Fat Ninja

I’ve done some dabbling in the UK’s rising hip-hop scene lately, and I’ve been impressed with those artists who have found their way across the pond. My brother-in-law Steve, ever a fount for new music, recently turned me on to The Streets (a.k.a. Mike Skinner), a thick-accented Brit with a sharp wit, a way with words and a knack for manufacturing catchy, yet unrefined beats.

Prior to The Streets, my exposure to British hip-hop was limited to MCs like Lady Sovereign. While she is talented in her own right, she didn’t quite bring anything new to the genre as a whole for me. Perhaps it’s just more difficult for me to focus on her lyrics on account of her “grime” style, but she doesn’t seem to offer a lot in the way of cultural insight into the lives of the average young Brit. Her brand of hip-hop fits in rather well with the current brand of hip-hop on offer here in the States, which explains why her album is prominently displayed at my local Best Buy. However, The Streets’ take on the art offers a great deal of cultural and social significance, particularly on his album Original Pirate Material.

Like a lyrical version of Irvine Welsh’s cult novel Trainspotting, Pirate Material takes the audience on a winding tour of England’s urban back alleys. As a voice for England’s disenfranchised youth, Skinner’s lyrics paint a vivid picture of a generation of enlightened cynics with high hopes and big dreams. He is at times light-hearted, but he is at his best when he’s serious. On the song Stay Positive, Skinner examines the downward spiral of a drug addict, mapping that descent in well calculated lyrics:

Cos this world swallows souls
And when the blues unfold
It gets cold solids burn holes
You’re going mad
Perhaps you always were
But when things was good you just didn’t care
This is called irony
When you most need to get up you got no energy
Time and time shit’ll happen
The dark shit’s unwrapping
But no-one’s listening your mates are laughing
Your brethren’s fucking and then you start hating
Your stomach starts churning and you mind starts turning.
So smoke another draw
It won’t matter no more but the next day still feels sore
Rain taps on your window
Always did tho but you didn’t hear it when things were so-so
You’re on your own now
Your little zone you were born alone and believe me you’ll die alone
Weed becomes a chore
You want the buzz back so you follow the others onto smack

Despite the sense of despair that this verse inspires, there’s an inherent human truth in the character that Skinner creates here. It’s easy to sit back and judge a junkie when you know fuck all about their circumstances. But when you’re forced to relate to them, you may find that you have to adjust your world-view to compensate for your broken misconceptions.

I hope you understand me
Just trying to stay positive
I ain’t no preaching fucker and I ain’t no do-goody-goody either
This is about when shit goes pear-shaped
And if you aren’t or never have been at rock bottom then good luck to you in the big wide world
But remember that one day shit might just start crumbling
Your bird might fuck off or you might loose your job
It’s when that happens that what I’m talking about will feel much more important to you
So if you ain’t feeling it, just be thankfull that everythings cool in your world

It’s with lyrics like these that Skinner breaks through the lines that separate social classes. He uses diction to put things in terms that anyone can relate to and understand. There’s an incredible sense of compassion that underlies his more serious moments; an acknowledgement of the fact that life is hard and, at times, incredibly discouraging. Skinner offers a shoulder to lean on. His delivery maintains a tone of optimism and encouragement, illustrating that he is clearly on the level.

I initially wanted this to be a review of the artist in general, but as I went it kind of evolved, and I opted instead to use this one track in particular to explain why I think The Streets is such a remarkable artist. His approach to hip-hop on Original Pirate Material is a an excellent example of how powerful a device music can be.

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