s unofficial principal MC and beatmaker, favored the term “eski” for his creations, he could not escape the tag “the Godfather of Grime.” The larger collective shifted between as many as twenty participants at its peak, settling near fourteen on average, with roughly half forming the central lineup featured on any particular release. Joining Wiley were Flow Dan, the member responsible for naming the outfit, along with Skepta, Scratchy, Manga, Riko, J2K, Breeze, Brazen, Killa P, Little Dee, and DJ Karnage, plus producer Target. Dizzee Rascal joined early as Wiley’s protégé, and his debut solo effort Boy in da Corner includes multiple references to the crew; yet after Rascal achieved widespread notice, earned a Mercury Prize, and gained critical praise, Roll Deep stayed largely out of the mainstream. Much of their material appeared solely on white labels, so London audiences most often encountered the tracks during regular broadcasts on the pirate station Rinse FM. Though the participants first assembled during the late ’90s—several having previously belonged to Pay As U Go Cartel and overlapping with Boy Better Know—the group was formally established in 2002. Following Dizzee Rascal’s departure they secured a deal with Relentless Records, issuing their first full-length album In at the Deep End in 2005. Still uneasy with the grime designation, the record included tracks that leaned toward a milder, more accessible style. Even so, sales proved insufficient for Relentless, leading to their release from the roster; the members then launched their own imprint, Roll Deep Recordings, to handle subsequent output. The 2007 successor Rules and Regulations stayed closer to core grime conventions, yet the following year, buoyed by Wiley’s solo hit “Wearing My Rolex,” The Return of the Big Money Sound marked a return to the earlier mixture of grime and pop sensibilities.
Albums
Singles
