Wretch 32, Alesha Dixon pay tribute to grime channel

Fifteen years ago, finding new music was harder than you might think for grime fans, but then one channel helped change that.

“When people didn’t know where to find us, GRM Daily was a hub for everyone to find us,” Wretch 32 tells BBC Newsbeat.

The rapper’s speaking from the GRM Gala which in its 15th year is just as dedicated now as it was then to celebrating black excellence in the UK.

“I must be amongst one of the first 10 videos,” says Wretch, who’s since featured on the GRM Daily YouTube channel dozens of times.

“We’ve grown at the same time,” he says, adding the channel and its founder is “always supporting”.

“It’s always nothing but love.”

Since first appearing on the channel, Wretch 32 has won a number of awards for his music and his 2016 album, Growing Over Life, was nominated for album of the year at the Mobo Awards.

GRM Daily’s mission has always been to celebrate black excellence in the UK and for one night each summer, the Gala provides an occasion for celebration.

Some of the biggest names in music, including Giggs, Ghetts and Ms Banks marked the event in London at the weekend.

Reflecting back, founder Posty tells Newsbeat “it feels amazing”.

“It’s just an honour and a pleasure to be here with my peers.”

Since launching as a YouTube channel sharing music from emerging artists in 2009, GRM Daily has gone on to become what Posty’s called the “epicentre of black British music in the UK”.

“Grime music was great before I came about,” Posty tells Newsbeat.

“I was just able to contribute by giving it more of a platform and more ears.

“It was nothing without what the artists created and are able to do.”

The channel now has almost seven million subscribers and has launched the careers of some of the biggest names in the industry, including Central Cee.

“They’re such an important part of the culture,” says presenter Zeze Millz about the channel.

“And they keep the culture going – they keep it current.

“It’s such a huge platform now that [grime] has gone beyond what it ever was – it’s mainstream now, and that’s what we love, because we should be.”

Little Simz is one of those artists who’s moved into the mainstream, with a Glastonbury slot and a stash of accolades from the Mobos, Mercury Prize and Brit Awards.

But some on the red carpet think there’s still more work to do to promote female talent in grime.

“There’s more barriers for female rappers,” says Ms Banks. “First off, we’re a minority.

“And also, for some reason, a lot of people expect us to carry ourselves in only one way.

“So if it’s not like pretty and super feminine, then we’re dismissed.”

It’s something Alesha Dixon tells Newsbeat artists like Little Simz are really important in dismantling “because she does her own thing authentically”.

“Isn’t it beautiful to see a woman rapping that doesn’t have to be overly sexualised when she’s doing it?

“I think that’s really refreshing and important because young girls coming up… they can see the other route, that actually just being you is the most authentic, beautiful thing you can bring to any table in any genre.”

Posty says since he first launched GRM Daily 15 years ago, “lots of things have changed”.

Speaking to 1Xtra before the event, he said he set up GRM Daily with the intention to “serve our community”.

“15 years on still feels like we started yesterday,” he said.

“One of the most important things was being able to create a way that people could feed their families and build an eco-system of directors, presenters, all these types of things.

“That’s what we’re most proud of.”

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