HERITAGE: Roots Manuva's Stamp On UK Hip-Hop Can Never Be Forgotten (2001)

HERITAGE: Roots Manuva's Stamp On UK Hip-Hop Can Never Be Forgotten (2001)


February 21, 2019

Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, UK hip-hop wasn't in the best place, at least in terms of the level of attention it was receiving. UK garage was on top and there wasn't much space besides that. Then came Roots Manuva and the Brand New Second Hand and Run Come Save Me albums, and his signature anthem "Witness (1 Hope)".

"Witness" changed the game and brought a lot of London-centric sounds to the wider reaches of the world. Nowadays the infusion of Caribbean influences into UK rap and grime is pretty standard now, but nearly 20 years ago this was a seminal moment.

Angus Batey wrote of his legacy: "Mr Manuva's inimitable blend of Jamaica-via-Stockwell argot with uniquely inventive worldview made him the UK's biggest rap star. Before garage and grime he showed a generation it was possible to combine absolute individuality with all-round accessibility, and he continues to plough his unique, wobbly furrow to this day."




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