Arriving on the scene in 2002 with his first full length LP Original Pirate Material, Skinner gave a voice to the youth not just of London (to which he is so often attached), but to Britain's youth. Rapping about the 'same old thing' which these young, politically disenfranchised Brits encountered everyday, Skinner's poignant, but often comic lyrics, infused with garage and techno influences, was taken into the hearts of the people he was writing about, but also those of the critics. Skinner's followup, the emotional concept album A Grand Don't Come For Free, which tells the story of a doomed relationship, continued to show Skinner's artful storytelling and lyrical intricacy. It is hard to think of any two albums which so simply, but so powerfully portrayed the lives of a generation.
While the songs retained a similiar sound to those of the first two albums, The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living saw a distinct change in subject matter for Skinner. After making his name with stories of the twentysomething everyman struggling to make a living in Britain at the turn of the millenium, The Streets' third LP shows Skinner coping with the fame that has come his way and dealing with the pleasures and pains that accompany it (very Thom Yorke). While the album still retains some of Skinner's ascerbic wit and melancholia as he pokes fun at the lifesyle he is immersed in, you can't help but feel that he has gotten a little too close to the consumerist society (even for his liking) as he bemoans people wearing 'fake streets hats'. Therefore while the music does not suffer, and the lyrics are still as provocative and asorbing as ever, the rawness and spirit that occupied his first two albums had undoubtedly made a departure.
There are some fans, and indeed critics, who say that he should have left it at three albums, and these claims are understandable. By Everything Is Borrowed and the final album Computers & Blues, the sound of The Streets was unrecognisable from that which emerged in 2002. The heavy dub-influenced basslines and garage beats had been replaced with piano melodies and strumming guitars, and Skinner had obviously moved his priority from penetrating and provocative lyrics to more accomplished production and a better sound. This is by no means a criticism. Both albums are highly listenable and Skinner definetly achieved his goal of producing better albums. Amongst the beats there are also some lyrical gems and songs which definetly fall under the "classic" category. Therefore any artist who undertakes such a big evolution in style over their career must be respected, especially one who thinks as much as Skinner obviously does. It cannot be argued though that by the end of his time as The Streets, the raw emotion and power of his debut had been replaced by excellent production and generally vague lyrics.
The Streets began with a D.I.Y. attitude of rapping about your life and experiences and producing these ideas yourself. This is the legacy of Mike Skinner. This attitude, combined with his potent, yet light-hearted lyrics showed a generation that they can have their voice heard no matter what their situation. Although he could not sustain this effect over all five of his albums, all remain highly enjoyable and trace his evolution from a genius lyricist to a talented producer. Mike Skinner a.k.a The Streets paved the way for the current profileration of self-produced grime artists and his influence on the British music industry as well as the British youth since 2000 remains unparalleled.
My Top 5 Essential Streets Tracks:
- Weak Become Heroes
- Blinded By The Lights
- Dry Your Eyes
- The Escapist
- Lock The Locks
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