Trim. AKA Trimbal, Trimski, Taliban, Shankvan, Monkey Features, Trimothy etc...
Yeeeeeooohhhhh! Teeth, Gums, Can U see 'em? They alright? Lissssssseeeeennnnnnn!!!!
Grime lost it's way following it's initial rush of success 04-05, with Dizzee's Boy In Da Corner, The Streets and Lethal Bizzle on TOTP. Record companies hesitated to understand and sign artists, club nights closed down amid institutionally racist police concerns; and leading lights of grime were imprisoned (Crazy Titch), the movement lost confidence. Grime artists who got signed to majors found themselves with less artistic control, with their releases stalled. Some successes like Tinchy Strider or Chipmunk branched into crossover territory, and are now remembered for guest spots on pop records.
One Grime MC however thrived in these adverse circumstances and produced a fantastic series of mixtapes building his reputation, and nowadays he's viewed as one of the most poetic, adventurous and skilled British MC's.
Trim was there at the inception of Grime, being in garage party crews, but always viewing himself as a lyricist. Raised by a Rasta mother, Trims languid baritone flow reflects his love of reggae and dancehall, he flows over Turbulence and Sizzla riddims on these tapes. Unlike the majority of the Grime scene which hail from Bow E3, Trim was brought up in Tower Hamlets E14 and he proudly reps this, perhaps he also knows this adds to his outsider reputation within grime. Trim was 15 when Damilola Taylor was stabbed and left for dead in this area, and Trim's black comedy raps will often depict a grim, melancholic environment.
Trim joined Roll Deep, one of the biggest garage crews (not yet called grime), as they were already up and running, spotted by local scene catalyst Wiley. He contributed to the Creeper comps, the In At the Deep End debut album with the Grime high water mark of When I'm 'Ere, and released the solo Boogieman 12". So far, so promising, however it's here in the story that things start to unfurl.
Maybe it was the sheer amount of personalities and egos battling to be heard within Roll Deep. Wiley, Footsie, Riko, Flowdan, Scratchie, Breeze plus others passing through. Shortly following the release of the debut and a group trip to Ayia Napa, a beef developed between Trim and Flowdan and Trim left the crew.
Trim has not been shy in vocalizing this beef on record, the track Lowdown seems to suggest that he felt Flowdan was not looking out for him and may have been actively undermining him. Trim also says he looked up to Flowdan as an older MC he admired, making the perceived slight hurt deeper.
You do wonder though, whether two deep voiced MC's both with dancehall influenced flows was one too many for the crew. Maybe Flowdan was worried by Trim who hasn't quite got the dread delivery of Flowdan, but is certainly more lyrical and funny. Trim is also one of the best free-styling and battling MC's, unafraid of any competition.
Don't look for a classic album among these mixtapes, there's no Revolver or Nation of Millions, and there likely never will be. Like a classic Reggae DJ e.g. Dr. Alimantado or Big Youth, the point is to make great tracks, and to fire up the rave. You will have to trawl through these tapes to find the classic tracks among the skits, remixes, guest appearances and tracks cut short. Trim has been promising an album 'Crisis' for about 6 years now, but it seems no closer to release now than it did 6 years ago!
After leaving Roll Deep, Trim took Roachie, another Roll Deep alumni with him and proceeded with the Soulfood mixtapes.
Roachie then went to jail until 2008 and a 'Free Roachie' theme runs across all of these tapes. Trim uses producers from all across grime, Wiley, Target, Jerzey, JME, Mega, The Streets, Danny Weed but is also unafraid to look at more experimental areas of electronica and dubstep.
Soulfood 1 has the great Lowdown, Liar Liar (I'm a liar, I need help from More Fire) and Taliban.
Soulfood Vol 2 contains Confidence Boost (United we stand, divided we lose) later versioned by James Blake.
Soulfood Vol 3 is perhaps the most consistent tape, with the majority of tracks presented in full.
Trim is full of catchphrases; Middle finger up, index with it, the way he repeats his punchlines a second time with a chuckle, in case you missed them the first. On Signal he raps 'if you didn't catch my name i'll throw it to you, and for those who can't catch i'll roll it to you'.
Ask For Trim runs through some local E14 spots or The Bits, with a foreboding air 'Tower Hamlets where we help people get badges for disabled parking'.
I'll Do Me is a possee cut with a great snaking flute and shaker riddim, indebted to Missy & Timbaland, with a no biters theme.
I'm Not is Trim defining himself against what he's not, 'If you're a bad boy, then i'm not'.
Inside Looking Out is an introspective realization of Trim's outsider status, and seems to come to a sort of peace with the fact that he could never be part of a crew.
The Low-Dan expands upon part 1, Trim claims he should have been called Flowdan, and accuses Flowdan of trying to get him arrested over war like pummeling bass kicks and lazer synths. It's here that we get our first promise of an official album!
I Can C U is Radioclit produced UK Garage clip clop funk, and It's A Cold World demonstrates Trim's talent for twisting everyday catchphrases much like US rapper MF Doom 'United we stand, divided we're like odd socks', 'eye for an eyewitness'.
Gave Him An Inch is produced by The Streets and is the punt at a hit single release, but seems to be inbuilt with the problems which mean the charts and Trim will always be at arms length. 'Is it me or am I different, In at the deep end but water resistant' and Mike Skinners assessment 'Too greasy, you can feel the ape in his bars'.
Trim sees himself as a mix of Old Dirty Bastard and Dennis Brown, and this is not far off the mark. Grime MC's have always had the problem of standing out from each other, with similar flows and voices. Trim has never had this problem, he's a natural and makes the whole thing seem effortless, his persona is his act with all of it's eccentricities.
If Grime has a Captain Beefheart or a Kool Keith then surely it's Trim, Trimothy, Shankvan.......
