Exhibition: Grime Stories: from the corner to the mainstream

A display honouring the music, people and places central to the grime scene and its roots in East London.

Co-curated by one of the first cameramen of grime, Roony 'Risky’ Keefe, Grime Stories: from the corner to the mainstream is a brand new, free display exploring the emergence of grime in East London and the community at its heart.

Grime music emerged almost twenty years ago in the early 2000s and flourished through an informal network of record shops, youth clubs and pirate radio stations. Now the Museum of London is spotlighting the people and places across East London that shaped grime from then to now.

Partnering with those who were there at the scene's inception, this landmark display considers how the area has changed in the 20 years since and the impact of these changes on the future landscape of grime. A panoramic illustration by artist Willkay, a series of newly commissioned films, and personal artefacts will pay tribute to the parents, carers and youth workers who supported the city's grime MCs. Footage featuring Skepta and DJ Slimzee examines how these once emergent artists were able to find an outlet to share their music, uncensored through pirate radio networks such as Rinse FM.

From grime pioneer Jammer's basement, the iconic birthplace of one of the most important battle platforms in the UK music scene, to Roony 'Risky’ Keefe's films celebrating grime’s story of Black and working class ingenuity, this is your chance to explore the moments, music and people that took grime from the corner to the mainstream.