In a time where Grime is booming, many artists seem to be thriving off the continued elevation of the scene. If you were to pick a producer and an MC who have played a big part in that, Rude Kid and Ghetts would definitely be up there. With this in mind, when news of the pair deciding to team up to work on an EP surfaced, it’s fair to say that many people, including myself, were eagerly anticipating it.
Despite having previously worked together on a couple of things – mainly on the legendary track “Sing For Me” back in 2008 – this is the first time the duo have collaborated on a whole project together. The EP – which is entitled ‘#SixFiveThree’ – reflects their vision of doing six tracks in five days, with three videos to boot. This was something that Relentless were extremely keen on supporting, so invited the pair down to their studios at “Relentless at Number Five” on London’s Denmark Street to record and mix the EP.
If you know about Grime, then you know about Ghetts, AKA Ghetto, who is always talked about in the extremely limited quota of “greatest of all time” when it comes to MCs. For me, the energy and undeniable love for the music is expressed in his raw and high intensity style, which is unrivalled. The same goes for Rude Kid with regards to his stature in the scene. Rude Kid has managed to offer something different and unique on a consistent basis that has helped shape the way for Grime producers making beats and creating their sound. With that in mind, for anyone who doesn’t already know, such a link up is a crazy one to say the least.
We thought we’d have a quick word with both of them to get their thoughts on ‘#SixFiveThree’ and how it came about.
What made you decide to work on a project together?
G: We’ve got sick chemistry.
RK: I’m a fan of Ghetts and what he does (G:I’m a fan of Rude Kid, still [laughs]). There were times when I was playing him music and he was feeling my dark, wavy, kinda bass-ey beats, so it was only right we finally linked up to do something together.
So how did it all come about?
RK + G: It was spontaneous – it wasn’t planned. I actually went to the studio to film something as a producer type of thing, and they needed me to have an MC. So I asked Ghetts to spit a lyric for me in this interview (G: Worst move of me life, mate [laughs]) and we were in the Relentless building. It was the first time we’d been there and we really liked the studio and the people there who were amazing and fans of ours from way before. So Ghetts said “let’s do an EP, but it all has to be in one week”.
Having managed to be one of a lucky few to have listened to it before its release, I have to say it’s one of both Ghetts’ and Rude Kid’s best bodies of work. You will most definitely get an old school vibe towards the majority, if not all of it. “Problem With That” and “One Take” takes you on a trip down pre-2010 memory lane. You will also find Rude Kid paying homage to a couple old school beats, with Wiley’s “Wot Do U Call It” sticking out for me in “One Take”. Also hearing the skit of God’s Gift running up on Wiley’s Rinse set on radio back in the day was a nice addition.
#SixFiveThree. What’s the reasoning behind it and why did you want to get it done so quickly?
RK + G: #SixFiveThree is six tracks, five days, and three videos. We were so focused on getting the project done correctly that when we were in the meeting to discuss the title, it cropped up and everyone was in agreement. The reason behind the speed of it was that we’re both working on things [Ghetts with the re-birth of F*CK RADIO and Rude Kid doing an album and EP] so if we we didn’t set ourselves a deadline, we would never have got it done.
Why did you decide on doing an EP instead of just one track?
RK: I just felt like it was more exciting, people are actually excited for this to drop. If you do one track, people tend to forget it and move on. With a body of work like an EP, it’s a bigger thing, and it means more than a track.
G: I feel like people will, and are, more excited as RK says. One track happens regularly between people so it can sometimes be on a small scale. If Ghetts is one of your favourite MCs and Rude Kid is one of your favourite producers, this should excite you. Rude Kid is a general in this ting… (Jaik: and yourself) … I was gonna say that still [laughs]. You know what, Rude Kid can bring out elements in me that people haven’t heard before.
What I noticed with the EP was that there was an old school feel to a number of tracks. Was that coincidence or intention?
RK: It was just how I was feeling. I dunno, it’s just how you feel at the time. I wanted to make tunes that inspired me as I was growing up, and that comes off in this. So I thought it would be sick to make tunes reflecting those beats, but adding my style to it. I showed Ghetts all the instrumentals and he liked them. A lot of people have been saying that it’s very similar to my old style of music.
One thing that resonated with me as I spoke to Ghetts and Rude Kid, was that I was littered with questions from the pair. They were keen to hear the opinion of someone even as simple as myself, which I appreciated greatly. The fact they care about the general opinion of fans is so humbling, and just goes to show their immense passion for the music. To still have the same hunger and desire after all these years is usually uncommon, but they both show no signs of it wearing away.
Out of all the tracks, which would you say is your favourite?
RK: Ghetts has got his serious face on. I like all of them, but I love “Bad Boy” and “One Take”.
Which three tracks will you be providing visuals for?
G: “One Take”, “Bad Boy” and “Who’s Got a Problem”. We’ll release a video on Thursday.
RK: Do you know what, it’s going to be mad – the launch party, the EP drop, everything. We’ve sacrificed a lot of stuff and time to do this, but it’s worth it. Big up our cameraman Frostman too – everyone’s worked hard on this. Ghetts said this earlier, this is our life.
As a big fan of Grime, it’s really great to see the link up. For me, I can see a few tunes on the EP that will make their mark on the scene and start to lock off raves. As a man who does sets, Rude Kid will be eagerly anticipating dropping a couple of the tunes and seeing the crowd go mad. As Grime continues to spread and multiply in interest, these two definitely deserve to benefit from it, and they surely will. It’s great that Relentless managed to provide the utensils to make it happen, and so quickly. Once ‘#SixFiveThree’ drops, go and get it, because trust me, it’s definitely worth it.
Make sure you go and grab copy of Ghetts and Rude Kid’s #SixFiveThree EP which drops on Friday 20th of November.