Grime is one of the most, if not the most, important subculture right now. Since Meridan Dan’s “German Whip” (2013), the genre has experienced an unprecedented resurgence and its artists – such as Skepta, JME and other members of grime collective Boy Better Know (BBK) – have reached dizzying heights of success. Grime MCs are the new rock stars. With its popularity greater than ever, it’s clear that the summer of 2016 is going to be a key moment for the genre.
Paying homage to this phenomenon is Underground – the footwear brand famed for its crepe-soled brothel creepers – which has a long history of both championing and taking inspiration from British subcultures. They have created a zine titled Into the Dirt which is inspired by the punk fanzines of the 70s, specifically Sniffin’ Glue (1976).
While its creators are keen not to draw comparisons between punk (which turns 40 this year) and grime, they do concede to a shared anarchism and DIY ethic between the two subcultures. This sense of DIY is reflected in the very physicality of the zine, which was created using a typewriter and good old fashion “cut and pasting”.
“It’s not a story, it’s not a history, it’s not official, it’s not an opinion,” reads the foreword, reflecting this mentality, “it’s just us with some cameras, phones, a typewriter and some great contributors.” These contributors include Simon Wheatley and Vicky Grout, as well as artists themselves such as Faze Miyake, Rude Kidd and Tizzy Gang.
Into the Dirt launches at an event on July 7th and will be available from then at Underground, 8 Berwick Street, Soho for the price of 30p
