A Grand Don't Come For Free

2/10 - I like the call back to the first song in the second song. But most of these songs are absolutely terrible. Get out of my house is outrageously horrible. Dry your eyes was not that bad. Why was his TV broken in every single song, like he mentioned his tele in I think every song. I am so glad he found his thousand quid at the end of it all. How the heck did it get into his TV though? I have yet to decide what I think deserves a 1/10 but I think there will be an album that will earn that score.

Sounds like an snl skit of what British rap is, not sure if all British rap is terrible but it seems that way 2/10

Part of me wants to give this a 10/10 because it’s hilarious. But also I’m pissed that out of all the hip hop albums that could’ve been chosen this somehow made it. HOW? This album is easily the least deserving of a spot of all the ones we’ve had so far. At least it was entertaining. Super easy 1/10, actually sounds like a middle schooler made it.

Honest to god I couldn’t finish this album. I genuinely don’t understand how it made the list

We must never allow the British to achieve a cultural victory

British spoken word? Definitely not music. Yikes.

I thought I was being punk'd. This album can't be for real???

I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS, THIS WAS FUCKING TERRIBLE AND YET CRITICS ARE FALLING ALL OVER THEMSELVES TO PRAISE IT HMMMM I WONDER IF HIM BEING A WHITE BRITISH RAPPER HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH HMMMMMMMMM

Is this a parody? Is this the Lonely Island? Seriously, the only reason I listened for as long as I did was because I found it hilariously bad. What rationale would the creators of this list possibly have for adding this?

I’m sorry, I can’t even bring myself to give this a 2. It just seems laughably bad in both content and execution.

At points, this album sounds like somebody asked ChatGPT to put out a rap album with an English accent. Not sure — with all of the hip hop out there — why this album would rise above

This is some poorly produced and executed rap album from a British guy. Honestly it sounds like Asher Roth if he was British. Get out of my house is one of the whiniest songs I’ve ever heard. There are some albums on this list that are musically important and may deserve to be on this list. Then there’s this album. Totally insignificant, no actually it’s utter rubbish. 2.8/10

Dog water.

Palpably British

Horrible. Just horrible.

terrible. could not finish.

Absolutely not. Hard, hard pass.

I listened to this a little when it first came out because it was talked about so much. I didn’t like it then. I like it even less now. Hearing this guy with a British accent rap always reminded me of Monty Python. Plus, unlike Eminem, there was no real beat to the music.

Not for me

After part of a listen, I have a vague recollection of hearing about "The Streets" in the mid 2000s and being told to listen to them. I don't know if I ever did then, and wiped the memory, or just shrugged it off at the time as not for me, but this is truly, truly TERRIBLE in every sense of the word. I think, more than the inane lyrics, and his awful accented singsong, is that he can't even match the beat. This has to be a put-on, someone's joke of a British "gangsta"/grime rapper. I'd give no stars if possible. This is among the worst albums on the list.

some songs sound kinda like a british and worse version of Tyler the Creator. It‘s funny and sad at the same time but musically i don‘t like it

There was absolutely nothing here for me, I hated it.

The Streets is the work of British hip-hop artist Mike Skinner. A Grand Don't Come for Free is a concept album about the narrator's loss of on thousand pounds (a monetary loss) and his relationship with a woman. The album had very few moments that could be called melodic. "Dry Your Eyes" stands out as a track where some sense of musicality accompanies the spoke word monologues. Most of the album is brash and atonal. The narrator's tale has a few interesting moments, but far from enough to overcome relatively unpleasant background "music."

Horrible

Don’t love the boom-bap, don’t love the vocal style, the flow is interesting, but not worth my while…

What the hell is this?

This ain't it chief.

Shitty Brit rap. Not good

Put this on the list of 1001 albums I hope I never hear again! Absolutely trash

dnf im afraid, his voice was not for me

Was this supposed to be hip hop? It was just talking. I tried to listen to the lyrics. Overall, this album was boring and I listened to half the songs.

Might be one of the worst albums I have heard in a long time. Poor beat making, awful lyrics and just overall not good... 1 star out of pity...

Why is this on here

did not like it.

The millennial equivalent of boomer Facebook poems. Rubbish

pure garbage...

OK Robert Dimery. I get it. You fancy British artists. But this? THIS? Ugh. The beats are stilted and disjointed. The rhymes have no flow. The story is somewhat cringey and his voice is wankish. I can't believe a brilliant album like Check Your Head by The Beastie Boys is left out but this trash is listed. Ugh!

A spoken word rap opera with a train wreck of background beats and samples just honestly ruined my day

One of the worst albums I’ve ever listened to.

Not against something new but this is annoying ... sorry.

Not to my taste

Not my cup of tea sadly.

This isn’t even rap. I don’t know what it is but I don’t like it

fuck british people.

I didn't listen

I feel like this went over my head. Like I'm sure somebody who understands music theory stuff would love this, to me this is a man rapping badly over a bad track

Yeah this is awful. I'm usually generous and look for a positive, so I guess this album is... unique. Never heard anything like it really-- conversational boring cockney gibberish "rapped" out of rhythm over sparse generic dub beats. This album just kept pissing me off more and more, and actually made me feel physically ill after a while. Fitting recipient for my first 1-star. Maybe if I grew up on the streets of London I could find something to enjoy here, but alas. This is gross. 1 - will definitely not listen again

Is this a joke? Evidently this album has near universal acclaim. I think it’s awful. I don’t know what I’m missing. How could so many people find purchase here? The whole thing sounds like a five year old made it. Not a fan.

Didn't like it, not even one song

Struggling to believe that this is someone’s favorite album

I don’t care for this album

I just don't get it, I never have and I guess I never will.

I heard some from the other room and have no desire to seek out the rest

Just sounded like he was talking most of the album

I think its one of the worst things I've listened too. I hate how much he plays into the Cockney aspect and feel like he really hams it up, lyrically his links between lines are very poor and feel super forced, I don't think the beats are that interesting... fine it tells a story, but it tells a story that I don't think is very interesting. I also wish to state that I quite like spoken word rap (Scoobius pip, Sage Francis and Aesop Rock being highlights) but this is just bloody awful.

Don't like this style of talk albums

This was terrible.

Overrated sh*te

This album is pure rubbish. Do not waste one minute of your life listening to this.

What the heck was this? The first album I just couldn't get through the whole thing

I use to listen to the streets back in the day. I loved British rap, or UK Grime but this album is a bit slow for me.

Distinct sound, but not in a good way. I instantly remembered the artist from the early 2000s. I assumed “Blinded by the lights” was a one hit wonder. Surprised to see this album here.

BRIT RAP

Le genre d'album que je ne comprends aucunement l'inclusion ici et pourquoi en premier lieu ça a été bien reçu par la critique. Je pense qu'une fois de plus il y a un gros bias UK. Je n'aime vraiment pas comment c'est mixé, souvent la voix sonne tellement trop "par-dessus" les instrumentations. En plus, d'une pièce à l'autre c'est mixé différement. Le style de rap est ultra moche et les paroles sont vraiment ordinaire, voir quétaine/cringe. 2/10

this pretty lame. the flow is so stilted, and cant speak in tune. This guy is just pathetic. HE LOSES A THOUSAND QUID DOWN THE BACK OF A TV?!?!?! Fuck this record.

What the fuck is this?

Oi went doon the poob but then I fegot me fiver fo the poobie to git a pint so i caled me moom but then ah didne hav the money to cal me moom so i went an hoom to see me moom e.t.c

Why does this sound like a 12 year old kid recording in his room with a keyboard and the voice memo app on his phone. What is the global societal impact this album had on the world that it belongs on this list?

Nope. Whiny voice.

Hated this at the time, loads of people since have tried to tell me it's great, and maybe it is, but I don't like it. At least it doesn't have that sodding dry your eyes mate song on it. Oh shit, it actually does! Blinded by the Lights isn't bad I guess. Not Addicted was alright as a skit. Too much of this I can't really understand wanting to repeat listen, it's like a comedy routine or a podcast with some beats behind it. Most songs are just vaguely irritating to me. Some are stupendously irritating like Get out of my House. Was wavering up to a 2 but more of that and it's getting a 1 and it better be grateful. Fit but you know it can fuck all the way off. That and dry your eyes still to come secured the 1*

I don’t care about this dude’s grand. Where’s my grand and maybe I’ll care. The beats and flow are hairable. Get Out of My House is one of the worst songs ever. 🗑️

This is not even rap at this point. This is just a British man talking over GTA loading screen music. One of the worst things I've ever heard. 1/5 is too generous, please change my rating to "Banished to the Shadow Realm". Thank you.

holy shit this entire album just sounded like a parody making fun of british rap. absolutely terrible. the only okay song was Dry Your Eyes because at least that one had a singing chorus. i’m not anti-rap by any means but apparently i’m anti british rap

This album reminds me of that friend who asks, "HAVE YOU HEARD *song you've never heard of*?!?! IT'S SO FUNNY" and then proceeds to show you YouTube clips of whatever the fuck. I guess it's funny, maybe if you like stuff that sucks.

Wow. No sabía que se podía ser TAN malo haciendo música. Estaba por calificarlo como el peor álbum que haya escuchado, pero luego leí que se trataba de un concept álbum, que contaba una historia, y decidí perdonarlo un poco, por lo que pasó de ser un 0.1 a un 0.3. Que cuente una historia no compensa lo TREMENDAMENTE MAL que se escucha. Es como si tuvieras una historia en la mente, una muy buena historia, pero fueras consiente de que eso no era suficiente, así que pensaste "Qué puedo hacer para venderla mejor?", te quemaste la cabeza y, de repente, por suerte divina, se te ocurrió "Y si lo vendo con música??", pero, por un bloqueo creativo, lo único que se te ocurrió fue pedirle a un niño de 7 años tararear la primer melodía que le llegara a la cabeza, diario, por 11 días, luego le pusieras un poco, muy, muy poco de producción, metieras la historia de la forma más forzada y poco natural posible y, así como así, lo publicaras como álbum. Definitivamente es de lo peor que he escuchado.

Not my style

I must be getting old because this didn't even sound like music to me.

Fuck off.

Hated this album since I first heard it in like 2007. Nice to see some things haven’t changed.

Not going to lie, I went into this planning this one star, and it stuck through for the five minutes I could muster before I started skipping through. Each song is musically terrible, tone-deaf, and boring, and the story is not the perfect tale people (who obviously grew up with it and don't want to admit it's bad) say it is. The only reason I could see someone giving this a five is because it made them laugh so hard it's their new favorite comedy album. Seriously terrible. When the best song is still worse off than most other songs on albums I've given a one star too, then this is all the more terrible. God, this makes me angry.

Where'S the rythmn.

I am not a fan of this kind of thing. I just don't like it.

this is terrible, lyrics don't even line up with the beat or flow... how is this on the list

Um..wut? Wow this is bad. I’m not entirely sure I’m not being punked by some sort of awkward cringe comedy bit by Sacha Baron Cohen…or maybe this was a group project by some middle schoolers?

Fucking awful

So this is what happens when British people try to rap, huh?

What is this amateur hour sounding shit? Why is everyone here talk-singing? Maybe if these guys were the singers of Cake this would be more enjoyable, but this is lame, obnoxious, and whiny. The "concept" he came up with was interesting as an idea, but in execution the concept came across as just pissing me off as much as possible. There's a track here called Such a Twat - super fitting, dude!

nope

Did not get any joy from these blokes.

I don't get this album at all. I'm glad some people like this album, but the whole thing felt off to me. A lot of the music was grating and annoying and his singing didn't make it any better. Every song pissed me off at some point. I totally get why this has the rating it does. I guess my favourite song was Dry Your Eyes because it pissed me off the least.

This talentless twat talks about "songs." How can you call those things, songs? He burps out this incredibly boring story of some loser doing things that nobody cares about. It has the same beat that a thousand other "songs" inflicted on us then he makes it even more grating by totally missing the beat while he talks. Not raps. Talks. There is no flow, no poetry, just nothing. Meanwhile this charlatan actually has people parting with their hard-earned to own this drivel or go to his shows. There's a sucker born every minute. Surely the creator of this list got payment for including this shit on the list.

I’ve never really understood The Streets. I really don’t get it. I don’t like Mike Skinner’s delivery. It’s not my cup of tea. I couldn’t get through it. I got to Fit But You Know It. Half the time it just sounds like he isn’t trying to write lyrics. When he doesn’t rhyme, when he doesn’t even rap on beat, it sounds like he’s just saying words to me — words I don’t really seem to care about. I feel like there are way too many choruses in each song and the choruses aren’t good. The instrumentals are mediocre at best. It kind of just feels like parody. Like MC Chris or something. Lyrically there are far too many references to English slang which, sure I could look up, but I honestly don’t care enough to. Maybe the point is for me to hate this character? The production quality is meh, the beats are repetitive, the song structure is repetitive. There are very very few moments where Mike’s got an impressive rhyme scheme going but then he just goes back into yapping about some mundane story arc. If I were to sum up this album in one word it would be “annoying”. I really REALLY don’t get it. Am I taking crazy pills?

Dogshit

This was not great. I find British rap to be a bit unbearable, listening to the lyrics is like hearing to someone read a bland novel out loud in an annoying accent. The track "Get Out Of My House" is borderline unlistenable. I'll give a point for storytelling, as there is an alright story woven throughout. The issue is you have to hear a British dude rap it at you.

I thought it was a load of pretentious bollocks when it came out. Nothing's changed.

I wasn’t entirely sure if this was supposed to be a joke or not. It’s like the very dumbest kind of hip hop. Some of the rhymes are so corny and stupid that I think maybe it is supposed to be a joke, but it would only be funny if he dropped the act halfway through. He never does. There’s nothing to recommend any aspect of this CD.

Brit talk rapping concept album Nothing I could get into

Nope. Can't listen to rap in any style.

Not really my thing. Beats felt boring, the singing was off in terms of timing and pitch, his accent is fun tho.

I really feel like I’m being punked here. How is an album of bri’ish guys talking over music tracks an album I needed to hear? I clearly have missed something I guess? All I know is that this was a painful listen that I wanted to give up on three “songs” in. I would rather listen to the Bob Dylan complete collection than anymore of “The Streets”. At least this has cemented what a solid 1 start looks like.

British hip hop, not my thing.

HAHA this is the most hilarious sounding opening track I've heard out of the last 200 albums. The beat sounds like its tripping over itself and his rapping is so strange and funny. The chorus is so bad. the "it was s'posed to be so easyyyyy" was another epic highlight. And that's just the first song. Y'know, at least 85% of my favorite music is from the UK. But UK plus rap just doesn't seem like a great combo... Definitely worth a listen if you want to laugh. He's about as good of a rapper as Ed Sheeran There were a few tracks I didn't hate, but the overall effect of the album for me gives a 1/5

Straight up bad at times; at times just boring.

Oh. My. God. This is terrible. After skipping the first three tracks due to the uncomfortable bleeding out of my earballs, I have decided that this is officially the worst album on this list, joining Jeff Beck and Bob Dylan in the accolade of being music that actively makes me want to injure myself to spare me from the putrid filth that's invading my head. I'm pretty sure that if I took the time to tell you how much I actively disliked this album, I'd have grown old and died before I finished. This. Is. AWFUL.

Lyrics and production are do miserable. I must be missing a huge amount of contact for how many 5 trains this got. Lyrics don’t even go along with the beats in most songs. Feels completely disconnected. Sounds like someone making an ironic British rap song. Ali G vibes without the irony.

How did this get to #1 in the UK. This is terrible. Really Really don't dig it

This is Hip Hop - a.k.a. "Thank you but no thanks." 1/5

Terrible flow and beats. I'm just awestruck by this album's inclusion here.

It felt like I was listening to the part in a musical where the music keeps going, but the lead talks and addresses the audience. Him being off the beat all the time really irked me.

UK rap. Just not into it. Painful. The album cover is nice though.

uhhh rap

Trash

2/2/2022 Today's Album: "A Grand Don't Come for Free" by The Streets - This is already incredibly interesting to me, being my first real exposure to British rap. The first song is incredibly charming, with a narrator rapping decent bars being broken up by the chorus, which is actually really catchy, not to mention stripped back and very close in the mix. It almost sounds more like poetry. Could Well Be In brings the beat in and is really warm and groovy. The flow on this track is much more casual. The choruses of these songs so far sound a lot like Watsky and I think the overall vibe of this album is felt in a lot of modern bedroom storytime rap and although that genre has its time and place, it's definitely as more of a background lofi setting. The beat is kinda cheesy. After listening to about 4 more songs, I have decided this is not worth my time. The vocals are obnoxious, the beats are either simple or overblown. The lyrics are extremely British and it gets to be so fucking cheesy. I legitimately laughed at some sections because the delivery is just awkward. The charm that the shitty production gave it quickly wore off as it just sounds hollow and machined. Such a Twat is still pretty annoying, but its not as bad as the rest of them with a decent refrain. Actually, getting to Dry Your Eyes, I really enjoy it. The story of a broken relationship is really well done and the singing in the chorus is actually great. The whole concept of the album is actually not poorly done either, but I think some of the worst parts really overshadow it. Score: 2.5 Very rarely enjoyable Highlights: Such a Twat, Dry Your Eyes

I just don't get the hype.

Aggressively British people do Tupac. Not a fan and the first track was fucking awful

This album belongs on the worst 1001 albums list. Yeesh. 1/10.

Some of the music here is interesting, but the lyrics are needlessly swarthy, and ultimately the story is about an unobservant guy that generally makes bad decisions but gets lucky every now and then. Not interested in listening to it again. 1 star.

Already sounds meh to me, hope it gets better...jesus its fine when he is rapping , but it is hard to listen to when he tries to actually sing...maybe the lyrics are smart but I literally can't listen to this album...garbage

mmm nope

Just wanted it to end, didn't get the fuss when it came out, even less on board with it now!

Some songs reminds me of all the things I don't like about Gorillaz, the flow and vocals that seem very off and the synthesizer that are out of place, and some of them are really not that good. I want to listen to music, not Peter and the Wolf. "Dry Your Eyes" is great but it just can't save it. 1

blegh, he´d better write books, then i don´t have to listen

British Eminem, but a parody? Certainly felt like a parody with how bad this was. I'm not sure, I can't listen to any of the songs. His voice is terrible and his rapping is super slow. I was interested for half a second when I heard his voice because I wondered if this was the birth of balls, batty, and dick, but I don't want to know anymore and I definitely don't care. This should not be on this list.

Not good at all

nope

First album I couldn't finish. It's crap. There's no flow, nothing rhymes, it's not as clever as everyone says it is. It's just talking with music in the background. I mean, he rhymes money with hurry and this shit has a 91 on Metacritic? The hell is going on with this?

That's a big no from me.

Il rap inglese mi piace, ma questo non era la mia "cup of tea"

Fit but you know it is a banger. Wish this dude was more lyrical/harmonic. Too British for me.

Not for me - of a time and place

british rap isn't for me

wow some of the worst lyrics and rhymes ive heard ever. is this for a show or smth it has to be ironic. no flow no nothing... blinded by the lights couldve been decent, its not though. the worst album i got so far. i don’t mean to be mean! sorry

Did not care for the spoken word / rap style music although it was more intelligible for me than American rap.

I don´t understand

These songs are decent until they start talking.

listened to a bit on spotify

false

Not a fan of early 2000s UK Rap. It got better throughout the album, but I would have turned it off pretty early.

Not my kind of music

Oh wow, I hate this. Why does he sound like this and why are the vocals mixed so weirdly?

This whole album actively irritated me. His voice mainly and the shonky lyrics

¿Pero qué pinta este disco aqui?

1.4

I've listened to The Streets before. I've listened to this The Streets album before. I tried listening to this The Streets album again. The result is always the same: this is some of the worst music I've ever heard.

I wouldn’t take this grand even if it was free.

I just can't

I'm expecting this to sound like the strokes. Ok fuck it's UK rap. Fuck. Alright it's got that fit but you know it song on it. This is gonna be a struggle. This fucking sucks. I love how wiki says it's the war of the worlds of its decade... that's the point you have to admit not all decades were created equal. This is horrid and obnoxious. 1/5.

Es tan malo que ni pude escuchar todo.