TRACK REVIEW: Ghetts - Fine Wine — Music Musings & Such

TRACK REVIEW:

Ghetts

Fine Wine

9.7/10

The track, Fine Wine, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ujccvlvrdU

GENRES:

Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

The album, Conflict of Interest, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/album/4GJnb2XwVlS2HrVsBa9fI4?si=9WPeQQ7iRfCdswXfHRZKWA

RELEASE DATE:

19th February, 2021

LABEL:

Warner Records UK

TRACKLISTING:

Fine Wine

Mozambique (ft. Jaykae & Moonchild Sanelly)

Fire and Brimstone

Hop Out

IC3 (ft. Skepta)

Autobiography

Good Hearts (ft. Aida Lae)

Dead to Me

10,000 Tears (ft. Ed Sheeran)

Sonya (ft. Emeli Sandé)

Proud Family

Skengman (ft. Stormzy)

No Mercy (ft. BackRoad Gee & Pa Salieu)

Crud (ft. Giggs)

Squeeze (ft. Miraa May)

Little Bo Peep (ft. Dave, Hamzaa & Wretch 32)

__________

ALTHOUGH this year is still pretty fresh…

PHOTO CREDIT: Adama Jalloh

there have been some albums released that could challenge for the best of 2021 already. I think that Ghetts’ Conflict of Interest is one such album. Released on 19th February, it is a fantastic album! I will come to Conflict of Interest and a song that I wish to review. Before then, I thought it would be wise to expose some story and background regarding the London Grime artist. I will discuss Ghetts’ previous album, 2018’s Ghetto Gospel: The New Testament, in a bit too as I feel that gives us some runup to Conflict of Interest and how he has progressed as an artist. As we learn from a NOTION interview Ghetts conducted at the end of last year, he was defined and readily labelled early in his career:

“Paving a lane for many of the new generation emcees, the Newham native, over the years, has excelled above and beyond the Grime barriers he was once boxed into, and proved his versatility like no other. Delivering a slew of impressive projects, all whilst maintaining his indisputable quality, Ghetts is no stranger to tackling an assortment of politically and socially charged topics and in turn has become a powerful testament to British Rap.

Stepping onto the scene back in the early 2000’s when Grime rose to prominence, Ghetts went from being a part of grime collective The Movement, to becoming an artist in his own right. In boasting his dexterous approach, projects like ‘Ghetto Gospel’, ‘Rebel with A Cause’ and the 2018 release of ‘Ghetto Gospel: The New Testament’, have only certified his position and trajectory in the game. Collaborating with the likes of Kano, Chip, Wretch 32, Giggs, Youngs Teflon, Devlin and Skepta to name a few, Ghetts has harvested a legendary status that will go down in the history books. Posing as an inspirational figure to many across the world, the heavy-weight emcee hopes to inspire the masses through pushing artistic boundaries and amplifying his timeless sound”.

It may seem rather random, but I want to mention the moment I discovered Ghetts’ music. The debut album, Rebel with a Cause (2014), is quite different to subsequent releases. I love the fact that there was this shift and change from his earlier work. Not wanting to be limited, I feel this sort of musical curiosity can be seen on Conflict of Interest. In a Gig Slutz interview, that album is discussed further:

“MT: On Rebel With A Cause, the instrumentation that you used wasn’t as traditionally ‘grime’ as your music has been in the past and there were a lot more guitars etc.

Ghetts: I wanted to learn and I’ve got this hunger to learn. I feel like although we love the traditional sound of grime, the reason why grime has never really evolved is because we’ve been scared of the evolution and we haven’t embraced what it might sound like if someone adds a real instrument. With grime being one of the youngest genres in the world, how do we know what it sounds like? Imagine if hip hop just stayed how it started. We’re lazy when it comes to grime and we think it’s ok to do what we were doing ten years ago. Although I get the nostalgia tunes, I go to Rapid’s and say “Raps, you see what trumpets you’re using, can I get real trumpets in to do that sound?” because I believe in music. You know what, I listen to Michael Jackson Thriller and I think “f*cking hell bruv, to this day it’s one of the best mixes I’ve heard and look when that was done!”. With all this technology now it’s still not helping anyone compete with that. It made me realise that the team that he was working with were a team of very serious musicians and people that were taking pride in something sounding amazing. It’s the product of people not being lazy and trying new things. It’s weird because people look at me as an MC and that I am, but if they could see me in the studio, I’m not, because I just start doing loads. Someone doesn’t play me a track and I spit on it and the track goes out, it’s just not happening. I sit there and work out the structure, I might change the BPM by two slightly, I might want something added or something taken out and I basically executively produce my own tunes. One day there’s gonna be someone that’s gonna bring something new to grime and they’re gonna be sick! I can’t wait til that day comes. When someone brings something to the table and we think “why didn’t we do that?”, I’m gonna embrace him or her with open arms”.

If you are new to Ghetts and are not sure how he has developed and the role he has played in Grime’s progress, there are a couple of interviews that will assist. Even though Rebel with a Cause is a brilliant album, I feel that Ghetto Gospel: The New Testament was a big step forward for Ghetts. That album was a sort of follow-up/response to the 2007 mixtape, Ghetto Gospel - and it is a work I would encourage people to seek out. In this interview with Loud and Quiet, we learn how Ghetts has evolved since his debut mixtape to 2018’s Ghetto Gospel: The New Testament:

“While he may not have enjoyed the commercial success of Dizzee, Skepta or, more recently, Stormzy, he’s a lynchpin in grime’s history and although he argues otherwise, Ghetts has been as important to the genre’s development and progression as any MC: a member of the legendary grime collective NATSY Crew back in the day, alongside the likes of D Double E, Kano and Jammer, and a founding member of The Movement with Devlin, Wretch 32 and more.

On his debut mixtape, ‘2000 & Life’, he was Ghetto, a whirlwind of an rapper, riled up and ready to take on the world, the emerging grime establishment and anything else that got between him and a mic. A study in ferocious, wheel-up inducing grime, it’s still considered one of the most important projects in the genre by those who know what they’re talking about.

Then came ‘Ghetto Gospel’, a more mature, reflective mixtape that saw Clark musing on his relationships with the women in his life and delving deeper than the tear-out grime of his debut. Ghetts had evolved again, an unrecognisable MC from the man who just a year earlier had unintentionally made grime history by asking for Carlos. Well, almost unrecognisable – as well as playing host to a more thoughtful Ghetts, ‘Ghetto Gospel’ also helped launch his career, with tracks like ‘Top 3 Selected’ and ‘Stage Show Don’ taking off in the underground.

His latest album ‘Ghetto Gospel: New Testament’ is the follow up to that 2007 mixtape and sees the Plaistow MC on incredible form. An expansive project, it’s his second studio album and without a doubt his best project in years, tackling a diversity of styles and subjects with the help of a roll call of grime and British rap’s best talents. On tracks like ‘Black Rose’ and ‘Next Of Kin’ he gets political, exploring anti-blackness, misogynoir and inner city violence, engaging with each without getting bogged down in the mire of ‘conscious’ rap. Elsewhere, on tracks like ‘Pick Up The Phone’ and ‘Shellington Crescent’, he teams up with fellow veterans President T and Chip, respectively, for a case study in gas-up grime, switching into his old school Ghetto persona with a blink of his eye”.

Following up on this, and I wanted to source another interview that highlights how confident and direct Ghetto Gospel: The New Testament is. I feel (as I have said) that Ghetts has carried this into Conflict of Interest/. Whilst this album might have more range and it is a little more subdued, it is still hugely sophisticated and accomplished:

“Like its predecessor, The New Testament delivers some straight up bangers like Pick Up the Phone and Shellington Crescent, but on the whole deals heavily in themes of street violence, gang mentality, colourism and misogynoir.

It might be his new testament, but Ghetts doesn’t preach or tell us what to do. He calls it as he sees it, as he’s always done, but this time through the eyes of an older, wiser man. Black Rose calls out colourism within black communities and frustratedly preempts the double standards and discrimination his dark-skinned daughter will face as she grows up, promising to be a source of love and support for her. Next of Kin takes on gun crime not with a call for armistice, but instead dealing in perspectives – of a mother, a shooter and a son who’s passed away.

‘I’m at an age now where some of my friends have sons that are 16. The other day a 14 year old died in Walthamstow and I just remember hearing it on the radio and thinking “wow”. Because I’m not 16 now and I’m not around it, I’m not thinking “that happens all the time, man”. At that age I was desensitised by a lot of things that I was around. So I wanted to write a song where I didn’t judge anybody, because I know what some of these kids are going through and it’s much easier said than done when you’re outside of it.’

‘I really feel like people should just make what they want. As I’ve grown I just feel like there are so many boxes and categories, and it was those same boxes and categories that really stifled me into playing up to a perception. As soon as I was free of those things, I really excelled musically because I didn’t care about how people think something is meant to sound.

‘I always say you can conform both ways. People only really acknowledge if you conform to the mainstream, but what about all the people who conform to the underground?”.

I am going to concentrate on the opening track from Conflict of Interest, Fine Wine, for a review in a bit. First, I wanted to discuss Rap lyrics and how there has been a revival and shift. Returning to that interview from NOTION, and Ghetts discusses his lyrical style and approach:

“There have been a few conversations over the course of the year about quality over quantity, and the return of real Rap. The word lyricist or wordsmith can get thrown around a lot.

It gets thrown about! *laughs*

I can definitely hold my hands up from time to time! *laughs* What to you is being a proper lyricist?

It’s somebody who is able to paint a clear picture and make it seem like you were there whilst it was happening, without the repeating of words you may have used in the same 16 or 32. Also, to be witty, to have metaphors and explain things that have layers – double or triple entendre’s. It’s very technical but I guess music is very subjective, it’s always up for debate!

Yeah! When people think of the word lyricist or wordsmith, they tend to jump straight to techniques and punchlines, but I also think it feeds into creating timeless music and actually doing something, rather than just saying it?

Yeah! I agree, 100%!”.

I think Ghetts’ lyrics and incredible ability with words is one of the reasons he is considered among the finest Rap/Grime artists of today. Not only has Ghetts gone his craft through various albums and mixtapes; his time with various crews freestyling has definitely contributed – as we discover from the NITELIFE interview I quoted from earlier:

“Ghetts comes from a culture of crews, rolling with Nasty Crew, before starting The Movement with Devlin, Wretch 32 and others; which at the time came hand in hand with MC battles. Fortunately, Ghetts’ ability to freestyle has never been called into question, building his reputation on clashing and holding several historic Fire in the Booths to his name. However, it seems this reputation as one of the best freestyle MCs is a byproduct of a man obsessed with lyricism.

‘Naturally, I’d say I’m not a battle MC. The time that I come from was a dangerous time to be on the radio, so you had to write lyrics just in case somebody would come in for you and embarrass you. Naturally, my thing is to treat music like a therapy session. I’d rather talk about what’s happening in my life or the world, or write something story-based than write for another MC”.

I think that Ghetts’ style and lyrical approach has changed since he started out. It has got more striking and brilliant. I feel that him becoming a father has altered how he approaches his writing and what he discusses through his music. Going back to that Loud and Quite interview, Ghetts reveals more on that subject:

“Having a daughter has changed how I write”

My daughter’s aware of who I am and what I do so I want her to be proud and not live a double standard. I need to be able to raise her in the correct way and also lead by example. It’s affected my music a lot. She listens to my music now, she’s six, she can sing along to everything. It’s very weird, but she is me.

“I wrote ‘Black Rose’ for my daughter”

One day I went in the booth and I never said, ‘this is what I’m going to talk about’. I started a line, I don’t write things down ever, I just went in the booth and said, ‘my daughter, she a princess, the world ain’t slaughtering her skin yet,’ and there you have it. Those two lines built the concept. My agenda behind ‘Black Rose’, in all honesty, and truth, I’m speaking for my daughter, first and foremost, so that in the future if she faces these things she’ll be strengthened by what her dad did with his platform at a certain time when nobody else did. That’s why I did that. Other women have been able to relate, which is beautiful.

“But I don’t feel like I need to speak on other people’s behalf”

Now I’ve made ‘Black Rose’ people are, like, coming at me, like, ‘what’s next’, but to me, it’s a concept, it’s one instalment. Tomorrow I’m going to make another tune about something else. I still believe it, but it’s not something I’m gravitating towards because people have taken a like to that. That’s not who I am; I can talk about so many different things because that’s how I live my life”.

One could say that some artists distil and become softer when they become parents; it can take away a certain edge. Debatably, fatherhood has brought new characteristics and emotions into Ghetts’ music. In the Gig Slutz interview, Ghetts talks about how being a parent has changed him as an artist:

“MT: It’s not only music that’s been a big part of your life over the last few years as you’ve also become a father. How has that changed the way you write and your whole outlook on making music?

Ghetts: It’s affected it because you get people saying I’m not as hard as I was and they’re right, I’m not as hard as I was; more skilful, maybe; a better artist, maybe, but there’s hardly a sign of what might have drawn people to me in the earlier stages of my career. Obviously you get ‘Gas Mark 9’ and a few oneaways but when I’m writing stuff like that I feel guilty, if I’m being totally honest, because I’m not as active as I was when I was young, not even as active, I’m not active. So when I write, even though I’ve got to write to say certain things because I’ve done certain things, I feel like it’s not a reflection of what’s going on now, but then I do it because I also appreciate the fact that when someone is listening to me they’re looking for that, so I don’t leave it out of the album even though the album might not be centered around it. But I also feel guilty because in this current world right now, I care about where my daughter is gonna be growing up and how she grows up and so I feel very guilty. People can probably hear that from when I talk and from some of the music on my album, so it has affected my writing a lot. It’s weird because I love hearing the hard stuff and I love writing it but at the same time I’ve got this little girl that I wanna be a role model for, so I doubt I’m ever gonna be as hard as I was before”.

There are a couple of other subjects I want to cross off of the list before getting down to reviewing Fine Wine. Ghetts is not exclusively a Grime artist…though it is a genre that can be applied to his music. I think all great Grime artists are asked about whether the movement is dying or has lost a lot of its impact. Ghetts reacted to this often-proffered view when he spoke with The Independent in 2018:

“Ghetts scoffs at the mention of news articles asking whether grime is either dead or struggling to survive as the drill and Afrobeats genres grow in popularity .

“I feel that it’s weird that grime MCs even react to it,” Ghetts says, pretending to huff, and leaning back in his chair, arms folded. “I’ve seen people reacting to something that’s not true.”

“I love grime with my heart,” he continues. “I know a lot of people in the culture have love for me, but I’ve always deemed myself more of a tempo specialist. I’m not defined by a genre – a genre cannot define the artist. I respect grime enough to represent it because that’s what made me, that gave me my first listeners, and I will never deny being grime. Grime itself will never die.”

“I can see a culture. Loads of people complain but I’m really into evolution.” He gives a bashful smile at the mention of how he once considered pursuing a career in science.

“Drill is an evolution of grime, grime is an evolution of garage, garage is an evolution of drum and bass,” he says, voice rising enthusiastically. “And when you’ve got different characters coming in, putting things in the pot, and one day it goes BANG!” He throws his hands apart to demonstrate. “It’s the same energy”.

Just before getting to assessing the excellent opening track off of Conflict of Interest, I want to sort of fill a gap between the time of Ghetto Gospel: The New Testament arriving and Ghetts looking ahead to the future. I think that album opened horizons for him and, as we discover from the Loud and Quiet interview, it imbued Ghetts with a lot of confidence:

“I feel like the possibilities of what I can do are endless”

People ask me how I transition into certain things, but you have to understand, one day I’m in jail telling everybody in jail that I’m going to be me today. That transition is the biggest transition, everything after that is just whatever. Not whatever – I’m grateful for the opportunities that come – but every transition from being in jail and you’re a repeat offender, and you’re surrounded by repeat offenders, and you’re saying, ‘see when I get home, watch what I’m going to do.’ To everybody in that place that sounds wild. When you leave that place, and you tell the guv ‘I’m not coming back’. He hears that everyday someone leaves, how does he know how to take this one guy seriously? Until, oh shit, this guy’s not actually been back. So many people I was in jail with have reached out and said I don’t know what you’ve done to be it but well done. For someone to make it from that place to where I am, you have to follow rules and be disciplined. I’m one of the most disciplined people you’ll meet. If I say I ain’t smoking, I ain’t smoking. If I say I ain’t drinking, I ain’t drinking. That’s it. There’s nowhere that that level of discipline can’t take you”.

I should come to reviewing Fine Wine. It is a song that really struck me! There are quite a few collaborators through Conflict of Interest. Whilst it is good to hear other artists in the mix, I wanted to review a song with just Ghetts on it. I think he is strongest when he is on his own and has that sort of focus.

With a sense of swell and romance, Fine Wine sweeps open Conflict of Interest. It is an evocative and wonderful opening to the album. I love how Ghetts delivers his lines. He is never rushed and too frantic; there is this consideration for pace and resonance. The way he articulate the lines makes them stand out. The first verse starts with plenty of confidence – and an example of the unique language and wordplay of Ghetts: “Rudeboy, I'm the certiest/A thank-you ain't enough for my services/I was probably an accident, but I know what my purpose is/My skin is immaculate, but I've done some dirty tings”. I will not quote too many lyrics but, as Ghetts is such an accomplished writer, I wanted to bring in some examples of his raw talent! Ghetts punctuates his lines and has this very conversational style of delivery., As we go into the second verse, Ghetts talks about his struggles and hard times: “Fast forward, one foot in the industry door/Which way should I go? Can't call it, same time they gave thing twentyfour/I wish you could ask Stormin, but I can't give him a ring anymore/You see when I feel cornered, all I do is think of bеfore/I drive back to the housе I struggled in/(What was that like?)/The one bed with a bathroom, the kitchen in the front room/My front room had a oven in/We was suffering (We was suffering)/Still loading, just buffering/I'm upstairs writing bars and my daughter's colouring/Embarrassed/Had a bill to pay and my girl had to cover it”. We sort of get this backstory and history of Ghetts and where he has come from. Now, he is settled and happier; but Fine Wine sort of acts like a nod back to his younger days and where he came from. Whereas other Grime artists would put explosion, klaxons and huge bass into their compositions, there is a choir and strings in Fine Wine. Whilst the first two verses see Ghetts keep his composure and narrate his story, there is a sense of anger and the first signs of aggression that come out in the third verse.

One can hear Ghetts get angrier and feel the sting of things: “Had to remember myself like mum said/Where'd you get that vibe from?/I went back to the essence/It's not only bars, my brudda/I'm a man with a message/It's much more than slapping and cheffings/What about family settings?/What about actual blessings?/That new-year-new-me talk/What about January lessons?/The mic is my therapist/I'm just having a session/Them man there won't tell you this/They're capping, I'm shelling”. It is quite moving hearing Ghetts become more animated as he recalls and recites his lines! The central vocal is excellent, but I really love what is happening in the background. The strong and choral rush adds something very spiritual and powerful; there are some tight beats, and Ghetts’ vocal delivery changes and sharpens. His voice becomes tenser and more urgent as Ghetts discusses his doubters and how his future ahead is golden: “Let' talk about legacy/I don't care about nostalgia/My best years are ahead of me (Ahead of me)/When I signed to Warner, brudda/I was already me/That's fifteen years hard work, no breaks or therapy/A cappella on DVDs, no beats, no bass or melodies/What the fuck you telling me?/Most my peers in the cemetery/Can't do an album, putting out mixtapes/Can't do a thousand, whatever they do does terribly (Terribly)/Can't do a show, can't do a tour/Same lyrics from 2004/And these are the bruddas that you rate heavily/Lowe me please/Just crown me please”. I love how matter-of-fact and casual Ghetts is when he says he will convert non-believers. It is not arrogant or too bold: instead, he knows that his music is great and, after having to battle so many cynics, his new music is sure to turn people around! One is invested in Fine Wine from the start to the end as it is such a compelling and packed song. With so much story and great lines, you will come back to Fine Wine time and time again. In the outro, Ghetts sings “Party, yeah/I'ma go up and away, and just have a party, yeah/I'ma go up and away, and just have a party, yeah”. He rides this thought to the end and, with the strings coming to the fore and adding something resplendent, dignified and stirring, it is a wonderful way to end the opening track from Conflict of Interest.

To round things off, I wanted to bring in an interview from The Quietus of 2018. I have covered a few subjects when discussing Ghetts but I did not realty touch on albums and artists who have inspired him. Ghetts revealed a selection of albums that are very important to him. I have chosen a few to highlight:

“Michael Jackson - Thriller

Do you know what's crazy? At the time, because I'm from a very religious background, and I never had cable either, I never saw the videos for this. But I did watch that series about the come up of The Jacksons, The American Dream, that starts before even Michael was born. So you see that Billie Jean performance, when he first does the moonwalk – and I just remember watching that and feeling a certain energy at the show. No matter how good you think a show is, have you ever seen something that's never been done before!? There was a time when I could do the moonwalk, and I tried the lean forward thing but... I can't do that. Everything's been said about Thriller already. Groundbreaking. Not just the numbers – I chose these albums not based on numbers, but based on sound and how it marked a time. The sonics of it still hit me to this day. 'PYT' was a bad tune – the vibes, everything! Mike's hard to talk about because it's hard to really pick out the songs – overall, I just felt he was sick.

Jay Z - The Blueprint

That's my guy. That's my favourite rapper of all time. To tell you the honest truth, I was incarcerated and my mum bought me Blueprint. I'd heard 'Izzo' on the radio and I thought it was alright - I wasn't thinking it was sick or anything, but I thought it was a good single. When I got the album, I was blown away. 'Takeover', 'Renegade' – hard songs. Hard shit. That was my CD! It was comforting, listening to my music and getting to pass the time.

The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death

Crazy album! 'Sky's The Limit' and 'Miss U'. I didn't even know 'Miss U' was sampled, the other day I was in the car and I heard the original one! I have Tupac on this list too - in the same way I have Jay Z and Nas, because what happens when people are warring is that the fan, subliminally - whether they like it or not, even if they choose sides - they take an interest in the other person as well. But me being musical as well, and understanding it's not my war, I don't have to take sides – I can like one more than the other but I'm not going to hate the other one, I don't have to. Biggie is the man for flows and vibes - he's just got that swagger, that's undeniable. It's weird because I think Biggie is a better rapper than Tupac, but Tupac had so many different other pockets and reasons for me to like him.

SWV - Greatest Hits

If someone could search my brain and find out what I've ever listened to the most, it's this. I felt like The Greatest Hits were actually all of their best tunes, rather than a specific album. It was perfect. I was probably introduced to them by my aunt, and I think 'Rain' is probably my favourite track. The harmonies are always on point on SWV's work, but 'Rain' has got some different powers in. Coko, I think is the name of the lead singer - she's bad. The way she opens that tune up! Crazy”.

Go and listen to Conflict of Interest if you can, as it is a terrific album from one of the greatest names in Rap and Grime! It is hard to categorise and limit the genres Ghetts’ material covers. I think that is one reason why he is so celebrated and interesting. I reckon that Conflict of Interest is Ghett’s most rounded and realised work in the sense that it is very sharp and urgent, yet there is a broadness and diversity that means his music will reach new audiences. At thirty-six, Ghetts can be considered one of the elder statesman of Grime and Rap. I think we will see many more albums from him and, after such a stunning release with Conflict of Interest, it will be interesting to see where he…