MUSIC

Even Stormzy and Burna Boy Can't Make Ed Sheeran Cool in "Own It" Video

Check out Stormzy's new song"OWN IT" featuring Ed Sheeran and Burna Boy.

STORMZY - OWN IT (feat. ED SHEERAN & BURNA BOY)

Stormzy is extremely cool. Burna Boy is also very cool (congrats on the Grammy nom). Ed Sheeran is increasingly uncool.

Given these undeniable facts, it was an excellent choice for Sheeran to feature on Stormzy's new song alongside Burna Boy. Or so it would seem. But honestly, it's possible that Sheeran is so extremely lame that even appearing alongside the king of Grime and Nigeria's brightest reggaeton star can't help his flagging rep. While the song itself is a certified jam, Sheeran's verse and presence in the brand new music video are jarringly out of place.

But we digress. Check out the video below and decide for yourself.

STORMZY - OWN IT (feat. ED SHEERAN & BURNA BOY)www.youtube.com

Music Features

Idris Elba Goes Grime in New Wiley Video

With Wiley's "Boasty" video, the British actor and DJ adds MC to his resume.

Stringer Bell has gone "grime."

The enviously handsome Brit, Idris Elba, is prominently featured in the new music video for "Boasty," a track by grime pioneer Wiley. Kinetic to the extreme, it is a celebration of the sort of aggressive self-hype that's been endemic to hip-hop since its inception.

In "Boasty," the acclaimed actor (also an accomplished DJ, set to perform at Coachella this April) is one of four MCs, along with Sean Paul and Stefflon Don, who wax self-aggrandizement over the track's rubbery beat.

A plump, indifferent preteen boy — lip syncing Wiley's rhymes with the swagger of a thousand Kanyes — is also featured several times throughout the video, a purported reference to Wiley's habit of flaking on video shoots.

Wiley, for the uninitiated, helped put grime (a UK genre which combines hip-hop, dancehall, and jungle) on the map in the early 00s. If you're at all familiar with the work of Dizzee Rascal (check out "Bassline Junkie" on Youtube), you know something of the genre's glorious excesses. The "Boasty" video is a tribute to grime: a fun, garish confection, sweet enough to rot your gold-capped teeth.


Matt Fink lives and works in Brooklyn. Go to organgrind.com for more of his work.


POP⚡DUST | Read More...

Slenderbodies On Curating Authentic Mood Music

Ariana Grande Ties The Beatles' Record, Proving the Music Industry is Doomed

Avril Lavigne Doesn't Know Who She Is Anymore