A Grand Don't Come For Free

Interesting concept, and a completely unfamiliar album for me. I don't plan on listening to it again. Nor do I plan to adopt "Fair Play" as a saying, as featured in every song.

Overall was just dreadful, barely gets to 2-stars for originality

This isn't the worst album in the world but it has no business on this list. None. There are so many great bands with no albums on this list and we get this nonsense instead. I'm giving it a 2 because it's not it's fault it's on this list and it's not totally unlistenable (unlike Robert Wyatt who remains the garbage barometer to which all other albums on this list are still compared) but its still just completely forgettable. Maybe just change the name to 1001 greatest albums as they occur to a British guy.

It's possible this Just Wasn't My Thing(tm), but besides a track or two, nothing really stuck with me.

don't hate it, don't love it 5/10

clunky

Starting out I thought "well I've never heard something quite like this before" and was slightly taken with the unfolding story. As the album went on, not evolving into anything, you know, better or more interesting, and the "concept" likewise offering nothing of substance, I slipped from mild curiosity to disinterest to active dislike. Unfortunately even the moments of valid, wry social commentary sink under the stilted delivery. On a little bit of a second listen maybe that's a little harsh, but man, this isn't good.

Some fun talk singing here. Lyrics are fun and musically it’s like if Ross from Friend’s had talent. 2.5 goin fown.

Not really for me at all. BUT, another reviewer claims that Original Pirate Material is good though. Maybe I'll listen to that. Empty Cans reminds me of Postal Service

This shit is hilarious and it really saves the entire album, can't really hate an album when you are smiling through the entire thing because of the immense amount of british energy. (Would be a sin to give this more than two stars tho.)

Did not love this album. Sounds like it had a big grime influence though. Its giving a British football lad taking the piss out of rap on a microphone in the pub. And maybe that’s the point?

Rap in slo-mo.

Haven't checked out OPM which might be a better place to start, but idk

I feel like I need to listen to the actual story of the album

It's pretty bad. Maybe can see how this was influential, love the subject matter but the voice is just too grating and uneven. Loaded with dense slang and British street scum vibes that I could maybe appreciate if I didn't have no context for it. Musically it's meh and the recording quality is also meh.

I was avoiding this album. The streets are so uniquely British that I have no way of really understanding how this is supposed to be listened to. That being said it's incredibly well produced and the lyrics and sounds of life are quite effective. But it all just comes off as a really corny musical. Feels very much outside looking in and really inauthentic. But maybe that's how British listen to rap?

I'll never understand The Streets' appeal. Maybeyou have to be British to get it, idk. Musically it's fine but not stellar. File under "Not for Me" but also not wretched. 2.5

Didn't like it that much

Fit But You Know It and Dry Your Eyes were massive when this album came out Would I enjoy the rest of this album? No, no I would not 2 stars for those songs The rest of this is the sound of the guy I walk away from in the pub

The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free Apparently this is one of the best rap albums of the year according to critics, even though Madvillainy was also made that same year... As a hiphop fan, that first song really gave a bad impression to what I was about to listen, thankfully though, the second half made the album a little bit more bearable to listen. Lyrically speaking, this album tells an interesting story, and while it sounded good on paper, the execution on it was not very good. His rapping was very monotous and didn't have much substance, considering that at that time even british rappers were able to sound interesting, while telling great stories as well. At least the lyrics save this album from being bad otherwise, because this album is, okay... 1.- It Was Supposed to Be so Easy = 3/10 2.- Could Well Be In = 6/10 3.- Not Addicted = 5/10 4.- Blinded by the Lights = 7/10 5.- Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way = 6/10 6.- Get Out of My House = 4/10 7.- Fit but You Know It = 7/10 8.- Such a Twat = 5/10 9.- What Is He Thinking? = 7/10 10.- Dry Your Eyes = 8/10 11.- Empty Cans = 8/10 FINAL SCORE = 6/10

Immediately no...

I have a lot to say about this one. I was warned that there was a comically bad album coming, and during the first track, I knew it was this one. By the end of the first track, I was laughing at how absurd and disjointed it sounded. But then the underlying instrumental started getting catchier. And after reading on Wikipedia that this was designed to tell a story, I started paying closer attention as each song progressed. Even though this album is horrible from a musical perspective, it ended up keeping me engaged more than any 1 I've heard on this list. And that has to count for something.

This was a toss up between 1 and 5. Each track from the start, what style is this? Is it a hip hop variant? Is it some EDM/drum and bass thing? Spoken word, atonal verses with a vocoder, story telling, it was odd but somehow enjoyable. Get Out Of My House pushed it to the good side, but even if I liked what they were doing, it was repetitive with all 11 tracks being essentially the same shtick.

I remember listening to this for the first time when it came out and thinking it might be a modern classic. A concept album for beginners; pretty straightforward story, easy to follow, written in modern English and sprinkled with humour. With a happy ending, to boot. A fairly accurate snapshot of life in 2004. Not my life, though. The humdrum life of a bored druggie whose daily highlights include monging out on the sofa, cheating on his girlfriend and getting into drunken scraps on a night out. Listening to it 20 years on, unfortunately all I can muster is cringe. It has not aged well. Even the beats and Mike's rapping at one time seemed fresh and a bit different but in the cold light of day you have the sound of someone who can't rap, talking through the tracks with poor sense of rhythm and a lack of poetic nuance. He even struggles to hit some notes within his own songs. It's your song. Why not change the pitch instead of just accepting that you'll sing it badly?? Fit But You Know It was always the most fun moment, a bit of a working-class 'Parklife' for the garage generation, but its inane lyrics have caught up with it and rendered it skippable. I'm embarrassed to risk my children hearing this album, sadly. I can't slate it completely because it was something at the time, but that moment has passed and it's something different now. Something I don't really care to listen to anymore.

• 2/5 • I like this genre of hip hop. I don’t like this album. • The tracks generally have good beats, hooks and production • The flow, when its not strained, is pedestrian • The lyrics bounce between insipid and inane. The tracks are reminiscent of Kate Tempest, but he’s no poet . . .

Really just some Cockney guys kind of talking. Doesn’t really make for a good album.

Awww, baby's first mixtape! The beats are amateur, the spitting sucks, the lyrics bore. Dry Your Eyes was a bright spot, and Empty Cans was a nice narrative payoff for enduring that drag.

Looking back on yesterday’s listen and this album didn’t leave much of an impression on me at all. Not terrible, but I couldn’t relate to much of the subject matter and remember thinking this is kinda lame…

Interesting lyrics but his voice lacks emotion.

Mid?

I don't like his quirky delivery, but an okay British hiphop album. 2.5 stars

What is this? lol

Great story, average music, terrible vocals. It ended up being easier to just read lyrics to all the songs intead of listening to them. I don't think that's a sign of good album.

nah sorry Ill give a 2 for the benefit of the doubt bc I didn't try with this album

weird

From his rented room in Brixton, London, Mike Skinner championed the underground garage sound and furthered UK hiphop on his first album Original Pirate Material. It was here that the Streets would become a focal point for modern UK hiphop, particularly in the 2000s. Those outside of urban UK centers may not be familiar with the subculture, but I was provided a primer via BBC3's comedy mocumentary People Just Do Nothing, which somehow landed on Canadian Netflix. Having binged the series a few years ago, the underground UK intersection of EDM and hiphop exposed me to garage, jungle, and grime. Skinner comes directly from this subculture and understands the importance as an MC in a country where hiphop is not nearly as dominant as the US. Regardless, the importance of Original Pirate Material cannot be understated as a product of the urban UK subculture. A Grand Don't Come For Free is the follow-up album. The Streets puts more focus on purely hiphop rather than pushing garage alongside it. It highlights Skinner's delivery on the mic which is, uh, distinct. Not only does his chav accent particularly prominent throughout, but his flow comes across as clumsy and unrefined as he struggles through each bar. At times it seems almost comedic, as if Skinner is purposefully delivering his lines like that for a laugh. I can't say for certain if he's playing a character or not, but A Grand Don't Come For Free does not land for me as a hiphop album.

Another one I haven't ever heard of. Brittish rap? This intro on the first track is cool. Yeah I don't know. It was okay. 2 Stars.

Rap opera concert gone wrong??? Was very strange listen, did not enjoy

Pretty o.k. and listenable for a hip-hop album. Strong two stars. 2,5

After the first couple of tracks, I found myself scratching my head. I couldn't tell if the frontman was rapping or conversing. But the whole discussion he was having with his girlfriend in "Get Out Of My House" was quite annoying. Although the album doesn't have to be completely relevant to me in every way for me to enjoy it, I had a hard time to connecting to this. There's a joke about "Cotton-Eye Joe" is what would happen if you give a redneck meth and a drum machine. This felt like if you gave a limey a pint of Guinness and a drum machine. NEXT. Top track: "Blinded By The Lights"

Fit but You Know It is great, but the rest is just okay. The style is definitely unique for its vintage, but I honestly wasn't excited when The Streets came out, and I'm still not.

Every song by the streets…….woke up, went to the pub, saw a bloke I didn’t want to, took some drugs, watched the football, did some gambling, went home, had a row with my girlfriend, went to bed sad…….is that relatable?….i feel like it should more be, woke up, did park run, had a coffee, went to a natural, organic wine bar, had a lovely pet nat, walked home, had a herbal tea, watched strictly, laughed with my wife, went to bed indifferent……. I can’t be the only one? Surely? It’s just lazy! Sounds like some bloke in a cap down the pub that’s had one too many callings and spotted the karaokes set up but thought they’d do ‘their own stuff’. 2.2

It's notable mainly for it's concept, telling the mundane story, which is probably an accurate account of inner city Britain, with each song recalling an event, much like a chapter in a novel. Unfortunately, the record just plain doesn't work, mainly because of the really annoying vocals/rap/singing clashing with the ok-ish musical segments. One of the pitfalls of technology is its accessibility, which means any old plonk can come along and record a record in their flat, regardless of actual musical/vocal ability. The net result being a dire release such as this, which bafflingly, people actually bought. An extra star for the vision and ambition, sadly not realised in the end product.

Poor loved the first album, however this was mushy and musically dull.

Interesting in that it's a concept album, so worth a listen right? Well, it's a bit too whiney and wasn't all that interesting. 1.5

Never really got it, and now I can see why. It's self-congratulatory, indulgent, and overly impressed with itself in a humble-brag kind of way, and "Fit but You Know It" sounds like an incel's cry for help now. "Blinded by the Lights" is admittedly pretty good. BUT, I do like the skag-addled Britrap that The Streets inspired: Sleaford Mods and Benefits, which are much more socially switched-on and authentically grimy.

Never understood the hype here… sorry

I’m with the Americans. This is pretty dreadful. Managed half but that was enough, perhaps unfairly. I don’t hate it at all, I really like Skinner as a person and I like how he captured that entire time and generation. Tells a good story about mundane life as a youngun in the early 00s, and everything sounds incredibly authentic and from the heart. It just really, really isn’t for me. Borderline novelty at times.

I'm with Graeme and the Yanks here - I really didn't enjoy this. Too abrupt and caustic. Repetitive, his delivery is exactly the same for every song and I don't find his lyrics particularly interesting or entertaining. Fit But Don't You Know It is fine, I suppose, but only because of nostalgia. +1 nostaliga points.

Lucky to get 2 stars for this mostly shit effort

Below average concept with a horrible execution. WASPY dude rapping off beat on some average at best beats isn't a recipe for success.

I spent the 2000s in the UK and I kinda remember the short lived belief that a new genre had been invented. Aged pretty badly. A couple high points, but These guys would probably prefer to be left off of the list so this embarrassing album could be forgotten

It could be better if every song was about a minute shorter. I see what it's going for, it's just not enjoyable

Nice concept to tell a story but pretty boring to listen to. Dry your eyes mate, there’s plenty more music to enjoy elsewhere.

I remember listening to mostly the two hits of that album „Fit but You Know It“ and „Dry Your Eyes“ as a teenager and was excited to listen to the whole album again, but to be honest: Almost every other song didn‘t excite me very much. It‘s mostly a british dude talking over some badly aged beats. Maybe you need to be british to feel it.

The best of the tracks sound like something a stand-up comedian who also makes music might write, but more professional. The rest are just mediocre pop-rap about relationships.

WOW, this is unique. Afraid it's gonna become redundant sounding tho... 2 stars

# Playlist track - Fit But You Know It # Notes - One of the worst albums I've ever heard. - Opening track would be enough to make me quit the entire album if I wasn't listening for this project. One of the worst chorus ever. - Pretty much every track flows in a weird way, but not like in a cool broken-but-it-makes-sense like in some prog rocks and jazz. Just wonky. - The only reason this album gets one star is because there are some very interesting beats scattered throughout. It's just a shame that we cannot enjoy them without the horrible vocals laid on top.

An extra star for the attempt to tell a coherent story. But every other aspect is just awful.

Muito ruim 👎

Sigh. No. Sterile. Passionless. Dull.

I discovered The Streets when, on spec, I bought a 7” single of When You Wasn’t Famous, off their 3rd album, The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living (2006)from the discount bin at Redeye Records. So I didn’t know the A Grand Don’t Come For Free CD (2004) until I found it in an op-shop much later. I have to say that the opening track, It Was Supposed To Be So Easy, is very reminiscent of When You Wasn’t Famous. I had not played A Grand etc. for years & I have to say that I don’t think it’s aged well. Mike Skinner’s voice & delivery are just a bit too repetitive for me.

I am actually having a very difficult time rating this one. I've only listened to it all the way through one time. Through so much of it, I was thinking "I do not like this." I don't dislike the sort of "awkward speaking" style of rap(especially with his accent,) and I think it gives the album a lot of character that I really did like. The concept wasn't even bad! I'd assume it hits much harder if you're from the UK. The last song, where it presents 2 resolutions to the narrative is really clever, and emotionally affecting in a way, it was the best one on the album by far for me. But there's something about the album that stopped me from being all in. I love sort of funny but emotionally raw rap. I love concept albums. I even love it when rappers are British. But I don't know... felt like there was something on every track that annoyed me. The beats... nothing to write home about, man, I don't know. Got too repetitive. Overuse of hooks. I was doing some research on this and everyone seems to love it. I think I really just must be missing something here. Maybe it takes a few tries. On first impression though, I'm just not completely sold.

Great album cover, but too bad it houses shit music I want nothing to do with.

just can't get into the purposefully off-beat rapping and somewhat out of tune tone of voice 😭 the only songs i tolerated were "get out of my house" and "fit but you know it" (which i had heard before and thought was kind of funny), and "dry your eyes". i definitely see the comedic appeal in some of these songs (is that the goal? to be funny? or do i just think British accents are funny when paired with rapping?) but it's just not that enjoyable for me to listen to especially not the entirety of the album. i gave each song a chance but ended up skipping all of them partway through.

BORING

Not really my style but I can understand why it’s liked it is goodly executed and i like the accent

This was a rough, rough listen for me. Didn't jive with my morning, didn't catch me. I appreciate the art behind the story, and I don't mind concepts.

I remember when that came out, and I don’t remember liking it then. So not much has changed.

A very British rap album. Not particularly good but at least not full of violence and misogyny in every track.

Non parte bene. Dovrebbe essere un'opera corale, ma il trait-d-union è che tutte le canzone sono dimenticabili. Si salva "Fit but you know it"

2 cause i was entertained

My people failed me

Parts of this album were 0/5 and parts were 4/5. An interesting listen.

WTF was that? I understand that it was supposed to be a story of some sort but that may have been the most ridiculous thing I have ever listened to. Going to give it a 2 because it made me laugh at some points because of how strange it was

I thought it was just another hidden, unknown British stuff that is so common on the 1001 list. Indeed, it is, but I liked the concept of rap opera, so I'll give it credit.

Listened Before? N What an odd little record. Never thought I'd listen to a white guy with a cockney accent rap for an hour but here we are. I do love a concept album but I can't identify with this one. I think I'll give this one a miss for the rest of my life. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Blinded by the Lights

Cockney guy reads the diary of his boring and pointless life in a rhythmless monotone over sick beats. Gave it an extra star because it is truly like nothing I've heard before.

L'histoire de l'album est marrante mais difficile a suivre quand tu fais autre chose

This is definitely better than a lot of the reviews, but more from the, I like the concept and the story more than musically this is interesting and complex. I only knew the song Fit and You Know It from this. That’s the best track by leaps and bounds because it has a good chorus. This is basically spoken word, and it never evolves or really gets going. I wonder what this would be like with someone talented rapping it.

Really starting to question some of these choices. At first, I almost thought it was a parody album. Maybe it's just not being immersed in UK rap culture.

This is going to sound stupid and contradictory given I love the song Blinded by the Lights, but I appreciate it’s a concept album made for entertainment but it comes across as so disingenuous, it may well all be true but it feels very fake. But Blinded by the Lights is cracking, I can’t reiterate this enough

Everything, from the flow to the beats to the features, was laughably bad. I couldn't take this seriously. Edit -- While this was bad, it was fun to listen to. Bumping to 2.

Nice concept, good listen at parts, funny here and there. But when he sings it drives me mad. Tough to get through overall.

Just when I start thinking \"okay this track isnt so bad\", it gets terrible. If it wasnt for the track Dry Your Eyes, this would be a 1 star

No more rap, please. Eps! This is a little bit more elegant!

This is fairly awful, although some of the lyrics are amusing.

I see what the dudes shooting for but musicals are already bad and with what seems to be a sorry attempt and masking low effort and something artistic, this is still just bad

Not for me

A lot of the beats are very stripped down and dated. It hits its stride here and there, but I think what really ruins this for me is when the vocalist(s) sing along with these crude, dated synth melodies. It's absolutely unmusical. I friggin hate it.

Riktigt unikt album med två helt mixade sounds som kanske inte är mixade av en anledning 💀

Lyrics w attitude. Musically not interesting to me

This man just whined for an hour and I listened to it all. He has no flow it’s like listening to Christopher walken rapping

maybe the worst hip hop album i have ever heard

The Streets va ici réaliser son rêve d'enregistrer un album entier sans aucune préparation ni matériel ni technique ni rien du tout.

Très touchant de la part de Robet d'avoir donné sa chance au foyer pour jeunes de sa ville, malheureusement leur présence dans les 1001 albums est difficile à justifier.

I feel like this could have been a great album, but the jerky lyrics and off-key singing just took me out of it.

It was kinda alright. Loved fit but you know it though

Вообще не мой жанр

Not for me

Joe Fazer gym influencer type puhevika kaveril Hyviä kappaleita ja hyvä että uskalletaan pitää oma soundi.. siitä propsit.... Edelleen syntymävuosi häpäistään.... se harmillista..

Lots of VERY off-time rapping. Is it intended to sound amateurish and shitty? I really can’t tell. I do appreciate the narrative nature of the album, so it’s at least interesting enough to warrant an extra star for that.

I have to admit, I don't think I get The Streets. You would think that if you are adopting this arrhythmic, monotonous flow, you would compensate with witty lyrics or intelligent writing.

First time with this album and I can't help that I'm missing something from the early '00s zeitgeist to completely understand. After listening, I put on the Streets first album Original Pirate Material and things made more sense. The first album was clearly UK garage/grime and carried well versed wordplay. This sets up the second album as a more ambitious undertaking, a spoken word concept album. While impressive in concept, I felt the album falls flat, especially when you see what Mike Skinner is capable of as an artist. Wordplay feels stretched and hollow. Tracks often feel like the non musical interludes in the Wall, hokey and forced. There are highlights on the album. I enjoyed Fit but you know it and the immediate follow, Such a Twat. The final track is one of the better tracks as well and does a nice job of wrapping up the story. I don't regret listening and will likely listen to other albums from the Streets but I can't say I enjoyed this album.

I think I would enjoy this more if I were British but I dk how to classify this album

Ikkje så bra, men kudos for at dei holdt seg til 50 min

The lyricism, the flow, the clever rhymes just are not there, but this is an interesting concept. This may be the most British thing I've ever heard.

I had a feeling the final album I reviewed on my 1001 journey was going to be something mediocre from the UK. Turns out I was wrong. It was a downright cringe worthy album from the UK. Alas, it was statistically inevitable. Not with a bang but a whimper...

Just not a lot to like here. Beats are off and the rapping leaves a lot to be desired.

Not my music. I liked one song and stoped the record after 2/3.

cool idea with a fairly mediocre execution. some of the lyrics were funny at least

I enjoyed listening to something so different but the music didn't click with me.

More spoken word than rap in my mind. Good story, good beats, but nothing I need to listen to again. Really didn't need to listen to it in the first place.

Não terminei de ouvir, não fez muito meu estilo…

Just an odd cadence, and the lyrics don't really resonate with me. Most of the beats on the album are lacking as well. Not a completely terrible album, but also just not very good. 2/5 Won't listen again

If Lin Manuel Miranda wrote a Skins musical

Only English rapper I like is Slick Rick. This……is not Slick Rick.

I should be the perfect demographic for this: white boy, into hip hop, taking pills, pulling girls, drinking beers, early 20s when this came out. So theoretically it should speak to me… And while it is a cool concept, and I did listen a few times… GOSH, the delivery is annoying.

Just ok

I really don’t think you could make a more stereotypically British LP (derogatory)

I just don't get The Streets...I try and try, but it just always falls really flat for me. 2/5

20/04 all skin

I really don't like The Streets. I don't like the rhymes, the vocal, the flow, the themes, the music, the fake amateurism, the sexism. It should be a 1 but I'll give it an extra point for the pure commitment to being consistently crap throughout.

Wtf is happening. The first song doesn't sound like it is supposed to be good. Probably british humour? It seems people like it. It really is not my cupa tea. 2/5

I'm not really a fan of spoken word I guess

A Grand Don't Come For Free sounds like exactly what the early 00s in England on the streets would have sounded like, think very much like Ali G. The concept is sound, and thematically fits in well to the genre of spoken word rap with heavy regional English accent. It's a nice change to the generic-ness of American rap, but can be a little jarring if you can't really decipher the accent. The huge hit of Fit but You Know It couldn't bump up the rating much further. Best: Fit but You Know It Worst: Empty Cans

Nope

I've found the concept story interesting but I don't like how the band executed it. Musically it is way too boring, simplistic as an album and I didn't care for the rapping either.

It's a weird album. I just didn't get into it. It's British hiphop but it doesn't really come across well. The beats seemed simplistic and the lyrics were meh. I have no desire to listen to it again or explore more music by this group.

det här var lite weird. jag fattar nånstans att det här kan vara bra och säkert nyskapande men för mig var det dåligt.

Very British. Wanted to give it 1 but it took balls to make this

I do actually feel bad for not being able to take this seriously

I feel like this is just a British wutang album. Meaning a different but similar style could've worked here. But after all said and done, too cringy

Ugh

bad everything. brutal 50 minutes. i can't wait to forget about this album. not bad enough for a 1 (which makes it worse in a way) and I never want to see or hear about this again. thanks, o'british guy.

Original Pirate Material should have been on this list instead, this was bloody rubbish innit. FS: Dry Your Eyes

This is the least-cool thing I have ever heard. I think that's supposed to be the point, but it still doesn't make me want to listen to this.

choto

This was the moment when I realised that I was no longer in touch with contemporary culture.

I had high hopes when I read the album description. The story was interesting but I really didn’t like this guys flow and rhymes. Just grating and weak

Great now I know what it would be like if Sleaford Mods was a sad boy band. Rubbish.

DNF

Hard to do a full album

Inspiring lyrics, but not.

I remember enjoying their debut but man did this suck. The production sounds so dated and the vocals are awful for almost every track - the two big singles are the only ones that actually sound decent

Mielenkiintoista genrekikkailua, mut ei mulle.

This first track is not good. This is almost too British for hip-hop. It feels like his flow and rhyme scheme are super rudimentary and like he started rapping about a year before this album at best. Some lines feel like they were written by a 40-year-old boardroom guy who only knows that you rhyme in rap and that is it. I really hate the way he does an asynchronous speaking voice over the beat that just seems like he is talking over the beat and not trying to follow. Sometimes the production is good, but other times it is just super generic. I'm trying to see hear what his influences are, but it's so hard to really pick one out. I guess E40 but that is only because he doesn't rap on beat a lot (and it sucks). He has the talent, but the sound he has on this album is just not hitting me. I feel like there isn't much energy behind this. I think this is just a high 2/5 Not a fan of this. And I like a lot of hip hop

Not my style, though there were a couple great songs

Wow. The fuck is this? White British garageband rap? Nah.

3/10. So, the sound of this is like a 1/10 for me, just felt like spoken word over beats that were usually pretty irritating to me. That said, I enjoyed the rambling, moralizing story of the lyrics, and I enjoyed the humorous tone. But goddamn I never want to hear this again.

https://youtu.be/EHUeUk9dJc0 3/10

Bri'ish

Gar nicht mal so gut gealtert, auch nicht das damals allgegenwärtige Fit But You Know It.

This sounds like an album Naboo and Bollo would make together

I imagine this is the equivalent to Rebecca Black learning to rap from Peppa Pig’s brother. Horrendous. The beats, which are not too bad with their piano focus, cannot make this easier to listen to.

Rather painful to get through, the rapping skills were essentially non-present

I've never heard of The Streets before or any of the tracks on a A Grand Don't Come For Free. I made it through the album. I was not a fan of the talking, talking, talking over slow beats. I quickly began to ignore the lyrics as much as I could - so many f-bombs and content that I couldn't relate to. I can't imagine deciding to listen to this again. ¿I didn't hate it?

Chav Macklemore without the benefit of good beats

I get the storytelling part, but the music itself is not my kind of taste.

2/11, 18%

This album is really difficult to rate. On one hand it's one of the worst things I've ever heard. The vocal melodies and lyrics sound like they were written and delivered by an absolute dimwit and the music is overall terrible. However, there is something somehow charming about this massive simpleton character trying to communicate his very basic thoughts and feelings by recording noises and sounds. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Dry Your Eyes Date listened: 21/03/23

Listened on NME 500. Not my fav.

There are a lot of different styles of music but I did not know there were rap concept albums. Half way through, I came up with a name for the genre: "art hop". Then I checked wiki and the genre listed is "rap opera". Yeah OK that's a good one too. Rap is spoken word and words spoken with an English accent always sound a bit more sophisticated. But only a bit.  If I wanted to invest time understanding this my rating might be higher, but I just don't want to invest in this one. Now if the genre was called art hop, it would be a different story.

This is an interesting concept, and I hear the roots of dub step forming. Unfortunately I didn't have the time or patience to listen carefully to the story that he was weaving so I let it play in the background. As background music it got pretty boring fast though as there's not a lot of variety going on here.

People from England will defend this album until their last breath. Neither the music nor the story arc were interesting at all though. Favorite track: What Is He Thinking?

Some individual songs are great (Dry your eyes, fit but you know it) but overall its just too similar for me to enjoy more than 1 song at a time.

Eh, I don't rate this. In theory narrative-focused hip-hop with a regional UK accent should be right up my alley, but in practice it's just not done well enough. The rhyme schemes and rhythms are basic, and not because it's elegantly simple. (Also, the chap is from Wolverhampton but sings in mockney 😠 ) I have no enthusiasm for giving this a second listen. Fave track - "Blinded By The Lights" for the storytelling, I guess...

Not my thing. Just don't get the vocal style at all.

Kuuntelin tätä aikoinaan muutaman kerran ja totesin, et niitä kahta hittiä lukuunottamatta aika lame

First impression is dogshit. Has a bit of naive art charm but the beats are horrible. The last song is decent - maybe the terribleness of the beginning of the album is meant to show character growth? Not gonna give it the benefit of the doubt - 2 stars

Really weak. Very little to like

2.5 What? What is this? It sounds like a British AI attempting to rap. I think there’s supposed to be a narrative to this album, but the dude’s vocals are so distracting that I can’t even focus on that - though something tells me there isn’t a whole lot of substance in there anyway. There are a couple tracks with really solid beats that feel like they’re juuuuust on the verge of being good, and right when I’m about to be sucked in, the vocals pull me back out again. That’s the album at best though - there are also some really grating beats in there as well, like on Blinded by the Lights and Get Out of My House in particular. Really, most of this album is an awkward mesh of robotic vocals and beats that just don’t seem to pair well together at all. Anyway, those were my thoughts after my first listen, and I was prepared to give a fat 1. But after re-listening, I’ll admit there’s a certain charm that grew on me, and a couple of the tracks are actually kind of catchy despite their quirks. Yeah, it still has a lot of bad, so I’m not sure I could go higher than a 2.5, but I miiiiight give Could Well Be In and Fit But You Know It a re-listen. Maybe a little more if the mood strikes. Hell, this album may grow on me more to be honest. One of the more interesting ones I’ve heard thus far for sure.

I don't know if it was just me, but the beats and the lyrics just never fit in my head. There were moments where it did, and I think on "Dry Your Eyes", there was something my ears could kind of understand. Otherwise, I was often left confused regarding delivery vs. the beat. Rather than stop to listen to the goodness, this album made me stop and say, "what?". As someone who loves lyrics, I picked up on some lines that I thought held some merit. However, it was difficult to pay attention with the music the lyrics were set against. I was thinking of giving this a 1, but I'm going to go with a 2 because there were moments I didn't absolutely hate.

Had a few redeeming songs, so I wouldn’t mind listening to parts of it again, but overall pretty bad. I think I just do not like British accents and this form of a more spoken “rap”. Beats were not as bad though

64 albums generated and this is the first rap album we’ve done? Hmmm. Something seems off. Which editors put this list together anyway? Ah…I see now that 1001AYMHBYD is edited by one Robert Dimery, an *English* writer and editor. That explains some of the more obtuse English albums we’ve gotten. Not that A Grand Don’t Come For Free is necessarily one of those… BUT, the first edition of 1001AYMHBYD was published in *2005*, just one year after Mike Skinner’s sophomore LP as The Streets. Which explains why some selections from the early aughts/late 1990s—including Skinner’s—might retain honors despite not aging all that well. But I digress. This is not a bad album. I would have liked this if I knew about it in high school, I’m sure. A time when I was listening to a lot of Atmosphere, Eminem, and Australian rap for some reason. Now, it sounds dated. The half-singing sounds…kinda bad, but in a charmingly amateurish way I guess. I appreciate the simplicity of the production. Skinner’s inclination and knack for melody too. I half-heartedly appreciate Skinner’s flow. How focused on the storytelling he is. On rhythm, inflection, and simple patterns between words rather than braggadocio. His rapping would be nice at, like, an open mic poetry night where you have zero expectations and are just happily impressed with your fellow citizens. But here? Very mid. However, I am a sucker for storytelling in music. So my ears perk at the idea of a rap album with a “Plot” subsection on its Wikipedia page. My plan was to listen to this album twice: once to listen, once to read and follow the plot. Listening: By the time we get to track 7 I’m a little tired of this sound. And track 8’s called “Such a Twat…” oh, joy. I’m skipping a few songs now. I am not digging this angry stuff. “Dry Your Eyes” gets back to the stuff I like a bit more. Like the beginning stuff. The stuff I would have liked in high school but that sounds dated and amateur now. Definitely don’t care for the 8-minute closer. Despite some mid highs, not a lot here to keep me engaged. Mostly lows. 2/5 on this listen. Reading: Honestly, I couldn’t muster another listen. But reading the lyrical plot summary on the Wiki page, I don’t think I missed much. The storytelling seems incidental and slice-of-life. Which isn’t bad, just isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I read “rap opera” and “concept album.” Still 2/5.

Finally had a breather after a crazy week to review… a funny album. The Streets’ “A Grand Don’t Come For Free.” An album I’m already a little endeared to. Perhaps unreasonably attached. I kept thinking “I’ve heard this before!” But I just couldn’t remember where. I think it was midway though a heavy alt hip hop phase I had. Here’s what I’ll say. It’s an ambitious concept. Some blending of musical theater, lyrical storytelling, multiple characters, etc. And all about such a mundane life and characters, with mundane problems, that it’s pretty funny. I actually like the cheap 2000’s production… you get the sense that the main character is so strapped for cash that he could only afford the absolute cheapest sampler and a Casio keyboard. A few of the songs sound basically unmixed. Something about it kind of works. It’s a pretty unique album because you get the sense this could have almost been cleaned up to be a… musical? Maybe it just wasn’t the right time. With a good editor, maybe broadening the other characters out, I could see it. But I mean, some of the lines are just grating to hear… after a while, are you sympathetic to the main character, or just annoyed at his stupidity? I guess that’s kind of the point. But it doesn’t make you want to return to the album a ton. But yeah, this kind of storytelling is kind of normal for hip hop, you hear some version of this everywhere. Mundane problems, gossip, axes to grind. Which is all really fun if the music grooves. This music is intentionally not tight and almost low effort, which again, fits with the story, but makes it less of a fun listen. I’ll still feel vaguely affectionate to it if it were to come on randomly, but I don’t think I’ll be returning by choice. 2/5

Fine

Not for me. "I'm English, I rap, and my phone sucks". That's what I got from this album. The rhymes here are decent, but the lyrics itself are confusing. At some points, this album makes me think this is a satire album. But he seems to take himself pretty seriously.

Def not my style

Britischer Rap geht mir nicht rein. Davon werde ich wsl. kein Fan.

I really don’t like the streets, but can appreciate this was an important 00’s album so it gets more than 1 star

Pitäisi kuunnella useammin, että pääsisi sisään - selkeesti listauksen arvoinen albumi. Tosin joka biisi on tavallaan toisensa kaltainen, saa miettimään, mikä on se Streetsin biisi jonka tiedän jos se ei ole tämäkään. Fit but you know it on kunnon bilebiisi

A really experimental album, boring sometimes. The lyrics are great and the albums seems more like an excuse to have an audiobook with poems and a beat to "rap". Only two songs can be saved from the album, but even those are strange

Not for me

british rap.

found the worst accent

Nope

didn’t hate it, but probably wouldn’t listen again.

Spoken word from a person I cant relate to. The beats are amateur. I will pass

Overall the album wasn't terrible but it wasn't my cup of tea. The lead track from the beat to the lyrics seemed very basic. This definitely wasn't my style of rap. To be fair however, after listening to the album I read the album description on Apple Music and it seems that this is a concept album with one theme running throughout. I may or may not go back and listen more closely keeping that in mind.

Pretty annoying yet there were some elements that made me wish that I actually enjoyed this. Somewhere between bad and mediocre. Another album for the "I dont get why this is here" pile.

Sounds a bit dated now. A couple of tracks were fresh and ok at the time. Just sounds a bit juvenile these days.

Not sure where I stand with this album. On one hand, I admire the documentary of a certain type of familiar lifestyle. Skinner manages to explore romantically, but critically the position of a man in his 20s, stuck in a teenage drug phase, comfortable in his uselessness, but clearly with an itch to scratch, knowing there is probably more, but not quite getting it. His petty dramas, are never more than that. That all said, at points the album feels badly constructed, both musically and lyrically. While the narrative is always entertaining, he often sounds like he's reading his words over beats that don't quite match.beats that are simple in an obvious way. On occasions this works, the warmth of the story and his delivery keeping us engaged, on others it sounds flat and awkward. I found it frustrating, wanting to like it more than I did. I found myself less critical the further I got, but not sure if that was because the content got better, or because the story had pulled me in.

I can’t believe we turned out backs on Diggable Planets, De La Soul and Arrested Development to listen to this. It’s not bad per se, but not as cool or innovative or musical or intriguing as any of that stuff. This hasn’t aged nearly as well as Massive Attack or Tricky, which I’m sure nobody worried about when it was new. Oh welll.

Sounds like a bored Stephen Merchant doing a shitty hour-long SNL sketch. BUT it also has a strange earworm quality to it. I can see this growing on me over repeat listens, but I don't want it to.

Well this was kinda weird. Not a big fan, the rhythms were weird and I found myself tuning them out more often than not.

Rap-opera, alternativt, elektronisk, snakkende, dramaturgisk

Best Song: Blinded by the Lights. Interesting and introspective description of a drug trip, helped massively by someone else taking over the vocal hook. Worst Song: It Was Supposed to Be so Easy. The chorus sounds like a failing student in an adult education centre trying to read aloud to the class. Lyrically, the song is just on the line of self-awareness so I can't actually tell if it's satire. Even if it is, that doesn't redeem the song. Just explains it. Overall: The stream-of-consciousness, intensely sincere, story-telling lyrical approach is (at times) really interesting here. Sadly, literally everything else isn't. The lead singer would have been better off writing dialogue for movies and TV than trying to cut it as a rapper.

ol’ shakespeare if thy haddeth backing tracks

Tja, toch de 2 mini-hitjes die ik leuk vind..

Interessant en best grappige teksten, maar verder kon het me niet zo bekoren.

Ik heb dit nooit helemaal begrepen. Een gast met een sterk Engels accent die verhaaltjes vertelt, op wel geinige beetje weirde electro.

"A Grand Don't Come for Free" has a interesting structure as a rap opera, mixing alternative hip hop with electronica to tell a mundane story of a british young middle class man. But the structure is the only good thing here, as the songs struggle to be anything more than a white man's hip hop experiment.

Couple of catchy tunes but mostly pretty dull stuff.

El disco chido es el anterior. Tiene como cuatro rolas buenas.

The bright spots in this one are extra bright, because the dim parts are soooo shit

Real close to a 1, tbh....

Apart. Mensen die praten als robots. Verder beetje raar kletsverhaal met wat geinige beats. Ik vind de spraak best slecht eigenlijk. Sommige beats weten me wel te boeien. **

Nunca había oído hablar de este músico ni de este proyecto. Y eso que creía que conocía bastante música British! Sinceramente me ha parecido un peñazo. Supongo que la gracia está en las letras y mi inglés no llega para entenderlas completamente. Así que como ni la música ni el ritmo me interesan no creo que le de más de 1 estrella. Se salva por "Fit but you know it" y un poco por "Dry your eyes".

It's a big ("grand") attempt at a rap opera and I respect the effort, I really do, but it's just not enjoyable to listen to.

In good faith, this album is pretty poor. As a hip hop fan, it was awfully cringey to my ears, the rapping was terrible and the beats were very cheesy. That's just my opinion, though.

It is certainly entertaining enough to listen to once (just like his debut, which sounds exactly the same) - same kind of vibes as an arbitrary Arab Strap record, with these daily-life stories. But unlike Arab Strap, the music is a bit too straightforward to give anything more than two stars - you listen to it once and then that's it.

I could see why people like this album, but the combination of time and the fact that The Streets is not a very strong rapper makes this not work for me. The idea is cool, and I think this album could have been a classic in the hands of a better artist. The music is cool most of the time, though the spare style of the beats and the spare style of the rapping are not a good combination together. His rhyme schemes are pretty simple and outdated, even for 2004 2/5

Kolejny z niecodziennych pickow, bo wyspiarski rap z wczesnych lat 2000, wiec czuc frytki i smazona rybe wylewajaca sie z flow pana Mike Skinnera ktory jest glownym rapowym wokalem projektu the streets, ktory troche czlonkow musial miec, co slychac glownie na hookach czy skitach, tak samo na bitach, ktore brzmia bardziej jak elektroniczne downtempo czy garage jukejowe niz instrumentale do ktorych murzyny sie uciekaja, bo album jest zdecydowanie jednym z bardziej bialych rapowych albumow jakie ostatnio slyszalem, z pewnoscia nie jestem wystarczajaco biegly w wyspiarskim slangu zeby docenic kwieciste liryki pana majka, ale z pewnoscia moge stwierdzic, ze to najbardziej drewniane flow jakie slyszalem w tym roku, miejscami jest to bardziej liryczna recytacja tekstu, ktory niezle jest stakowany w barach, a w innych nieudolne zawodzenie pseudo spiewaka, wiec co stoi za pojawieniem sie takiej plyty na liscie, najprawdopodobniej koncept wokol ktorego kreci sie cale nagranie, ktory zawarty jest juz w samym tytule A Grand Don't Come For Free, plyta jest opowiescia o przygodach pana majka, w ktorych glowna role odgrwa tytulowy grand funciakow i dziewczyna zwana Simone, wiec jest tracenie piniedzy, odzyskiwanie, to samo z baba, ale jednak wieksza drama, bo wlasnie plyta stara sie budowac dramatyczne napiecie, wiec taki storyteling pozwala to osignac, bo ma to rece i nogi jesli chodzi o zwiazki przyczynowo skutkowe, wiec ten bogato rozwiniety epos jest powodem dla ktorego warto dac szanse temu nagraniu, na plejaka dodam fit but you know it, czyli songa o wyrywaniu lasek na nocnych pijatykach w barach szybkiej obslugi i what is he thinking opisujacy paranoje pana majka na temat tego kto mogl zajebac piniadze za las i babe jego ruchac, kawalek zawiera takze najlepsze rapowe zwrotki featurujace pana Wayney G

Different but ok

First listen. Interesting sound. 2/5

I didn't get the sound

They sound like Jamie Oliver... OK but not worth writing home about

There were a couple times during the album i noticed that i was able to enjoy it, but the spoken lyrics with an almost artificial sing-songy pacing were too distracting too much of the time. Layered frequently over minimal music, but the lyrics/stories seemed to be a strength.

I like The Streets but this album didn’t do it for me, too abrupt

2/5 something was off with this. hiphopish but also something else.

Can you even call this hiphop? Its not really traditional. Its just some british guy talking over some rock anthems. There are just some annoying and stop themes in the songs here, like "Get Out Of My House" or "Fit but You Know it" It's just... annoying. I found it hard to sit through most songs without getting bored. 4/10 (As of July 9th, 2021) Best Tracks: It Was Supposed to be So Easy, Blinded By Thr Lights Worst Track: Get Out Of My House

Boring, woozy, thoroughly detestable pop/hip-hop, saved somewhat by a catchy couple of tracks.

Difficult to listen to - brit accent and rap style is an uncommon mix that didn't work for me.

Not really feeling this. Can't give it the listen it probably deserves.

I use to love this album in high school and I still find it super cheeky and funny. Musically sounds amateur at certain times.

British talking rap and rock. This stripped down album, does little to show the creativity despite speaking about the young adult experiences that would seem relatable.

Wow, I really don't think I've ever heard british rap before. It sounds different, I'll give it that. But I really just don't like rap with very few exceptions, so there's that. I'll also give it that the concept is something different and that the symphonic touches are nice. However, the bare bones, minimalist production offsets that again. This one simply isn't for me.

Odd entry, Dry Your Eyes built on Original Pirate Material, the rest is a bit choppy for my taste

4.5

Was a labor to listen to this whole record. I just can't get into super-"English" hip hop or whatever this is. I do remember hearing a couple of the tracks and the biggest single was fun enough, but this record was a lot to get through.

It's an interesting concept, definitely unique, but I don't love it. Just not much musically to really get into. 2 stars.

Not for me. Focus on vocals for poetry

false

Concept album. Rap in the suburbs. Cheeky.

Not for me, though I do love "Fit but You Know It" and "Dry Your Eyes Mate"

Love his accent and the background music... Don't love the rap.

So, this album is not that good, but "Fit But You Know It" is a fucking banger.

Not really my style, it's not so bad, but it's like a mix of rap and fif music....

Not my thing really

Nothing special, I can understand the lyrics so there is that.

Interesting but unusual.. not sure, probably because not the type of things I'd listen to usually

The story is kind of interesting, but the beats are very quiet and the rapping is very stilted. I could tell it was self-produced before looking it up. Overall very eh. Favorite track: "Fit But You Know It"

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

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.

Shite

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.

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.

Not a fan.

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

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

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 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

trash

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

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.

Like what are we doing here

Wat is dit in godsnaam

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

absolutely not

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

1.5 - very bad but there is some charm to it

i feel like i was pranked

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.