The Face of Grime: Why the British media still struggles to see the artists behind the genre
When false reports of Dot Rotten’s death began circulating, some major outlets rushed to publish and used the wrong face. For a culture that changed British music, it was a grimly familiar failure of recognition and respect.
From the corners of Bow in East London to the global stage, grime has taken the world by storm. Yet the pioneers who built this movement are still waiting for the recognition and respect they deserve from certain corners of the British media.
When news of the death of grime artist Dot Rotten began circulating earlier this month, it should have been a moment to reflect on the career of a formative figure in British music. Instead, several publications, including the Daily Mail and The Guardian, rushed to publish the story and made a fundamental mistake.
They used the wrong face.
Articles announcing Dot Rotten’s death were illustrated with a photograph of fellow grime artist Hasaan Mathews, better known as Saskilla, a completely different artist who was very much alive.
The consequences extended far beyond a mere correction. The error overshadowed a moment that should have belonged to Dot Rotten, while causing profound shock across Saskilla’s family. As he stated on Instagram: “I have received 100’s of worrying phone calls from all over the world,” with members of his own family believing he had died.
Artists like Dot Rotten and Saskilla spend years developing their own sound, careers, and followings, yet clumsy errors like this show their individuality is not always recognised.
This is not the first time a grime artist has been misidentified by a major outlet. In 2017, a photo of Stormzy was wrongly used by the Herald in a story about footballer Romelu Lukaku.
Saskilla rightly highlights this pattern in his response to the mistake, noting that this is not a mistake that happens to other artists of colour in Britain.
It points to a repeated, yet seemingly selective, negligence. This lack of recognition is a well-trodden path, and it appears to be a symptom of the very foundations of the music industry.
In 2006, the Brit Awards its “Best British Urban Act” category faced heavy criticism for being a catch-all label for black-led genres. In 2016, the Brits’ received further backlash with the #BritsSoWhite trending due to a clear lack of diversity.
This criticism was not confined to Britain. At the 2020 Grammy Awards, Tyler the Creator famously criticised the use of “urban” and “rap” categories. He noted that whenever Black artists do something “genre-bending…they always put it in a rap or urban category,” famously suggesting that “urban is a politically correct way of saying the N-word.”
While labels change, the underlying logic often remains. In 2021, the Brit Awards introduced the “Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act” category. Multiple distinct genres remain merged into one space. Noticeably, this is the only award category covering three separate genres.
These classifications matter because they shape how artists are understood. When an entire ecosystem of music is treated as one broad category, the individuals within it become easier to conflate.
The data suggests this lack of nuance starts at the top. Behind the categories lies a Voting Academy composed of around 1,200 members, with only 10% identifying as Black. The Academy describes its members as being made up of those “responsible for shaping the creative and commercial success of the British music industry”.
Yet, there is a staggering disconnect between those who vote and those who generate value. According to a study released this week by UK Music, Black music contributed to 80% of UK music’s commercial revenue. When 80% of the revenue is generated by a community that holds 10% of the voting power, it’s no wonder that recognition remains a problem across the board.
The disparity is stark. The pattern of Black music and Black artists not getting the recognition they deserve permeates all levels of the industry, from the boardroom to the newsroom.
Grime has travelled a long way from the pirate studios and the estates of East London. What began in Bow grew into a genre that reshaped British culture and influenced music around the world.
But recognition of that influence must extend beyond the genre to the individuals who created it.
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Standfirst
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HeadlineThe Face of Grime: Why the British media still struggles to see the artists behind the genre
Short HeadlineGrime helped shape Britain. The media still gets it wrong.
StandfirstWhen false reports of Dot Rotten’s death began circulating, some major outlets rushed to publish and used the wrong face. For a culture that changed British music, it was a grimly familiar failure of recognition and respect.
From the corners of Bow in East London to the global stage, grime has taken the world by storm. Yet the pioneers who built this movement are still waiting for the recognition and respect they deserve from certain corners of the British media.
When news of the death of grime artist Dot Rotten began circulating earlier this month, it should have been a moment to reflect on the career of a formative figure in British music. Instead, several publications, including the Daily Mail and The Guardian, rushed to publish the story and made a fundamental mistake.
They used the wrong face.
Articles announcing Dot Rotten’s death were illustrated with a photograph of fellow grime artist Hasaan Mathews, better known as Saskilla, a completely different artist who was very much alive.
The consequences extended far beyond a mere correction. The error overshadowed a moment that should have belonged to Dot Rotten, while causing profound shock across Saskilla’s family. As he stated on Instagram: “I have received 100’s of worrying phone calls from all over the world,” with members of his own family believing he had died.
Artists like Dot Rotten and Saskilla spend years developing their own sound, careers, and followings, yet clumsy errors like this show their individuality is not always recognised.
This is not the first time a grime artist has been misidentified by a major outlet. In 2017, a photo of Stormzy was wrongly used by the Herald in a story about footballer Romelu Lukaku.
Saskilla rightly highlights this pattern in his response to the mistake, noting that this is not a mistake that happens to other artists of colour in Britain.
It points to a repeated, yet seemingly selective, negligence. This lack of recognition is a well-trodden path, and it appears to be a symptom of the very foundations of the music industry.
In 2006, the Brit Awards its “Best British Urban Act” category faced heavy criticism for being a catch-all label for black-led genres. In 2016, the Brits’ received further backlash with the #BritsSoWhite trending due to a clear lack of diversity.
This criticism was not confined to Britain. At the 2020 Grammy Awards, Tyler the Creator famously criticised the use of “urban” and “rap” categories. He noted that whenever Black artists do something “genre-bending…they always put it in a rap or urban category,” famously suggesting that “urban is a politically correct way of saying the N-word.”
While labels change, the underlying logic often remains. In 2021, the Brit Awards introduced the “Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act” category. Multiple distinct genres remain merged into one space. Noticeably, this is the only award category covering three separate genres.
These classifications matter because they shape how artists are understood. When an entire ecosystem of music is treated as one broad category, the individuals within it become easier to conflate.
The data suggests this lack of nuance starts at the top. Behind the categories lies a Voting Academy composed of around 1,200 members, with only 10% identifying as Black. The Academy describes its members as being made up of those “responsible for shaping the creative and commercial success of the British music industry”.
Yet, there is a staggering disconnect between those who vote and those who generate value. According to a study released this week by UK Music, Black music contributed to 80% of UK music’s commercial revenue. When 80% of the revenue is generated by a community that holds 10% of the voting power, it’s no wonder that recognition remains a problem across the board.
The disparity is stark. The pattern of Black music and Black artists not getting the recognition they deserve permeates all levels of the industry, from the boardroom to the newsroom.
Grime has travelled a long way from the pirate studios and the estates of East London. What began in Bow grew into a genre that reshaped British culture and influenced music around the world.
But recognition of that influence must extend beyond the genre to the individuals who created it.
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