Jamie Adenuga's work-rate over the last 12 years has been overwhelming. It's only when you really evaluate his back-catalogue of features, mixtapes, albums, and radio sets that you start to get lost in a BBK vortex. The real beauty of Jme is that he's stuck to his morals and independent structure; he gave the fans consistent releases, stage shows and delivered grime music when it wasn't so popular to do so. Along with his brother, Skepta, they launched their own merchandise and single-handedly made a whole generation want to start their own T-shirt line.
Why Jme has gained so much love and respect is simply because he's himself. He can deliver the grimiest bars in an Iron Man suit, and still get a wheel. He's a vegan, who likes skate parks. He loves new technology, and is quite possibly the trillest nerd you'll ever know. The former MySpace prince is now the "King of Twitter", and has always used social networks to his advantage. But before all those sites came along, Jme would regularly be found lighting up pirate radio alongside the likes of Wiley Kat and Frisco, N.A.S.T.Y Crew and Crazy Titch. Fast forward ten years, and he has a brand new album out called Integrity> that is honest, humorous, aggressive and of course, 100% grime.
This week's #TBT column is dedicated to the Boy Better Know CEO.
Mr Wong – "Orchestra Boroughs" f/ Jme, Crazy Titch & Flirta D (2004)
View this video on YouTube
One of the first videos you might remember Jme featuring in ("Private Caller" was the other, if memory serves correct), his simple-and-direct lyrics and frantic flow created his signature for the first few years of his career. Jme represented North LDN fully on this back-of-the-bus anthem.
Jme – "Shut Up & Dance" (2006)
View this video on YouTube
Produced by grime-loving dubstep don Plastician, Jme BBK created the perfect dance tutorial for our generation with "Shut Up & Dance". Any grime fan who didn't have a clue how to dance before this track came out, now have no excuse.
Jme – "96 Bars Of Ambitions" (2006)
View this video on YouTube
96 bars of frustration, honesty and grime, "96 Bars Of Ambitions" was a lighter version of "96 Bars Of Revenge" and illustrated Jme's positive mindset that has attracted many over the years. On the track, Jme addresses why he hasn't been sucked into grime beef and how important being true to yourself is in music and everyday life:
"People think I'm an angel, God sent
Because I'm a guy with positive content
But the reason I’m better than half these emcees
Is cos I have one thing on them
I spit the TRUTH
The whole truth nothing but the truth
Raise my right hand, blud I’ll raise both
And spit my whole album under oath"
Jme – "R U Dumb" f/ Wiley, Cookie & Tempa T (2006)
View this video on YouTube
Everything about "R U Dumb" is intense. Lifted from Jme's Poomplex project, Tempa T, Wiley and Cookie join him in whipping up Skepta's menacing production into one of the grimiest tracks ever created. Griiipppsss!!!
Jme – "Old School" (2006)
View this video on YouTube
"Old School", a track lifted from the Shut Yuh Muh mixtape, is a great show of Jme's lyrical evolution. Making great use of his turret-like outbursts, he drops hilarious lines like: Not no wasted yout from the bits, I can MC, produce, and mix / No fam I won't diss you, lets not make this an issue/ Cos really no body would miss you, if your dad would of put you in a tissue. It's surprising Jme hasn't clashed anyone yet because he's certainly not short on material.
Jme – "Dead Out" (2006)
View this video on YouTube
Punchlines and metaphors for days, months, years.
Jme & Skepta – "Spaceship Freestyle" (2007)
View this video on YouTube
Technically, this isn't a "track", however this small clip—recorded from a Rinse FM show—blew up the forums and blogs in the latter part of 2007. Rebound X's "Rhythm & Gash" production is still, to this day, featured in every barring session and this one freestyle played a big part in its popularity. (The freestyle also inspired Skepta to use the beat on his Greatest Hits album track, "I Spy"). The energy here is tangible, and if you can reach the end without reloading it five times—we salute you!
