Recently, many of the talented producers from the UK grime scene have been engaging in war. It was sparked by Boy Better Know's JME, and has snowballed into one of the most exciting happenings in the grime scene since the creation of the Eskibeat. For a scene that continues to birth some of the most infectious music, it's great to know that something like this, producer's engaging in friendly competition for six rounds (so far), can help invigorate the grime scene, as well as shine light on producers you might not be aware of. As with anything this expansive (which is reaching close to 200 submissions at the time of this piece), there are obvious moments that stand out above others; here is DAD's favorite moments from the Great Grime War Dubs of 2013, so far. Shouts to Son Raw for his input on this as well.
Faze Miyake on Rinse FM
Anything Wiley does
One of the staples of the grime scene, Wiley is a true pioneer in this sound, with his "Eskibeat" being seen as the backbone for much of the sound and style of UK grime. It made sense that he kept his face in the War Dubs, and has come correct from his first dub, "P.R.O.B.L.E.M." through the hilariously-titled yet strangely-profound "This Ain't A Trap War," which is no longer online but spoke to the veteran being tired of hearing trap beats thrown into the grime fray.
Kahn & Neek's "Sound Obliterator"
If you're going to start up a soundclash, it makes sense to bring it back to the proper Jamaican soundclash days. Not only did Kahn & Neek slay the competition early on with this one, but they did it with a great intro. KillasoundboyDEAD!
Spooky sending for Soloman
Spooky's response was one that we were waiting for early on, but we weren't expecting him to go for Soloman's jugular. We know this is all in good fun, but Spooky's third and fourth round contributions were straight up murder. Aggressive, in your face sounds that would make me feel uncomfortable if I was Soloman (or "Deadman" as Spooky calls him).
Ruff Sqwad's return
One of the biggest surprises in Round 1 was Ruff Sqwad making a triumphant return to the scene, scorching the competition with the appropriately-titled "Lion Awakes." We wish this one was a few minutes longer, and had an MC toasting over it. The riddim is just too good.
Swindle's "WAR"
Good to know that Swindle's Long Live The Jazz hat gets taken off when its time for war. His "WAR" features some slick marching drums as fills, as well as a plethora of gunshots. Feels like trying to make your way through the middle of a firefight, which is totally necessary for this kind of musical warfare.
Funtcase's "P***yoles"
Almost as exciting as Funtcase reigniting his drum & bass sound for that Flux Pavilion remix earlier this year is Funtcase throwing his hat into the War Dubs ring, churning out a heavyweight piece of machinery that's making us wish we got MORE grime from Funtcase...
Kahn vs. Visionist
Starting somewhere in Round 2 was the idea of producers sending shots to specific producers. Rude Kid wins loads of points for going directly at Skream, but it was the back and forth between Kahn and Visionist that truly highlighted the best about this battle: humor and massive beats. After "Sound Obliterator," Visionist and Saga directed some intergalactic styles at Kahn & Neek, which prompted Kahn to call Visionist a "disillusion-ist." Visionist then sent a prayer Kahn's way, and while we've not heard any new rumblings from this battle, it's been damn entertaining.
Splurt Diablo's "Brace Yourself"
We hadn't ordered Menace II Society samples with our War Dubs special, but that intro was perfect, and different than the normal "boy a dead tonight" style of mockery. The Nancy Springfield "bang bang" works well, too.