The biggest news this month is that Run The Road 2 should be out soon on 679. We heard it’s shifted the focus from just straight up grime to include nu-UK-rap as well. Hence it’s got tracks from from No Lay, Klashnekoff, Sway, JME, Trim & Scratch, The Streets and Crazy Titch. I reckon they should put these comps out as often as they can. There’s enough good grime / nu-UK-rap being made at the moment that I reckon they could put out at least four or five of these a year. Just keep the production costs low and hammer them out.

We feared the worst when we heard about the titty-girl videos, but Lethal Bizzle’s album Against All Oddz is actually pretty good. He’s started singing on the tracks which could’ve turned out gay, but he actually kinda carries it off, in his onomatopoeic “POW!”, “Uh Oh”-stylee. Highlights on the album are “The Best”, “Do It” (ft. Fumin and Amina) and “The Truth”, with sick production from Dexplicit, Plasticman and Sticky.

Meanwhile, the always phenomenal Newham Generals have once again merked with a new track called “Mic Centre”. They’re on some grime/bhangra/jungle madness which doesn’t let up from start to finish, which is probably why they got signed to Dizzee Rascal’s Dirtee Stank along with D-Double-E, Footsie and Monksta.

We heard Kano’s album sold 30,000 in its first week which is great news. The more you listen to it, the better it gets. I don’t even mind the poppy edgy it has. Sure, people slag it for being not “proper grime” or whatever, but realise that Kano is a grime artist who’s doing amazingly well in the context of a record-buying public which is totally disinterested in black British music.

Less commercially successful but apparently faultless in the eyes of everybody with even a passing interest in grime, Roll Deep’s album promo activity has included being thrown out of the Savoy for eating McDonald’s in the lobby and the pretty disastrous Top Of The Pops performance. Guess who didn’t show up? His name beings with W and ends in Y.

RD also supported Snoop Dogg on his UK tour, but after one member threatening to take on the entire crowd during the first show, by Wembley their set was cut down to 20 minutes. Another total disaster then, but it kind of makes me love ’em even more.

If any of you have been watching Channel U lately (which you haven’t because you’re white and don’t have satellite TV) you may have seen Bear Man’s incredible video for “Drinking Bear”, which completely breaks down the stereotype of young black men only being interested in drinking Bacardi and coke. Watch out for this ugly motherfucker also spitting on “The Monster Riddim“ and the classic “Drinking Beer Remix”. Leading the battle against the dominant East is the charismatic MC Doctor from South Agents. He was discovered by Roll Deep’s Riko and told Grimewatch: “Me, I’ve got two kinda styles. Watch out for me, I’ve got mixtapes on road real soon.” Doctor is also on Run The Road 2, so the kid moves fast.

Also heard about some new artists from West London of all places. There’s a kid called Supa Sly who’s a graduate of this training programme called YAP, part-run by our friend Bob Morris, that gets kids out of badness like drugs etc. Anyway he’s part of some new group called Ded Calm and the stuff they played us sounded super raw and pretty good for the couple of mins we had to listen to it on an iPod in between being evacuated from Warren Street tube station because some fucking coward had tried to blow up the train.

Lady Sov just sold out her first show in NYC, but spent most of the show vomiting in a bucket at the side of the stage. We’ll be in NYC this August for the first ever grime weekender in North America, with Kano and Diplo one night and Roll Deep playing the next day. Roll Deep are also hooking up with Dipset to perform at Matt Mason’s b-day party in Harlem. WOW!

A quick mention of Mr Wong (Wait? EMI single deal? WTF? If you’re looking for a producer to sign—he’s called Jammer and lives in Leytonstone), who this month somehow stood out with his P.A. at a photo exhibition. Skepta also merked, getting singalongs left, right and centre. I was outside on a lead but I heard it was tuff. Also a quick word about Jammer’s new “Merkle Man“ video, which is probably the biggest/funniest grime vid EVER. It sees the producer donning the green and purple—you have to see it to believe it. Look out for Nio’s next Statik-produced single, the massive “U Do U” feat. Jammer and Skepta. Ears has a new mixtape called Lend Me Your Ears, which is phenom. Also, check out my brother Dodzilla’s new album. That’s it.

THE BLACK JEW