A Grand Don't Come For Free

Three of the songs are truly listenable. I think it’s a 2, maybe because it gets a point because of the accent (and I feel a wee bit homesick just now).

2004 rap opera, more of a short story Blinded by lights Get out of my house Dry your eyes

2/5. I respect the ambition of this album, being a rap-opera about a dude having a bad day, losing the $1000 he had saved up and getting broken up with and trying to get that money and love back before coming to acceptance on “Dry your eyes.” The Achilles heel of the album is that it is really annoying a lot of the time, which feels weird to say because I actually like the Streets debut album “original pirate material” well enough. The conversational speak-rapping really just doesn’t work for me at all, and the production feels noticeably weaker than Original Pirate Material as well. The one exception is the closer “Empty Cans” which I actually quite liked narratively.

So I know that rappers will often play with time to make the song more interesting. But this Streets guy doesn't seem to be behind the beat on purpose; the rhythms he uses are way too simplistic or that. His "flow" is a complete joke, really. Just listen to the hook for the very first song. "It- was- sposed- to- be- so- EEEEZEEE" Good God. And the rest of the album is not much better from here, though the first song might be one of the worst. I don't actually mind the "day in the life" approach here. Maybe I'm a sucker for drama, but even the little situations offered up here drew me in. I wanted to know what happened with the girlfriend! And the money! But here's the thing- between his wayyyy behind-the-beat conversational flow, his lyrics about the most inane and mundane things, and his brain-dead actions in the stories he's narrating - I have come to the conclusion that The Streets is actually mentally disabled, and it feels rude to listen to this album. TWO STARS

I like it

The was the first time I had heard of the Streets and I can see why now. The flow of this album is awkward and with very slow delivery on the lyrics. Most songs are just repetitive nonsense of the same statements of sitting on a couch and smoking weed. I mean it is the same theme plenty of rappers and hip-hop artists have made millions from, but they at least make sure it is worth listening to. Whether this album was supposed to be a story or not, it missed the mark terribly. I was being generous giving this album 2 stars.

Having a really hard time rating this one. In some ways, I can see what it was going for, assuming it was supposed to be a slightly comedic take on some mundane British slice-of-life... and I think it does a pretty decent job of that? However: Did I enjoy it from a musical perspective? No. Would I want to listen to it again? No. Did I _need_ to listen to it? No. Going to settle on a 2 because I think the album deserves some recognition for being a unique concept album. It's just that I don't see the point in the concept.

Current Davie gives this a 3. Past Davie gives it a full 5. Quite sure he bought and loved this on release. It's got some great stuff but some awful shite too. Still got a wee buzz when there is the replay of the last song gives the happy ending version. Past Davie deserves a win cause his 'could we'll be in' girl never became his, so 5 stars it is. Unrelated to a point but there is only 1 Streets album on here and it absolutely should be Original Pirate Material. It's a better album and is definitely more interesting from a sound perspective considering what else was going on at the time. Not really sure why this is the Streets album chosen but see above for the high mark.

"Fit But You Know It" is one of the few good tracks on this album.

This was unlistenable babble, with one redeeming quality the song "Fit but You Know it", which sounded familiar. 1.5 just for that song, everything else was 0.5 to 1

This is so unbelievably bad by any metric in any culture and no matter how good or bad your teeth are. Mac Miller if he was a cheeky wanker from sussex. Super Hands would make a better record

I'm honestly trying to figure out how much of this is intentionally bad and how much of it is just bad. Like, it is clearly making fun of chav culture, but I can't tell if the spoken word "raps" and the poorly written/metered refrains are intentional or just due to lack of talent. If it's intentional I'm inclined to give it a little more grace than if it's just a bad album. But either way, I didn't enjoy listening to it.

Haha. Absolutely not. Nothing worked for me here.

Its not a 5* album by any means but the 1*s seem harsh when this is exactly what belongs on the list. Like it or dislike it. I like The Streets, the singles released from this album are stand out. 3.5/5. Raising to 4.

I hate it, but I guess it's pretty unique.

It was fine.

After like the second track I was like "what in the innit spoken word bullshit is this" and was getting really annoyed but I realized this is an album was put together by a bunch of 20-somethings just having fun and figuring out what they were trying to say. So I softened on it a bit. The beats and the bars are elementary but I can respect the approach. Highlight: Fit But You Know It

Shite

I don’t know if you guys know this but I love this bloke… this album is not GREAT to me like Original Pirate Material is, which I kind think is perfect lol, but I enjoy it still

when i was a kid i hated this album so much but now im like pretty mild on it! it's honestly not bad at all but its pretty unusual, the vocals

The 2 singles are nice and the accent is lovely, but it's just not my cup of tea.

Do you ever just feel dumber after listening to something? I did like "Fit but You Know It" however....

This is like British talking wrap rock. I don’t know but it’s not my thing. The song about a girl being fit but she knows it is on here

With this book you’re just gonna get some albums because it was written in 2005 by English people

Aside from a few musical highs, that was a stupid concept for a rap opera. The whole thing wasn't as funny, nor as clever as it thought it was. 1.7/5 -> 2/5

More of a spoken record album. Really liked the feel of this album. First album I've heard that really sounded British.

I've never listened to most UK hiphop acts. The overall style that's popular there just doesn't hit for me. But this dude I enjoy. Reminds me of Aesop for some reason. Something about the casual complexity, disregard for standard rhyme patterns, the beats? Whatever it is, I'm in.

I was so caught off guard by the aggressive britishness that I can't even really be mad about this. Being a British teen must be hard stuff

The gasp I gusped when we found out it was Dan

Uh no thanks haha

One of the things I miss the most about the iPod era, is that sometimes random albums would just show up on your device, because a friend of a friend downloaded it or just had it on their iTunes. Such is my history with The Streets. I was listening to this in 2004 when it came out, because a friends older brother shared it with me and somehow it ended up on my iPod. At the time, I mostly thought it was just funny. I thought the heavy Cockney accent was hilarious to rap behind, but then as I got in high school, I started just gravitating towards this. I kind of started to see the storytelling and word play within his rhymes and I really started to enjoy it. I mostly would just listen to "Could Well Be In," because it was the most approachable and I don't think I had the whole record. It 2011, I was living in the UK and a lot of my friends were into this record. I started hearing more songs "Fit and don't you know it," "Dry Your Eyes," "Such a Twat." I also started to understand it more. It felt less like a meme of a Guy Richie film and more like an actual Guy Richie film. He understands and can speak to British Chav culture perfectly. It feels like a council house. It feels like a track suit. It feels like hand rolled cigarettes and a copy of The Sun. Its kind of perfect that way. What I didn't realize was that this is a concept album??? But more like a full on rap opera? Its super easy to follow. I got pretty sucked into it today. It is a Guy Richie film. This is a treasure. Sure, some of the beats and backing tracks feel dated. And sometimes his lyrics can come across as a bit cheesy, but this is super unique. I'm stoked about this today.

I am running multiple projects. I have rated this before. And I actually vaguely remember The Streets from prior to this whole 1089 madness. Initially, when I listened to this album for real, for this project, my distain was visceral. People go on and on about the Marshal Mathers LP. I gave that a 4. Eminem has flow, lyrical capability, and an infectious in your face energy. The Marshal Mathers LP is supremely entertaining even if it’s incredibly cringy at every turn. It’s the kind of gross comedy show that keeps me there despite its bad taste and bad takes. This on the other hand has elements of Marshal Mathers without ANY of its energy. It has street characters doing street things, in this case far more PG 13, but I just don’t like them. Don’t hate them. Want to get far, far away from their humdrum humorless existence. I simply don’t care. And the pace is Ho. I. Fy. In. G. Flow? What is that? Stumbling bumbling over my unimportant words? The first time I gave this a 1. Harsh. I mean it HAS a concept. It does. But… aghhhh 2 Boolean: 🤷‍♀️

This was one of the worst things I've ever listened to, and I listen to some pretty objectively bad music. By the end, I started to appreciate the concept and started to "get" it. Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this: 5/5

It's rubbish innit? But that's kinda the point? Am I in on the joke? Kinda like a car crash that I can't look away from. Kept my interest for the whole thing but hard to give it much musical or lyrical credit....

I genuinely cannot stand this guy's delivery. It's not even proper spoken word. It's all stunted. He has negative flow. I also just didn't care for the concept or story. Overall, I did not enjoy this album at all.

Sure, I didn't mind it. Would merit another listen so I can really follow the story as opposed to multitasking on the first listen

Best Track - "Fit But You Know It"

I think this is an album you actually do need to listen to. After all, it's important to know what really bad music sounds like to understand what makes good music good.

Oh, no thank you to British rappers.

Hmm. This was pretty interesting. I liked the concept and story and the production was interesting. I guess overall yeah I did like it.

Dificilmente um disco de Rap atrairia minha atenção e este me "pegou" pelo sotaque britânico. Não trás nada de muito interessante, exceto por duas faixas: "Fit But You Know It" e a belíssima "Dry Your Eyes".

First album ever - good stuff. An acquired taste for the discerning listener

It's all a joke, innit?

"If I can prove that I never touched my balls will you promise not to tell one other soul what you saw" if it was an entire album. Mike Skinner does not have a particularly soothing or pleasant voice to listen to, and his delivery is more spoken word than anything. He has a snappy, disjointed flow that is interesting but doesn't always lead to the most tuneful songs. Especially when the mixing on his vocals is so glassy throughout the album. It sounds like we're on the phone catching up with him as if we were old mates, or maybe we're strangers in a public bathroom. The story told throughout the album is not particularly interesting or fun or insightful, but he at least can write some pretty evocative lines. The production is also all good, but never great. Definitely an interesting album, I am glad I got the opportunity to listen to it. But not something I'm likely to return to tbh, unless I suddenly become a 35 year old british man.

Almost gave this a 2, free on me a little.

I don’t know, there are so, so many better British rap albums. This one sounded chaotic and weird, not really enjoyable music-wise. However, bonus star for the story troughout the album.

Despite the rating, this is actually pretty funny. It's like the rap that the dumb friend of the friend group turns out to be producing in a british sitcom.

3.5/10 - The album artwork reminds me of Nighthawks by Hopper (had to look up the artist) and whether intentional or not, there seems to be some overlap. I really like the concept and story, but his delivery felt really choppy and forced. Beats were also usually not for me. I think Breaks just really isn’t for me.

I appreciate the storytelling and how the entire album flows linearly through the romance and his money loss. However, the sound of this is just okay. Strong 6/10

It’s ok. Not sure it’s a great album though.

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

I tried to listen to this but I was Blinded By the Lights.

The flow and the beats sound forced and strained. The story telling is flat and repetitive. The recording quality spunds like something anyone can do with an old tape machine in their bedroom. I am happy this exists and that there are people out their taking risks. But this sucks .

On one hand its original. On the other, its crap.

Didnt fall in love on my first listen either, but I really like this album and the story it tells. Some songs are epic highs like Fit but you know it, Empty Cans, Blinded by the Lights, Supposed to be so easy. But it isnt without its flaws.

Day 375 Always found it hard to get a handle on Mike Skinner, there’s songs by The Streets that I love and have had in playlists for 25 years now but when he’s bad, he’s really fucking bad. Highlights Blinded by the Lights Dry your eyes Empty Cans

Not for me 😬

This certainly was an experience that's for sure. Never heard of this album or artist so this was a complete new adventure for me, and I didn't enjoy it at all. Now, I can see what it was trying to be in it's more rough and imperfect styling and off beat weird flows as it fits the albums concept. But it just doesn't work, I like imperfect weirdness in my music but this didn't spark anything in me. Maybe if I was British it might speak to me more but as of now I wouldn't relisten. Fav Songs Dry Your Eyes Fit but You Know It Blinded by the Lights Is it Top 1001 Worthy (is it essential)? Not really, pretty rough and kinda shit record however it might be worth a listen if you're really curious or British. It's not as bad as the Kid Rock record but it's still not for me.

Is this a joke? Am I being pranked? A Grand Don’t Come for Free by The Streets is definitely not an album I needed to hear before I died. I’m trying to dig deep for the perfectly worded insult about how terrible this album is, but I keep getting distracted by how terrible this album is and coming up with nothing. This album isn’t even worth enough of my time to properly make fun of it. What really baffles me is that critics associated with this book apparently felt that an LP dedicated to the whitest British “hip-hop artist” imaginable—and the trials and tribulations of everyday life, like trying to return a DVD, make a withdrawal from an ATM, or use his phone before the battery dies—was somehow worth my time. It wasn’t. This feels like a colossal waste of my mother-fucking time.

Holy fuck. Why did no one stop this before it got recorded and released into the world? Did this guy watch Boogie Nights and think "if they can do it, I can too?" He even invited guest rappers and they are just as bad as he is. Get this mother fucker a metronome for Christ sake. I guess it's time to wipe the dust off the 1-star and get it ready for deployment.

Čovjek koji je radio ovaj album je alergičan na muzikalnost, nemam drugo objašnjenje.

Had not heard this band before. Interestingly melodic. Clever. I'll definately have to give it another deeper listen to pick up on the lyrics.

I don't know if I can get past this voice and accent.

The album is kind of like a musical - it tells a connected story from the first track to the last, where each song is its own scene/conversation. The songs are catchy. The vocal delivery is still unique and fun. There are interesting bits like building shitty phone reception into the song. And the "rewind" element on the last track is really smart and effective. My main complaint is that while the lyrics are occasionally well crafted (e.g. decent rhymes at the ATM bit), for the most part they seem kind of lazy, like he used the first/simplest rhyming word he could imagine, or often didn't even bother to rhyme. It's more about the overall story and less about clever word selection. By comparison I think the individual songs in Original Pirate Material are way stronger, but I can understand why this album is picked for a top _albums_ list.

You could maybe argue this is a 4, but rounding up because a) I want to off-set all the haters on this site and b) it’s one of the *very few* concept albums on this list that is actually strong for being a concept album.

Original Pirate Material might have stronger individual tracks but so few albums nail the overarching story theme - in addition to having stand out tracks (I'd argue 'Blinded by the Lights' is miles better than 'Dry Your Eyes' despite the latter being such a big hit...I'd argue that's more representative of how out of touch the English are with their feelings...) - that this is inarguably a masterpiece despite a few misses (I always want to skip 'Wouldn't Have it Any Other Way.)

At first I thought this would be the easiest 1* but after giving it a chance I appreciate the hilarity, britishness and storytelling. I even enjoyed some of the songs in their own right

Interesting experience.

I don’t buy that Mike Skinner is a genius. A lot of lyrics on here are pure cringe, he just writes about any old shit that is going on. His vocal/rapping (is it rapping? Or just talking) is very basic. I’d score the first album higher as it is different to anything else that had gone before… this is just a poor attempt to recreate that.

pirate material is better

++: It Was Supposed to Be So Easy, Could Well Be In, Not Addicted, Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way, Get Out of My House, Fit but You Know It, Such a Twat, Dry Your Eyes +: Empty Cans +-: Blinded by the Lights, What Is He Thinking? 8,7/10

First Listen Favorites: Could Well Be In Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way Dry Your Eyes Honorable Mentions: Fit but You Know It Empty Cans Blinded By The Lights

Not a fan.

Not bad but not my thing.

(Un)fortunately, I have heard this before which means I don't have to listen to it to tell you I thought it was shit long before I found out, from personal experience, that Mike Skinner is an absolute cock!

I loved this when it came out. Totally British. The rap was more spoken word than I liked. Had some hits for me

Speak the Hungarian Rapper, but English? I remember when this came out. Overall the story is mundane, but it's the mundane details which ground the story in a realistic and relatable nature. Relatable to who though? If you didn't grown up in the UK at the time (2005) a lot of this won't make sense. If you've never taken pills in a nightclub Lights are Blinding my Eyes will not make sense, especially the end where the eccies start to kick in. But for those who have, this album speaks to them on a very deep level. It's story was very relatable to working class people at the time. Girlfriends who work in JD, going to the pub, betting on football, etc. This album struggles though, with some of the performance and delivery. The beats are often sparse and sound like they're straight out of FL or something. The vocal hooks are also very weak. You can hear this in Could Well Be In and Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way. The spoken word rapping style sometimes works, until it doesn't. I was never the target audience for this record and despite its flaws I need to recognise there isn't anything else like this. 3/5

Interesting

I just cannot take British rap seriously. I’m so sorry.

I remember this being big when it came out but never listened to it. To be honest, it's pretty boring. There's one idea that gets repeated to varying degrees of success across every song

I am astonished by the sense of honesty and am hoping that this isn’t a charecter he’s playing. I’d still be impressed if it was just a made up character from an otherwise well-off artist. But still. I’m seeing a lot of complaints saying how clunky and privileged this all sounds. Isn’t that kinda the point? Like he’s vaguely aware that he’s just a bum fumbling through his life, aware of his behavior, and even trying to get better (or at least knowing better)? The closing “Empty Cans” made that somewhat clear to me. “Blinded By The Lights” was my favorite instrumental - thats the blueprint for dubstep right there. Melancholy and scarce bust still danceable. “Get Out Of My House” had one of the more impactful narratives. Something about the back and forth just felt very grounded, like it wasn’t just a song, but a snippet of a real couples fight. “Fit But You Know It” felt like a bit of a demented Gorillaz song. Full of character and a bit of whimsy, but this one’s a bit more sleazy. I remember listening to Pirate Radio by this guy after Charli XCX shouted him out a few years ago. I also remember feeling a bit more wowed at its intentionally disruptive, focused nature than what I’m feeling here. But I still think everyone’s way too harsh on this album. It’s easily a strong 3/5 maybe a 4/5

Very unique.

Thank goodness I read that this is a concept album. I won't be listening to this while I work because that makes no sense to me. I'll listen while I'm doing some yard work tonight and can actually focus. The first song is... something. This album was not my vibe in any way shape or form. Too man, too British, too 2004 mentality.

Not for me

6/10

Every time I think I've found the worst album on here, this list continues to prove me wrong

You have to be fucking kidding me. Like, oh my fucking god.

1/5

679 679L070CD (Europe reissue) CD rip: Um, what? It's like I'm trapped in a Guy Richie film. Cheap beats, off-key vocals, but the lyrical theme is okay though. Like a precursor to Lil Dicky. Borderline UNLISTENABLE. Is this supposed to be so poorly made that it's ironically good? Ban the British from rapping FOREVER.

I like The Streets, as an American I think his accent and delivery make for an interesting flow that is different from a lot of rap that is made stateside. The lyrical topics are often grounded in mundane things at face value which is honestly refreshing. I really enjoyed the continuity of plot regarding the money without it having to be done in lame skits or something.

Three mega tracks but otherwise poorer than the debut in every regard

I initially read "Styles: UK Garbage"🤭 (at least that would have been honest 🤨)

Nope. Repetitive and annoying.

This was a wierd one. Mike’s talk singing is unique and takes a bit of time to get used to. I loved Original Pirate Material but this was a struggle. Mike is singing even stranger than on OPM and the music doesn’t make these songs fun to listen too. The subject matter is just depressing and Mike comes off as a scumbag which isn’t a bad concept for a record but it doesn’t work here. I won’t be back

I hadn't clocked the Eastenders on pills vibes until this listen. Still loved some of the tracks

not my type 2/5

It was interesting but frankly I don't think band will ever land for me. If I'm going to listen to Hip Hop it ain't this.

Aww man, not this. This was all the rage back in aught four. I didn't like it. Too chavy. Too many accents. Too many 'I'm a sad boy from London' vibes. Too much talking. It also annoyed me that the best singer of the new millenium, one Robert Harvey, left The Music and teamed up with Skinner years after I was already a Streets Hater and Music lover. But I struggled through the full thing and the conclusion must only be that there are good words and stories here, but nothing else. It's actively painful to listen to for someone who hates Cockney accents and talky singy. But a star for the words and story.

So this was a weird one. I don’t know how to feel about it tbh. I truly thought a few times throughout that this must’ve been a spoof or comedy album, and honestly? I still am not 100% sure it wasn’t. I gaslit myself into thinking I actually liked the first song, but after listening to it again, I can confirm, I do not. There are things that I do LIKE about it, such as the kind of off beat rapping, and the subject matter, but other than that, na. I will submit, I’m sure this is someone’s jam, just not mine 2/5

no. what is this shit. i am writing this review in lowercase because that is how he talks. and he doesn't deserve any uppercase letters. pretty shitty. the parts where he doesn't "rap", where the girl sings, are ok, but he makes everything unlistenable.

What a waste of incredible beats and production. The brits shouldn’t rap (or whatever it was the vocals were supposed to be doing).

This is what I assume Essentially Simon sounds like. In an effort to maintain my sanity, I spent most of this album coming up with derogatory nicknames for British rappers. These are my favorites: 50 Pence Lil Waynker Kid Crumpet Steal the Jewels Tea Pain

Just no.

The British shouldn’t try to rap. It just doesn’t sound right. The songs have too much repetition. It kinda gets on your nerves. I do like the storyline that’s runs through the whole album though. It also gives you glimpse into English life.

Not my usual fare, but this actually holds together well after 20 years. Whilst Skinner's rapping might not be everyone's cup of tea, he does make a nice concept album with a thread going through it about a bloke's missing money and various adventures along the way. 'Fit But You Know It' is great fun, and he actually made a beautiful tearjerker for the modern young man in 'Dry Your Eyes'. Not nearly as bad as the top reviews might suggest.

No private session used for Spotify. I have explored the novelty of the English Rapper the Streets before. The music is clanky and just seems off with the beat and not in a 4/5 time way, but more I can't the clap to a waltz.

3 / 10

‘It’s the end of something I did not want to end/beginnings of hard times to come/but something that was not meant to be is done/and things the start of what was’ This album has one of my favourites endings of all time, just a really nice sentiment, remember those words struck a chord when I first heard them. I first heard The Streets as a kid and thought it was so messy (Fit But You Know It was everywhere tho and I thought that was a tune). But anyone who thinks Mike Skinner takes himself super seriously and thus thinks this is wank is a fool. Sure, the there are some songs in here with poor lyrics (Get Out Of My House) and some with too much exposition (What Is He Thinking?) but the balls to do a rap opera for your second album is pretty bold. It’s just also really good and I need to represent the UK contingent on here

haha silly old "she suck on my willy it’s quite delightful if I catch you in west Gloucestershire you’ll catch the rifle", nobody actually sounds like that in the UK! this guy: hold my fucking beer this is just fucking awful. there is no rhythm, rhyme, beat, anything at all. it's not getting a 1 because I really really dislike it, but because it's just pure unadulterated dogshit.

Very mediocre and British, I can see why it made the list lol

Wow I guess this is how watered down the quality gets when you make a list 1000 long.

The 1 star reviews are hilarious… makes me love it even more!! It’s great 😀

Dry your eyes mate.

Sort of a rhythmic, spoken-word (hard to call it rap) musical about a hard-drinking, self-absorbed young Londoner, Mike, whose poor decisions suggest his frontal lobe hasn't fully formed. It's hard to get into the story at the outset, but once you're in, you've got to stick around to see how it ends. Spoiler: It all starts with his losing an envelope with 100K behind his TV. Interestingly, after he loses his girlfriend to one of his buddies—and the story goes completely off the rails when he assaults the TV repairman—he literally rewinds the tape and goes for an alternate ending. Another buddy works on the TV, finds the money, and everyone lives happily ever after. If he could have rewound the tape to the beginning, he could have saved himself, and us, 50 minutes, but that would have kept poor Simone in a toxic relationship. As the lyrics repeat at the end, "Something that was not meant to be is done, and this is the start of what was." Almost Shakespearian (not).

Rap opera sounded somewhat interesting as a concept so I was ready to give this a chance. But fucking hell, this really is on a different level of terrible. All the worst things about the early noughties on one single album. Edit: have to come back several hours after listening to this just to say that I still cannot fathom such an album exists and is on this list of all things. I'm genuinely baffled.

Goofy UK rap. Entertaining and catchy but not my cup of tea.

What a coincidence! I just listened "Original Pirate Material" for the first time a few days ago. It was pretty cheesy but I liked it. I would give it a 3.5/5. Upon generating this album, I was looking forward to hearing more of the same stuff but this is somehow much worse. At best this record is mildly funny and at worst it's super obnoxious. I was so shocked by how much of a drop in quality this is from "OPM" that it made me doubt if that album was really as good as I thought it was. Then the album ended and Spotify played "Turn the Page" which is so much better than anything on this album. In conclusion, "Original Pirate Material" should've been here and I have no idea why we got this instead. Favorite track: Fit but You Know It 2.5/5

That was kinda weird but I also kinda liked it.

Godawful

Everything about this album screams I should hate it. Yet, I actually enjoyed it

lame

Influential and innovative but not for me

complete and utter pap

I remember this. It was shit then and it's shit now.

Nah this is gonna be a 1. But it's a soft 1, it's more like a 1.9 but I can't give it a 2.

This should be a contender for worst album on the list. I’m 920ish albums in, as well as loving music in general, and VERY few have made me so angry that the artist(s) were allowed to make the album, but this is up there.

What? Just, what?

I didn't care for this album at first but by the end I get what they were trying to do. It has a banger, always a plus, and a poignant closing track.

You know, I think this list is actually an exercise in the author's personal nostalgia. I was hoping for more critically acclaimed and influential albums, and there are a lot of that. But you hit a record like this and are like why is this on here? When the Score by the Fugees is too?! Certainly I don't have to hear this type of rap when there are much better rap albums on the list? I do have a bias against British rap. It's really just not for me. This album gets old quickly, with the guys style.

Most of the songs sound the same, complete with the same song structure throughout. The story of the Rap Opera is ok, with a copout choose your own ending. Mega Happy Ending!! Fish Gills!! I thought I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way is an interesting love song. Dry Your Eyes is the break up song. 2.5

The style was kind of interesting but generally not for me. 4/10

Not the strongest Streets album, but one I loved growing up. It has a few of his strongest tracks hidden in there.

Wow, I really didn’t like this. Hard to finish. Terrible flow and the whole premise was not relatable or something I could empathize with. Maybe if I was British I would get this but I don’t.

Unnerving stuff, very British. He raps largely without flow or rhyme, it feels like he's telling a story unaware of the background music. The story isn't very interesting or funny and the music is very monotonous. The hooks are repeated over and over and over and really get on my nerves. This is pretty original, I have to give him that, but I can't stand it at all.

Not a fan, doesn't really work for me outside of Blinded By The Lights. I can see the vision but I really don't like a lot of the beats.

Heerlijk sappig accent maar soms vermoeiende plaat

fucking ass

extraño para mis gustos pero de alguna forma me gusto...

Ah tiens, du hip hop merdique !

I don't know that I'll ever revisit this album, but I had a good time listening to it this once.

was lauft do gad. narrativ hiphop? ok im zweite song flirtet er und verliebt sich aber wiso fühlt sichs ah als wär afoch en engländer mir am sache verzelle? und nöd sooo guet? es isch wie e parodie irgendwie. hä nöd addicted isch insano nervig? instead of betting to win the football ill bet to lose the cricket???? was? blinded by the lights isch no guet. innere monolog vomne dude im klub wo sin kolleg und sini fründin suecht woner glaubt dass öpis hend und denn chli z viel ecstasy nimmt und z viel suuft. guet beschriebe. es isch mir alles zu dr seuss und z wenig musig? aso zu narrativ z wenig hip hop? s flowt chli weird? ich bin nöd happy. bin am das lose anstatt wm luege. nai. ich bin miiiinimal invested id story aber finds for real nöd guet. ES ISCH EWIG LANG. eis vode erste woni mer überlegg nöd fertig lose. fick. nööööööd guet. oook bin bitz unsicher gsi e ziit lang aber sorry das isch es 1. jo es verzellt e gschicht und jo d produktion isch zum teil no cool. aber aaaalte ischs nöd guet grappt und afoch au langwilig über langi strecke.

RAP OPERA OMG IVH HAN MICH GFREUT ABER WAS ISCH DAS wie isch die stimm uufgno??? es tönt insane scheisse ok blinded by the lights isch en suuuper beat und d bgvs sind suuuper er redt immerno eifach chli aber s isch ok WISO ISCH ALLES SO ABGHACKT get out of my house isch richtigi chatzemusig e leeri, RICHTIIIG WACKE beat und drüber verzellt mier irgenden brit öppis fit but you know it isch iwie dumm aber macht na spass such a twat git en automatische pluspunkt will twat es lustigs wort isch AHH ICH HAN GWÜSST, DASS ICH DE BEAT VO BLINDED BY THE LIGHTS KENNE! wegen dir vom kontra k hahaha dry your eyes isch easy cute au empty cans hani eig na gern gha hmm finds schwierig. paar lieder hani echt gern gha aber en grossteil vode lieder isch WÜRKLI chatzemusig es tönt teilwiis amateurhaft und das mein ich negativ (hüfig find ich das ener positiv hahaha) ok nope jz uf boxe tönts nachli schlechter, sorry bby

I can appreciate it, but I don't think this album is for me.

Let's start with the fact that this album isn't even remotely close to having any good reason for being on this or any other list of top albums. Especially when his album "Original Pirate Material" is the OBVIOUS RIGHT THERE. But, that single "Fit But You Know It" is a good time I guess? I didn't like The Streets. There wasn't much for redeemable qualities when he came out, but he did create a specific British sound that I have since warmed up to in band(s) like Sleaford Mods. But, as decent as the production on this album is, he just makes a mess of it by talking and leaning heavy on the accent/slang to do the work. 2 stars

Conceptually strong but the execution is lacking.

I definitely wasn't an instant Streets fan, when the first album came out and was getting rave reviews I couldn't see what all the fuss was about and actively disliked his delivery. Eventually I grudgingly accepted Let's Push Things Forward was quite good but still wouldn't have imagined myself rushing out to buy his next album on or near its day of release. That's what happened though and I still distinctly remembering listening to this album for the first time, which is strange given it's been over 20 years. I remember drinking some Sol beers and chuckling at some of the couplets Skinner deploys and the audacity of weaving this shaggy dog story together. I never much cared for much of his later stuff and it's been a good few years since I listened to this. On reflection I think Blinded by the Lights, Fit But You Know It and Dry Your Eyes have all stood the test of time well, however the other tracks which serve to push the narrative along aren't as musically strong and often feature rather repetitive rhyming schemes, so you've got a concept album where the best tracks are the least integral to the story, such as it it. I would award this a 4 because it reminds me of being in my mid-twenties and the highs are high but it's definitely far from perfect.

It Was Supposed to Be So Easy. - 1/5 Could Well Be In - 1/5 ***Not Addicted*** - 1/5 Blinded by the Lights - 2/5 Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way - 1/5 Get Out of My House - 1/5 Fit but You Know It. - 2/5 Such a Twat - 1/5 What Is He Thinking? - 1/5 Dry Your Eyes - 1/5 Empty Cans - 1/5 Average score: 1.2/5 ⭐️ i wanna cry. i managed to listen to all 11 tracks (at least halfway through), but at what cost? i think i owe some of the other artists i gave a poor rating to a fat fucking apology cuz this was ASS. i'm convinced the author intended to torture us when he compiled this album list, because there's no fucking way anyone would listen to this and place it alongside David Bowie and Michael Jackson?? this is definitely a contender of the worst "hip hop" i've ever heard in my life, and possibly the worst albums i've heard from this list so far. from the horrible flow to the instrumentals, it was all dreadful. the least this limey could do was stay on beat?? even the background singers couldn't redeem this trash fire of an album, bless their hearts

This all sounds very much like a collection of demos. This is lacking any polish or refinement. Not that everything needs to be polished to the max, but at least SOME more production work and rounds of revision would have been nice. The beats on here have some really cool ideas, I especially like Blinded By The Lights and Fit But You Know It in that aspect that nonetheless are sadly muddied by the general roughness of the album. The rapping is utter rubbish in parts, the singing isn’t much better. It sounds like a first recording of an idea made on a phone. Mike Skinner seems weirdly off-beat almost all the time, the worst offenders are the first two tracks on here. I kinda enjoy the british accent and vocabulary, tho. The parts sung by others are usually quite competent and nice to listen to, thankfully. The lyrics certainly are an interesting exploration of the life of a british bloke in the early 2000s and the headspace Skinner was in. This album is baffling. I genuinely think this could have been great. It got slightly better in the second half, but i have no desire to listen to this ever again. The only exception is Dry Your Eyes, which is a genuinely great song.

This poor wanker. From the first track I thought I was going to strongly dislike this, but I did get caught up in the story. Which is one way to look at this: an audiobook that happens to be set to music. Interestingly, this follows a certain tradition in UK music: the 'let's talk over some music' kind of storytelling. Think Captain Sensible and the ever silly Toast song.

I don't love it, but I like the focus on the storytelling the lyrics. Just wish they had something more. In terms of belonging on this list--definitely an interesting style worth hearing. So +1 for that.

This guy played the best trick on a record label ever. Well done getting them to publish the musical equivalent of a flaming bag of dog shit.

I understand why this album has such a low rating, but also feel bad for people who haven't allowed this album to click. What a masterpiece.

trash

Great story

An album so bad the ad breaks were a relief for me. Everything about this album is bad, the flow of the rapper is bad, the features sound like they were rapped by a five year old, the beats are garbage truck noises, there are literally zero redeemable qualities to this album. And the lyrics, oh the lyrics. Like I could freestyle better than this guy can rap, and I don't even know what to say about the actual content, it's like he tries to make a concept album but he has no concept other than being a broke British boy. Never pass the English the aux if this is what they put out. And the accent, while I know he can't control it, becomes grating after listening to it for an hour. How did this get on the list, how do critics actually like this. I genuinely can't comprehend how somebody can think this is good when it's just a bunch of nonsense. If this is underground music then we should keep it there

WTF

ENGLISH.

1/10. I could hardly keep a straight face while listening to this album. The accent makes it even more hilarious. Too bad I didn't like the music.

I can see how it sparked. Wouldn’t want to hear it all again tho. Strong 3.

Was gonna give this a three for originality, but it got old really quick. Very repetitive. Then just annoying. So 2.

Like what are we doing here

Wat is dit in godsnaam

I remember listening to this album in high school. It scratches that itch of some british slang and rap. Situational at best, but perfect for a song for scene audio. I more than likely am not going to just turn it on to listen. That being said, I wouldn't skip it if it came on. Every song is a triumph of lyrics and story.

Complete and utter crap from beginning to end. There's no way this is an album I have to listen to before I die. If anything I feel like death is closer and I've gained nothing.

great storytelling

I don't like Mike Skinner as a rapper. Between the humdrum flows, weak singing attempts and flat delivery he makes the music tough to listen to. The beats are quite good but that's about it.

Very different!

UK hip hop ?? De 2002 ? Aïe J’aime bien l’instru de la première mais il rappe mal Peut-être que si le rap américain existait pas j’apprécierais Fit but you know it est effectivement la meilleure, mais elle est bof L’album est assez corny, c’est carrément nul en fait Le chanteur attire quand même la sympathie Get out of my house : beurk 3/10

I love the ambition, I just wish they landed it better. I'm not a fan of this smooth R&B voice chorus they got into. I guess it feels very of its time. Sometimes this narrative thread feels a bit heavy handed too - really hammering home the story in parts and I think the ending(s) are even trying to be moralistic. Like the streets generally and there are a couple of good songs here, but altogether I don't enjoy listening through it

low to mid tier brit rap trash, 85 percent skips. Not worth a listen except for "fit but know it"

Such an odd rap style but I liked it. Empty Cans, Such a Twat, and It Was Supposed to Be so Easy were my faves. Great beats and the rapper's unique rhythm made the album interesting.

My mum often plays Fit but You Know It and has done throughout my childhood, so I feel a sense of nostalgia for that song. It's probably the reason why I think it is slightly less shit than everything else on the album. Guy can't rap. Beats suck too. Horrendous album.

Made the mistake of looking at other reviews first - soooo many people not connecting with this at all 🫣 Blinded by the Lights is an absolute tune and, imo, probably the best ever description of a paranoid clubber's come-up. Live versions I've heard push it even further into spine-tingling big room euphoria. Dry Your Eyes is a great track too, sensitive, vulnerable, inarticulate, stupid. Just like all of us. The Streets sound is an acquired taste. I think at the time I used to enjoy the lyrics but feel bad about many of the the beats. Over time I appreciate it all more in totality, production warts and all. The supposed flaws are all part of it and the complete picture is unmistakably true. It's quite a brave act of self-expression; a worthy capture of working-class British young adulthood at the turn of the millennium. Not Skinner's greatest album but so much more than the 1-star crew will ever understand.

Holy cow this was terrible. White British rap should be shot into the sun. Well at least this album.

Alongside the debut album by the Arctic Monkeys, this is a perfect window into the life of a young man navigating the early 2000s in Britain. If you weren’t there it’s difficult to explain the impact of the Streets on British music. (I actually prefer this to OPM, and feel the tracks are more consistent, but both are perfect records) I suspect the one star reviews are younger people or Americans who didn’t experience this first hand, but to me this is fantastic. One of my favourite albums of the 2000s and never fails to put a smile on my face. 5.

It’s funny with albums that I have saved to my library but have no idea about before I hit play… And then it all came flooding back. Hit me like a Mack truck, actually. And you know to die by your side, well the pleasure, the privilege is mine… oh sorry wrong kitchen sink realism steeped Brit band. The thing is, the Smiths have lyricism, musical competence, and wit. The Streets want those things, and seemingly have them here and there, but rarely together all at once. I remember the first time I heard this album, probably a full decade after it came out. I really wanted to like it at the time. But as it went on, and dragged me with it, I began to have a serious sinking feeling. The weight has not lifted after another decade. I’m not sure I can even go 2. 1 Boolean: false, nope, really didn’t need to hear before I die. Not the first time, not the second.

This was so bad. He sounds white and I mean that in the worst possible way. I will NEVER listen again

”White guys can also do hiphop” especially if they are from the north? Or maybe not. I think not.

Man what the hell 1.2/5

Ugh fuck I hate this sub genre of hiphop

Dizzee Rascal and Slick Rick are proof that the Brits can into Hip Hop and make worthwile stuff, The Streets are proof that they can't. Goddamn what an insufferable and mopey sounding album. Monotone British voice with boring ass beats. The Britishness and Hip Hop of it all mix like oil and water. 52 minutes I'm not getting back, at least I now know better what I don't enjoy.

3.9 2x always liked this since it came out. actually surprised it is in the top 1000, but a good surprise.

Aged like fine milk. Gets an extra star for Fit But You Know It and Dry Your Eyes

I had completely forgotten about the time that my nephew and niece decided to play piano and sing for the family. He couldn't play a note and she couldn't sing to save her life. The I listened to this crap-fest and that cringe memory came back like ptsd. Time to call my therapist. Zero stars

God this was awful

Dude has no sense of pitch or rhythm, the backing tracks sound like cheap keyboard presets, and the writing is like a bad student film about nothing The features are even worse The rhymes are simultaneously obvious and forced They constantly put the emPHAsis on the wrong syLLABle to fit the awkward meter Dictionary Corner-ass flow At its absolute best this album hits an occasional 2.5 but it's endearing in a weird B-movie sorta way

This is the worst album on the list. It's actively insulting to place this alongside To Pimp A Butterfly or Me Against The World. It's a meandering, sing-songy waste of an hour from a guy with no flow, no pitch, and no way with words. I have grown to love it the same way you love a bad movie. This was a fun experience and I am oddly glad to be exposed to this but if I could rate this lower than one I would.

I really really enjoyed this. It's a great storytelling album.

No tiene nada que ver conmigo. Se soporta

absolutely not

i really wasn't a fan of his flow...

Schon iwie weird und am Anfang fand ich den ersten Song direkt kacke, weil die Stimme einfach zu laut und weird ist. Aber i really got into it und hab die Story dann auch iwann richtig gefühlt und v.a. das Ende war dann iwie auch schön

5/10

1.5 - very bad but there is some charm to it

30/05/2026 This album is carried by the one song. Which ironically took me years to even appreciate. This album is piss poor and I could not wait for it to be finished. Spotify listeners: 1.6 million

i feel like i was pranked

Sounds like a Chav from 2007 rapped his livejournal entries, bruv

This is my 844th album on this list, and I think it is the worst so far. Indeed, if a score of 0 was possible, that's what it would get.

What a great album. Just saw it played live too. British rap opera full of humour and emotion.

'My rage is blowing gauges / How long it take to validate your wages?' The Birmingham native Mark Skinner reminds me of the Minnesota rapper Slug from Atmosphere: saccharine tho undoubtedly an impressive songwriter, & this bloke's got humor/irony to boot. The production, ranging from the soft piano tracks that pepper the album & more aggressive ventures, is a true + exciting support system for a network of averages. The whole thing is, in other words, an exploration of life at its most average manifestation. & yet, A Grand Don't Come For Free is a rap opera, & should be judged as such. This means comparing it to the best of the best of that niche, heralded by Prince Paul's A Prince Among Thieves. It's not quite that, & it's a bit dated.

Very creative, pretty heartfelt. That being said, it's more like a spoken word story than a real album. As a storytelling exercise? 2/5, as an album, 0/5. I'll meet in the middle at 1.

Not OPM and pretty crap

Blinded by the lights is the only great song here

que porra é essa filho kkkkkkk caralho que ódio desse site

se esse mano não fosse britânico (e branco) esse álbum entraria na lista? ruim demais. dizem que a narrativa salva, mas é difícil quando tudo nele ficou datado bem rápido.

UK garage and hip-hop built from shuffling beats, cheap keyboard textures, muted samples, and half-spoken vocals unfolds like overhearing someone narrate a minor personal crisis while stumbling between pubs at closing time—mundane and awkward. And while I am used to hearing stuff like that as a psychotherapist, my thoughts for this album are: your whining is putting me to sleep.

The definitive snapshot of growing up in England at the turn of the millennium This came out when I was 18, perennially stoned and surrounded by my mates. We listened to it to death, and listening to it now feels like a comfort blanket Probably my favourite concept album ever. Definitely my favourite British hip hop album. Favourite track: Could well be in

This was easy to rate

A rap opera… interesting. It was kind of weird, a lot of British accented rapping but kind of boring.

Good God, this is awful.

Thickest accent that has ever accented, and cant sing for shit

I really wasn't expecting much from the first song but by the end I was really invested in the narrative being portrayed. Doesn't have a single song that I'd listen to on its own but as a whole the album made me feel things, the moment where Mike finds the money behind the tv really brought it full circle in a way that was super satisfying

album #57 me when my year 3 short story project gets turned into an album. this is a crime LOL. mans is dodging rhythm and tempo like his life depends on it. ꩜ average track rating: 1/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): fit but you know it ꩜ least favourite track(s): everything else LMAO ꩜ album rating: ★☆☆☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,032 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 31 ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 12 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 45

Jeepers a Brit rapper who’s kinda meh

Not my cuppa

Nothing compared to Original Pirate Material

The whole package: out of tempo, out of tune, out of rime, annoying repetitive samples, flat lyrics. 1/10

I can't decide if I like this or not, which might be the highest praise art can receive. It wouudl get a 5 if I could decide I did.

I give Mike Skinner credit for being distinctive: He doesn’t sound like anyone else. The Streets get classified as hip hop, but the speak-sing storytelling set to non-melodic electronic loops and beats certainly doesn’t emphasize rhythm or flow. He’s talented with words, but these tales of clubbing, lad culture, lust and (semi-contemporary) slackerdom leave me culturally disoriented. It feels a little like a musical soundtrack: neither catchy nor danceable, and it doesn’t scratch any kind of personal itch.

Is there a more mundane concept for a thematic album than "guy too dumb to use banks loses a roll of cash in his TV cabinet"? And his clipped delivery shows why there's never been a superstar white British rapper. At least there's almost no misogynistic slurs or general gross sex raps about women, so you get an extra star for that even though I will never listen to this again.

Do I like it, fuck yes. Do I think it’s essential? Fuck no.

============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ------------------THE STREETS----------------- ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- -----------A GRAND DON'T COME FOR FREE-------- ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------(2004)------------------- ============================================== ============================================== -----------------CALIFICACIÓN----------------- --------------------★⯨☆☆☆-------------------- --------------------(1,36)------------------- ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== 1. It Was Supposed to Be so Easy (★⯨☆☆☆) 2. Could Well Be In (★☆☆☆☆) 3. Not Addicted (★☆☆☆☆) 4. Blinded by the Lights (★☆☆☆☆) 5. Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way (★☆☆☆☆) 6. Get Out of My House (★☆☆☆☆) 7. Fit but You Know It (★★⯨☆☆) 8. Such a Twat (★⯨☆☆☆) 9. What Is He Thinking? (★⯨☆☆☆) 10. Dry Your Eyes (★★☆☆☆) 11. Empty Cans (★☆☆☆☆) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE TOTAL 1,5+1+1+1+1+1+2,5+1,5+1,5+2+1 = 15 ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE PROMEDIO 15 / 11 = 1,36 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CALIFICACIÓN FINAL ★⯨☆☆☆ (1,36) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== COMENTARIO -Un pedazo de mierda. Parece un álbum hecho por alguien que no tuvo clases de música básica, o de canto, y aún así se atreve a hacer esta mierda... Un 1 directamente ============================================== ============================================== ==============================================

For all the reviews on here complaining that having a British rapper rapping about everyday issues, I can't help feel that they're of the "girls, bitches and bling" rap crowd. Anything different doesn't feel right. The Streets were never about that. And more power to them. They occupy a niche in rap of storytelling. And it's interesting. That said, he's a whiny storyteller. And there are only a couple of tracks that have anything musically interesting going on. 3

“Wow this sucks” - Me during every single track.

I atarted out hating this album. British rap in a British accent is a tough sell (except for Li’l Sims, who i love). But what these guys lack in musicality, they make up for in storytelling and humor poignancy. I’m not likely to spin this album again, but it earned a 3.

Blinded by the Lights Fit but You Know It Dry Your Eyes

Poetry and storytelling don’t come much better than this outstanding concept album.

Not sure what this guy is. I think it may have worked better as poetry.

We were living in a different era with the rise of the early 2000s brit rap. The Streets were a moment in time you wish you could relive.

1/5

Enjoyed this one. Fun storytelling and music throughout. Liked a lot of the songs including Supposed to be Easy and Such a T.

Not really my thing apart from the hits

1.5/5

I was predisposed to love this - I like British rap, especially grime, I prefer when hip hop is about storytelling rather than disses and brags, and I'm completely on board with the rap opera concept (big fan of Sticky Fingaz's "A Day In The Life" !). With its tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating tone and humorous approach, this album is basically the rap equivalent of a Guy Ritchie movie... which is totally fine by me. It's not perfect, far from it. It's not an easy record to get into, and it can feel disappointing for those who liked his first album. Mike Skinner has a very weird flow, with a monotonous tone and a flat delivery that are only exacerbated here by the almost conversational approach. The beats and samples are very basic, bordering on bland (or even boring), and were the biggest let-down for me. I can totally understand how it could be perceived as low-effort, or even as a parody. However, it grew on me halfway through ("Get Ouf Of My House", "Fit But You Know It" and "Such A Twt" were kind of a golden run). The opera concept absolutely works once you get into it - and realize that it's absolutely not meant to be taken seriously. It's both a strength and a weakness, because it means you MUST listen to it as a full album, otherwise it doesn't make much sense. It's clearly a record that's bigger than the sum of its parts ; by the time it was over, I felt excited enough to overlook its numerous flaws and want to play it again. A subjective 3*, but I'm adding an extra star for the concept alone, because anyone who tries doing things differently deserves credit in my book. And also because all the 1-star reviewers who get weirdly angry over this crack me up, like the album itself. 6+1/10

Unlike the first album, on one listen I find very little vibe that really grabs me. Unlike its predecessor, there is also few about music mix, except the Brit pop “Fit but you know it”. Some tracks start well (“what is he thinking”) but are quickly tiring. No time to get pulled into his opera stories about love and stolen money either. I don’t hate it but listening again his first album, I still believe it was shining more.

Das übliche HipHop-Rap-Gestottere! Nein!

Inte i närheten av debuten som känns mycket angelägnare och punkigare. Men det är fortfarande himla kul, bra lekfulla beats och som ordkonstnär är Skinner väldigt underhållande men saknar dom där superbangersen som fanns på debuten. Det här blir en sämre upprepning av konceptet, men det är ett bra koncept och så vansinnigt befriande i jämförelse med all den amerikanska smörjan.

Gillar verkligen det långsamma och släpiga i The Streets musik. Mer nu än när det släpptes - jag borde ha lyssnat mer på det här. Det Mike Skinner gör är knappt ens rap, det är mer som att han pratar fram sina vardagsnära texter till en nedtonad dov bakgrund av musik. The Streets må kategoriseras som hip hop i min streamingtjänst, men det ovan nämnda och det superbrittiska i tilltalet gör att likheterna är större med Blur och Pulp än Kanye West och Jay-Z. Dry your eyes, Could well be in, Blinded by the light, Fit but you know it och Empty cans är särskilt bra.

Det finns beröringspunkter mellan Streets och samtidiga Jamie T. Båda skildrar ett vardag och uteliv i ett brittisk arbetarklassperspektiv med en blandning av rap och pratsång. Musikaliskt håller jag utan större tvekan den senare högre. Men Streets har absolut sina fördelar. Jag gillar hans skildringar (även om jag ärligt talat inte haft möjlighet att lyssna så noggrant som jag tror albumet förtjänar). Musikaliskt är det inte dåligt men inte heller någon aha-upplevelse.

Det här var inte alls så roligt som jag hoppats på. Nyhetens behag med debuten är helt borta här. Det är egentligen bara den gubbrockiga Fit but you know it som sticker ut.

A few good songs I vibed too but some of it kinda sounded like a parody of itself

From previous reviews it is obvious that I'm not a hiphop enthousiast, so given the very boring musical parts, it is an easy one star album. But this album just sucks on another level. It is amateuristic and even I can hear this man sucks in his rap and singing skills. Not sure what the reason was to add this to the book, but I think somehow the grand from the TV ended up at the author of the book somehow...

Great album. Really enjoyed listening

This is….trash

Worst british rapping ever.

1 out of 5. Genre aside this album just doesn't do it for me. The rapping felt out of time with the beats.

Wife: what are you listening to? Me: it's my album of the day. Wife: why are you still listening? I would've turned this off after 7 seconds. Me: I'm listening to every album. You know, in for a penny, in for a pound. Wife: why are you doing this to yourself? I wouldn't want to start my day listening to this. Me: ok I'll turn it off. Thank you, thank you, this is the next single from my new album, 20 Years of Marriage Don't Come For Free. This album is completely unique to the entire list. Dude's rap game is way out in left field. It took a few listens to grasp but this is pure genius. The end of the something I did not want to end Beginning of hard times to come But something that was not meant to be is done And this is the start of what was

I had this on my iPod for years, because my brother had the CD and I burned it. I always loved the track Blinded by the Lights. Going into this, I wasn’t sure what to expect but I’m really into it. The uniqueness of it alone makes it deserving of being on this list, but I actually find myself compelled by the narrative and wanting to revisit it again. Okay, I thought this was going to be a 3.5 or something, but I have wanted to listen to it over and over again. One of the weirder and cooler (re)discoveries I've made in a long time.

Peak

Damn, that was horrible. I'm so disappointed because I watched a record pick with my favorite Twitch streamer and she recommended this. Oh god, my opinion on her has definitely changed after this. I hate, hate, HATE 'Get Out of My House.' I can't stand it. 'What Is He Thinking' is also a shit song. I can't tell if I hate the instrumental, the vocals, the lyrics, the Britishness of it all, the enunciation, or all of the above. 'Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way' was fine. I actually enjoyed that one, but I could barely get through the rest. 'Dry Your Eyes' borders on listenable, but I don't know if I'm mentally there to actually say that. 'Blinded by the Lights' is another okay song, but that's the most I can compliment this album. I hope I never hear this again. My opinion ranges from 'this is shit' to 'horrible' to 'okish' to 'utter crap' to 'bullshit' again.

I'm taking this as parody because how could it not be. It is so funny to me. This is my first rap opera, so I don't know what a truly good one would sound like, but there's really no part of this that feels like it can be taken seriously, musically. The flow is non-existent and the lyrics are so silly. There's something almost endearing about how goofy this is and I have a soft spot for it. It's also much more entertaining than half of the albums on this list. I honestly wish this music came from a British comedy about an aspiring rapper because I feel like that would be a good and funny show.

I was expecting to enjoy A Grand Don’t Come for Free. But it fell short imo with better rap operas and UK rappers out there.

This was weird

Yenno I respect the fact that this is here. UK rap is such a different bread of rap than what most of us know and love. One, they have the accent... and two they rap overtop of the beat like they don't know its there, well atleast Mike Skinner does on A Grand Don't Come For Free. I'm giving this an extra star for the fact that its a concept album and that he tells a story. But honestly, you're shitting yourself Mike if you think I'm gonna hone in on what you are saying when you sound like a slam poet who continuously scores last place at each and every slam poetry event you attend. Give me the spark notes on this shit and I'd be much better off than listening to him warble on. I was curious to hear some of his other tunes, another reviewer suggested checking out Original Pirate Material, and although it sounded similar, it was loadddssss better than this shit. (still not my cuppa tea ;)). Anyways, love the diversity, love deepening my musical knowledge and depth. But I will not return again to A Grand Don't Come for Free, and I will never find out why there was a grand hidden behind your TV... You're welcome for the 2/5 Mike. 3/10

Lots of fun and very different - I imagine this album is nostalgic if you grew up in Britain in the noughties! Enjoyed the listen

Easy nostalgic listen - wish I could post the Tandrews gif in this box.

Solid probably lifted to a 4 by a handful of bangers and their live performances.

The production on this is janky and poorly mixed, the rapping is off beat and at times more like bad spoken word, the singing is out of tune, and yet, I like it. I don’t know how Mike Skinner does it.

Great story telling and a unique sound. Some great songs but a lot of okay ones.

Listen, when it comes to hip hop, i generally come from the side of the music. I don't mean it has to be perfect, or that the rapping doesn't matter (of course it does), but for me first of all it has to sound good. On this project, it usually doesn't sound very good. The beats try to do something interesting at time, but don't really nail it. My ear couldn't really focus on the lyrical content without compelling music. I can tell that there is passion here, and lots of intent. (Somehow it got interesting and somewhat touching in the last minutes of the record there) Sadly, it's not for me. Really... 2.3.

Such a weird album. The only good thing about it is the remix of Blinded by the Lights that Nero did…I was finkin’

My God, what are we doing here? What is the genre The Streets represents for this book? Is this supposed to be such a crucial album that everyone must hear it? If so, why? The flow isn't great, the beats are not that great, and this is a concept album about falling in love and losing $1000. This has to be an album that was huge in Britain and that's the reason it was included in the book. I can't think of another reason. This album is like a parody of white boy rap music. It's Malibu's Most Wanted: London Edition. It's like an entire album of the song Parklife by Blur. I felt like he was going to start rapping about pigeons in the park. It's not even rapping! It's talking over a beat. This was not great.

Was looking forward to this album. Definitive British album, and an album of its time. Was somewhat disappointed with it though overall. Not a bad album but some shit songs interspersed with good ones.

Great storytelling, couldn't tell if I enjoyed musically

Whatever humor there might have been did not translate for the simple fact that the music and especially the rapping was like nails on chalkboard. My least favorite of this project so far.

Clever story line running through this, quite humorous but definitely of a time and certain scene. I’m not a big lover of hip hop but I’d rate this better than most

Bollocks, innit?

For me this album is exactly why this project is great, something completely removed from what I’d normally listen to, but still a really interesting listen. The album really transports you to a very particular time and place. The sort of chav/rave culture of the late 90s early 00s. Which, although I never belonged to, is immediately identifiable to any brits. I imagine this album is not great for the non-brits. The lazy, very speech like, rapping, the references and turns of phrase, the off pitch singing and blaring, in-your-face instrumentals all really work to immerse you into the setting. I found the story of the concept album really captivating. Although it certainly isn’t a grand narrative it’s a very relatable slice of life, told in a very witty and very human way by a pov character who is a bit of a knob, but isn’t pretending not to be. It kind of reminds me of the cult classic Human Traffic, which is a weird 90s movie about the uk rave scene. So yeah the musicality of the album isn’t particularly strong but I think that adds to the experience. I don’t see myself ever listening to this again but I really enjoyed the time I had with it. 3.5 but we’ll round up.

Wishes they were eminem

I'd've heard a few The Streets songs before, so I knew what to expect. Pretty decent album overall innit bruv

This is a hip hop hate crime.

The rap sounds like ramblings most of the time. The instrumentation is decent on a few songs, but then it's still really simple and repetitive. Even the singing is awkward some of the time.

One extra star for being a little different and semi-interesting, but not really anything I would choose to listen to.

Musically this isn’t my favourite, but I always like a good story-telling album, plus the Englishness/kitchen sink realism is up my Street(s).

I enjoyed Original Pirate Material when it came out. It was fun and had a certain mockney charm. This however is dog shit. It feels like a parody of Mike Skinner.

Ten seconds into the first track and I already take back all the other 1 star ratings I’ve ever given. I don’t know if I can listen to this whole thing. Halfway thru Fit but You Know It and I’m starting to wonder if this isn’t the rap version of Bad News (the lads from Young Ones doing a Spinal Tap version of the worst rock band in the world). Like, it’s gotta be taking the piss, right? It can’t honestly be this bad accidentally. Can it? Yeah. No. This is pure garbage. Holy shit.

One of the strangest albums I've ever listened to, but it's kinda catchy

Who is this even for?

Stayed for “Fit but You Know It” but that’s it. Not my fave.

Did not like any part of the music, voice, lyrics, mixing. I didn't make it through a single song

The album got better as it went on. Such an interesting sound.

Better than I expected. The reviews on this are delicious

I’ve still yet to listen to a British male rapper that’s actually good. These lyrics are just so eye roll-able. What is his obsession with being off beat? It gets annoying when he raps off beat the whole album.

Honestly I was contemplating giving it a 2 for the better half of the album but the story ended up going nowhere in my opinion- and it’s not nearly as good as dizzee rascal!! This is like boy in the corner with LESS flow and LESS cool

I'm hungover and wish that this album would "Get out of My Ears". Yes, you see what I did there. Blinded by The Lights is the only saving grace about The Streets' sophomore album, but it's not enough to reward it with two stars.

The guy is a great storyteller and the subject matter is often pretty comical. Favorite track: Fit But You Know It

Man, I really have a soft spot for this album. And (dare I say it?) this might just be the one true great concept album where the music doesn’t suffer in the name of making the storyline cohesive. Every track is a banger, and the scenes it creates are so relatable.

Tydligen är jag ett The Streets-fan! Väldigt distinkt sound och känsla. Men deras superhit Fit But You Know It är rätt tröttsam vid det här laget

Låter ofta inte bra i någon traditionell mening, men det har verkligen något för mig!

Vet inte om jag borde eller inte borde gilla detta men tycker det är skitsnyggt o smart rätt igenom. Kul grej!

Intressant, men inte fullt av bangers direkt.

This is hands down one of of the worst albums I have heard in my entire life... I cannot begin to fathom how this got added onto this list. It sounds like a shitpost, or like a garageband demo track your friend made in an hour. Every song is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO slow, they are usually only around 4 minutes long, but they are so boring they all feel like they are 8+ minutes. Blinded by the lights has some of the most annoying synths and no song structure, progression, or climax. It is just verse -> verse -> verse -> verse -> end. In fact every song has this structure. OHHH MYYYY GOOOOOODDDDDDD!!!!! I CANNOT STAND THIS MONOTONE DUDE DRONE ON FOR ANOTHER SECOND!!!!!!!!!!! HE CANNOT RAP, HE HAS ONE FLOW, AND HE STILL FUMBLES HIS WAY THROUGH IT!!!!! HE IS BASICALLY JUST RHYTHMICALLY TALKING!!!!!!!!! IS THERE A SINGLE SONG ON THIS ALBUM THAT HAS A CHORUS?!?!?!?! IT JUST FEEL LIKE THE DUDE TALKS FOR TWO LINES AND THEN A GUEST VOCALIST WILL SING TWO LINES AND THEN IT REPEATS FOR AN ETERNITY!!!!!! WHERE IS THE STRUCTURE???? WHERE IS PROGRESSION?????? WHERE ARE THE DYNAMICS???????? Get Out of My House is baby's first arpeggiator. I can't believe this got onto this list, basically just because he is British, but there is no Death Grips, Tyler the Creator, or Mos Def. THE LOWEST 1 IMAGINABLE!!!!!!

Imagine putting this on the list over original pirate material. skinner absolutely shat the bed with this album. One of the biggest cases of second album syndrome

It’s pretty mind blowing how horrible this is.

tranquilo

Dashcam music

When the British stole from Black American Blues artists decades ago, it was an honoring of a form of art that was under appreciated by Americans. This seems like it was an attempt to make money after listening to one of two examples of Hip Hop from American culture. This was dull, and has no place on this list.

Volvemos hoy a un género que en un momento del reto apareció mucho y hace mucho no se me sugería. Va bien como música de fondo, con la particularidad de que es un inglés rapeando. Nada más para agregar. Nos vemos el viernes.

Hmmm, Brit rap/hip hop just ain't for me.

The best part of this album was when they weren't singing. I feel like this is either a parody album, or people are really into English people who can't really sing. The whole album was just all over the place - the instrumental was not too bad, and whenever they were talking, it was decent, but whenever people tried singing, it was not the most pleasant experience. I think that you would maybe get used to listening to it after tens of listens, but that's the same as saying that you'll get used to being underwater for longer if you just keep forcing it. Overall, very meh, and I can maybe imagine people back in 2004 appreciating this but they didn't really have a lot of proper entertainment back then.