Grime is a genre of urban music that first emerged in Bow, East London, England in the early 2000s, primarily a development of UK garage, and dancehall.
The emergence of grime is intrinsically connected to its origins on UK pirate radio, with many performers honing their skills and achieving underground success before approaching the mainstream. Like other garage variants or mutations, pirate radio stations were essential to the evolution of the genre. Upon its emergence, terms including "sublow" (a reference to the very low bassline frequencies, often around 40 Hz), and "eskibeat" (a term coined initially by Wiley and his collaborators) were associated with the genre. Nationwide exposure of Grime indicated the movement of UK Garage away from its house influences towards darker themes and sounds. Among the first tracks to be labeled grime as a genre in itself were 'Eskimo' by Wiley and "Pulse X" by Musical Mob.
Having experienced sustained underground success and growth for several years, 2008 to 2010 saw the exposure of grime and grime artists to the mainstream media. Artists such as Dizzee Rascal, Tinie Tempah and Tinchy Stryder enjoyed continued success in the UK singles chart signifying the beginning of a more electropop-orientated direction for the genre.
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