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Music

BBK and Stormzy Showed That Grime Ruled Glastonbury 2017

Let's just pretend that Sheeran "Too Many Man" cover didn't happen though, eh?
Lauren O'Neill
London, GB

To say that grime has "achieved mainstream success" over the past few years is actually kind of an understatement. It's now one of the dominant genres on the UK's landscape, and it's certainly the sharpest and most innovative musical force we've seen on these shores for a very long time – the comparisons to punk aren't likely to die out anytime soon. So it's no surprise that finally, grime pioneers Boy Better Know were given their due with a headlining set on Glastonbury's Other Stage (ie: the festival's second-biggest stage) on Sunday night.

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Heading out onstage to "The Boys Are Back in Town" remixed with Rebound X's "Rhythm and Gash" (what else?), the London crew stormed through some of their best known tracks to a huge crowd. And, regrettably, Pyramid Stage headliner Ed Sheeran paid tribute to his pals by giving a, uh, rendition of their anthem "Too Many Man" during his set too (to be honest the less said about that the better.)

Also taking Glasto by the horns this year was south London MC Stormzy, who played a Saturday early evening set to an extremely hype and largely teenage Other Stage crowd (before winning another BET Award for Best International Act – Europe on Sunday). As well as playing tracks from his debut record Gang Signs and Prayer, he used the platform, as he often does, to be vocal on behalf of the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and to call out those responsible. On the flip side, he also joined in with the crowd's Jeremy Corbyn football chant, for the simple reason that Jeremy Corbyn is the Prime Minister now.

Sheeran's horrible "cover" aside, it's pretty clear to anybody right now that grime, and UK rap more broadly, provided some of the most memorable sets of this year's Glastonbury. There were the likes of AJ Tracey, Nadia Rose, 67, Mist and Dave on the Sonic Stage on Friday; Fekky, Jaykae and Ms Banks at The Blues on Saturday; P Money, Abra Cadabra and Rejjie Snow tearing things up at the Wow! Stage on Sunday too, while Kano made a Glastonbury return to the Park. So yes, for all that Glastonbury is criticised for becoming an "everyman's event" where basics trudge back and forth between a beer stall and their camping chairs parked at the Pyramid Stage, Emily Eavis and her team's moves towards booking both rising and established MC talent can only be a good thing. Watch BBK here and Stormzy here and feel blessed to be alive at a time when grime can command crowds of thousands at the most famous music festival in the world.

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(Image via BBC)