Most famous outside the dubstep community for his crossover hit 'Midnight Request Line' released in 2005 on Tempa, he continues to churn out classics at an amazing rate, including his 'Skreamizm' vinyl series and a self-titled album, both also on the seminal Tempa record label.
As well as releasing bad-boy tunes on other labels such as Big Apple (also the name of the shop where Dubstep was founded by Hatcha, Youngsta, Skream and a select few others) and Tectonic (Bristol resident and long-time dubstep devotee Pinch's label), 2008 marked the launch of Skream's own label 'Disfigured Dubz', introducing new artists such as Kulture and Late.
ABOUT S K R E A M FROM TEMPA [ http://www.tempa.co.uk ]
Meet Skream: Croydon's musical wonderkid. At 15 he discovered making music. Five years later he's changed the course of UK urban music, having helped build the foundations of London's most exciting new musical style, dubstep. But he's barely started yet: because right now, Skream is an artist on fire.
Skream's story begins in Croydon, in secondary school year 11. He wasn't getting on with teachers and they weren't getting on with him: but he was getting on with his music. But two friendships cemented then would start him onto the path to musical success.
First he met Benga, another talented Croydon kid who was starting to make music. Then he met Hatcha, soon to be one of the most influential and pioneering DJs in urban music. Around 2000 Benga and Skream set about building on the early dark garage flavours that were to be found on the pirate airwaves around Croydon. Through Hatcha's sets at club Forward» and releases on the seminal Big Apple label, they were about to create a new phase of dubstep.
At first Skream specialised in one flavour of dubstep: dark. His clipped, techy minimal style became a trademark sound. Long before grime existed, it reflected dark murky streets and sinister nights, the sound of decaying London and its frustrated communities, stuck out in satellite towns and sink estates with nothing but a PC and freely available software to channel their frustration into. Stuck in front of a PC for days on end, that's exactly what Skream did.
Then two years ago Digital Mystikz burst onto the dubstep scene, expanding the sound with new flavours and vivid colours. Skream became even more inspired. It not like he wasn't prolific already - rumour has it he's made over 1500 tracks - but out poured a host of bright new tracks from the wonderkid. "Indian remix" took him into trippy Asian territories, "Cheeky..." into Arabia, his unreleased mixes of Sunship fused Jamaican dancehall smut with hooky Kraftwerk melodies. "Smiling Face" broke out cheerful reggae skanks on dancefloors.
But his biggest tune was yet to come. Enter "Midnight Request Line" - on Tempa records - an anthemic explosion of electro arpeggios and dub sub-bass. It's a tune you can sing along to: Skream has it as his own ringtone. When it got dropped by DJ Youngsta at club Forward» grime dons Wiley, Jammer and the rest of Roll Deep began to shock out, flashing their lighters out of hard earned respect. The flip of this mighty release is bassline boomer "I," an excursion into deep dub basslines and shifting cinematic textures.
It shouldn't come as any surprise he likes sub-bass, Skream has grown up around it. His older brother was a member of Croydon's notorious jungle hell-raising raving outfit Intanatty Crew, which featured Radio 1's Grooverider and Bailey's 1Xtra as members. Ollie, Skream's real name, is no stranger to a bit of hell raising himself, famous for his up-for-it behaviour at parties or out on the town. In fact he's the only known music artist with a subdued alter-ego. Most rock stars are quiet by day with flamboyant alter-egos. Our wonderkid is the other way around. But then that's wonderkids like Skream for you: unique.
www.myspace.com/skreamuk
Colourful
Skream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turning time with the hopeless in a vacant plot
Soaking up the streets in a colourful place
He lives in the spirit behind his face
People they laugh and pull his chain
While the government perpetuates the peoples pain
Jobs are scarce and life ain't cheap and thus the young brother couldn′t get no sleep
Cause he knows
But the fool won't scare
The ghost in his heart won′t go away
The ghost in the heart won′t go away
So he feeds it with love till the spirits say
That the ghost must go away
His left sober and undone
And the joy he once found don't make no fun
In moments where he thinks, mother prayed
And father said forget what you have learnt
The street corner light, it offers hope
That he stuffs in a pipe and gladly smokes
And while he′s high the ghost it speaks
And his heart's left troubled while it seeks
For heaven and grace
In this place
He walks with a smile on his face
Because he lives in a colourful place
He walks with at sown pace
The soles of his feet above disgrace
The son of the teachers falls in love
With an idea filled with romantic stuff
All too aware of tragic fate
But that′s how it is in a colourful place
For all time it's there
But this fool won′t scare
The song "Colourful" by Skream is a thoughtful and introspective examination of life in the urban landscape. The lyrics tell the story of a young man who has grown up in a tough environment, where the streets are colorful but life is hard. Despite the challenges he faces, he lives with a spirit behind his face and a smile on his lips, refusing to be broken by the difficulties of his world.
The lyrics are marked by a sense of irony and melancholy, as the singer tries to find meaning and hope in a place where both are in short supply. He is pulled in two directions – on one hand, he recognizes the realities of his situation, the poverty and pain that are ever-present in his environment. On the other hand, he clings to the idea of a better life, of something more than what he has.
Despite the dichotomy at the heart of the lyrics, the singer remains steadfast in his resolve, refusing to be intimidated by the forces that are working against him. The song is a moving tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, and a testament to the power of music to help us find our way through even the darkest of times.
Line by Line Meaning
The son of a teacher didn't learn a lot
The singer of the song came from an educated family but didn't have a proper education.
Turning time with the hopeless in a vacant plot
He spent his time with people who had lost hope and were stuck in a dead-end life.
Soaking up the streets in a colourful place
The singer grew up in an area that was vibrant but had its own struggles.
He lives in the spirit behind his face
The artist masks his pain and struggles with a facade of happiness.
People they laugh and pull his chain
The people around him often ridicule and make fun of him.
While the government perpetuates the peoples pain
The government policies and actions continue to harm the people, making their lives harder.
Jobs are scarce and life ain't cheap and thus the young brother couldn't get no sleep
The singer faced difficulties finding a job, and the cost of living made it hard for him to sustain a decent life, causing him to lose sleep.
Cause he knows
Despite the struggles, the artist knew that he could make something out of his life.
It's there
He had a dream and vision of a better future for himself.
But the fool won't scare
Despite the challenges and risks, the artist was not afraid to take a chance.
The ghost in his heart won't go away
The singer carries pain and trauma from his past that continually haunt him.
So he feeds it with love till the spirits say
He tries to alleviate his pain by filling his life with love and positivity.
That the ghost must go away
The singer hopes for a day when his pain and trauma will vanish.
His left sober and undone
The singer feels incomplete and unsatisfied with his life and past choices.
And the joy he once found don't make no fun
The things that made him happy earlier do not bring him the same joy anymore.
In moments where he thinks, mother prayed
He remembers the positive influence of his mother's prayers.
And father said forget what you have learnt
His father gave him unhelpful advice to forget his education and do something else.
The street corner light, it offers hope
The street corner represents a glimmer of hope in the singer's life.
That he stuffs in a pipe and gladly smokes
He resorts to substance abuse to cope with his struggles and sorrows.
And while he's high the ghost it speaks
His pain and trauma resurface when he is under the influence.
And his heart's left troubled while it seeks
He is still searching for inner peace and a way to overcome his struggles.
For heaven and grace
In this place
He hopes for positive change and blessings in his current situation.
He walks with a smile on his face
Because he lives in a colourful place
Despite the struggles, the singer tries to remain positive and hopeful about his future.
He walks with at sown pace
The soles of his feet above disgrace
He walks with dignity, regardless of his struggles.
The son of the teachers falls in love
With an idea filled with romantic stuff
The singer falls in love with an idea or dream of a better life.
All too aware of tragic fate
But that's how it is in a colourful place
The singer understands the harsh realities of his situation but still hopes for positive change.
For all time it's there
But this fool won't scare
Despite the difficulties, the singer refuses to give up on his dreams and visions.
Writer(s): Nicholas Iain Keynes, Jon O Mahony, Andrea Remanda, Michael Stewart Harwood
Contributed by Emma P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Primate
3:50 best part so far
Sole Lara
someone knows where can i download this album ?
Tony Wilson
some garage vibes oooo yeah deep
Joeskate94
Whos here in 2021?
lil shnoober
2023
Mac Riggland
i be
Leo Di
weed
Agit
All over this album