Artwork by Take Me Back Pirate Radio Archives. Featuring DJ Danny Weed, DJ Karnage, DJ Bionics, MC Wiley, MC Dizzee Rascal, MC Flowdan, MC Scratchy, MC Tinchy Stryder, MC Breeze, MC Bubbles & MC Ricky Nek.
In 2003, UK Garage began to branch off and with it came the emergence of Grime and Dubstep, but nobody had a crystallised name for these new sounds and at raves and in record shops this music was still considered as UK Garage, but 2003 was a pivotal year in the transformation of the scene. Jon E Cash was calling his beats Sublo, Wiley was calling his beats Eskibeat. DJ Hatcha, Benga and the Big Apple Records crew started calling their sound Dubstep around 2003. DJ Zinc, Mark One, Darqwan (Oris Jay), DJ Hype, Zed Bias, Shimano & Wesley, Stanton Warriors, Beatfreaks, had their 138bmp beats classified as Breaks/Breakbeat. Producers like El-B, Roxy (RIP), Blaze and J Da Flex were still calling their music UK Garage. Skepta had recently emerged on the scene with his 'D.T.I' (Pirate Station Anthem). It was an interesting time where UK Garage had started flirting with Drum & Bass, Dancehall, Hip Hop and Breakbeat influences.
One thing was certain that UK Garage had taken a dark turn with new emerging producers and established producers contributing to the evolution of the sound: Wiley (Wiley Kat Records), Jon E Cash (Black Ops (L.D. Cats Records)), Youngstar/Musical Mob (DDJs Productions), Danny Weed (Roll Deep Recordings), Dizzee Rascal (Dirtee Stank Recordings), DJ Target (Dump Valve Recordings), DJ Wonder (Wonderland label), Terror Danjah (After Shock label), Skepta & PJam (Dice Recordings), DaVinChe (Paperchase Recordings), Alias (Tempo Records Incorporation), Geeneus (aka Wizzbit)(Rinse Recordings), Ruff Sqwad (Ruff Sqwad Recordings), Big$hot (Southside Recordings), DJ Eastwood (Black Majik Recordings), Jammer (Jah Mek The World Productions), DJ Tubby (Brain Dead Entertainment), Darqwan & Mark One (Texture Recordings), Sirus (Harry Lime label), Beatfreaks (Underground Artists label), J-Sweet (Sweet Beetz Recordings), Agent X (Heatseeker Recordings), El-B (Ghost label), Benny Ill/Horsepower (Tempa label / Vehicle label), Benga & Skream (Big Apple Records), Macabre Unit, Plasticman (Plastician) and others.
In 2003, Wiley dominated London record shops with his productions he overran their shelves with his releases: Wiley Kat - The Morgue, Wiley ‎- Igloo, Wiley & Danny Weed ‎- Blue Rizla, Wiley Kat ‎- Ground Zero, Wiley Kat ‎- Ice Rink Vocal EP 2, Wiley & Danny Weed ‎- Thai Weed, Wiley Kat - Summer Jam / Temptation, Wiley Kat ‎- Eskimo 4 / Shanghai, Wiley Kat ‎- Bang Bang / Reasons, and other big tunes.
Grime had now adopted Dancehall music's influences of having an instrumental dub with many different vocal versions. We saw tunes like Wiley's 'Ice Rink' with several vocal versions of the same tune with different MCs over them like: Dizzee Rascal, All In One, Sharkey Major (Nasty Crew), Scratchy, Crazy Titch (Boyz In Da Hood), Durrty Doogz (Durrty Goodz), Riko Dan, Neeko (More Fire) & others. MCs started sending for one another. The culture of clashing and MCs recording 'War Dubs' became the norm. It was the making or the breaking of an MC. It changed the vibe and clubs did get a bit rowdy. Sadly, we can recall the days of many youths getting stabbed and even dying at events with venues like: Palace Pavilion, in Clapton Hackney closing down because of it. Clubs were refusing to play Garage and UKG nights were even banned from some venues. However people choose to see it, it was primarily symptomatic of social and economic issues in London and the UK, it wasn't because of music, the mood inner city had changed and there was more social problems and gang culture was on the rise.
That year the Wiley and Flowdan had split from the Pay As You Go Cartel continuing their Roll Deep Entourage crew with Breeze & Bubbles and recruiting the likes of Dizzee Rascal, J2K, MC Jamakabi, Tinchy Stryder, Dom P, Danny Weed, DJ Karnage, DJ Maximum, DJ Bionics, Pitbull, Manga, Scartchy, Roachee and in the years that followed also recruiting JME & Skepta (Meridian Man Dem/Meridian Crew), Riko Dan, Syer Barz (OT Crew). Towards the end of 2003 Dizzee Rascal would leave Roll Deep after he fell out with Wiley.
Out to all the London FM pirates of the past. Here's a list of some our most loved UKG/Grime of pirate radio stations in frequency order from 1995-2006: Flava FM 87.6 / Shine FM 87.9 / Ice FM 88.4 / London Underground FM 89.4 / Raw FM 90.0 / Raw Mission 90.0 / Raw Blaze FM 90.0 / Pure Magic FM 90.2 / Chicago FM 90.6 / Mission FM 90.6 / Y2K FM 90.6 / Passion FM 91.8 / Deja Vu FM 92.3 / Taste FM 92.5 / Mac FM 92.7 / Freeze FM 92.7 / Entice FM 95.5 / Heat FM 96.6 / Flashback FM 97.6 / Upfront FM 99.3 / Rinse FM 100.3 / Erotic FM 101.3 / Freek FM 101.8 / Prime FM 102.0 / Temptation FM 102.4 / Delight FM 103.0 / Flex FM 103.6 / Smoove FM 104.0 / Girls FM 106.8 / Lush FM 107.6
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