With people like Aitch, Bugzy Malone and newer names like Meekz, Just Banco, Nemzzz and others not far behind, it's easy to forget there was a time when Manchester (and a lot of the country beyond the M25) was being routinely ignored by the worlds of grime and rap.

So it's always worth saluting the unsung heroes who kept working to lay the foundations for what would follow. This clip, lifted from a DVD series called Tha Sickest Lyricistz, is solid proof of the kind of talent bubbling up in those parts.

Liquid, Shifty and Wrigley were all well-known figures in the scene, at least among those who took the extra time to look, and their pride in where they came from and how they used their Manny accents to dictate their flows would prove to be hugely influential in the years to come.

Not all of you will know their names, but you definitely know the influence they've had on the game.