By Cammy Thomas
Over the last few years we have had a steady flow of slew dem riddims spraying through our speakers to keep the Grime scene super charged and lively, especially in the form of Grime albums and EP’s such as ‘Jackuum’, ‘Godfather Pt.2’, ‘Ghetto Gospel: The new Testament’ ‘Outsiders Live Forever’ (E.P) and ‘S.O.S’ (E.P) to name a few. The stream of Grime albums and EP’s has been consistent and strong with numerous releases dropping from the O.G’s and mandem. But what’s happening on the marginally disproportionate, (Only in numbers but by no means in talent), female front? Last year we had the release of Madders Tiff’s solid EP ‘Madders on the block’, which was one of the only Grime bodies of work released by a woman in 2018. ‘Madders On The Block’ contained a cluster of tracks produced to the highest of standards, for us to bop to. Last year also saw a shift towards collective releases by women in Grime, with Laughta notably bringing some of the most interesting and exciting link ups to the game. Laughta first linked up with the mighty Manga on the track ‘Flex’, and more recently, assembled her very own team of avengers to end the game of a male dominated scene hopefully…by bringing elite MC’s C Cane and Madders Tiff to spray alongside her on the track ‘Instant.’ We now have a swarm of queen bees from the new generation of Grime, who have come to sting up the scene as they spit heat to silence the doubters.
The saying goes it’s always the quiet ones who you have to watch out for, and maybe we can apply this adage to say – it’s always the smallest bee who has the sharpest sting, a bee so small it can manoeuvre; undetected, under the radar and then swoop in taking you by complete surprise to then launch a full-scale attack when you least expect it. This is how I liken FFSYTHO, buzzing through the grime scene, her stinging bars aimed, pointed and primed to target any man or woman who dares to test her.
When FFSYTHO dropped ‘Freestyle 4’ produced by Terror Danjah on her social media in May 2018, it seemed to come out of nowhere causing a huge buzz with her brazen delivery and in your face attitude, people had no choice but to sit up and pay attention to her cocky confidence. FFSYTHO’s freestyle (Complete with a cameo from her Vaseline!!) brought back memories of the abrasive, unapologetic, unfiltered arrogance some of the early male and female Grime MC’s hit us with in the days of channel U. As I listened and creased up to FFSYTHO’s unbothered proclamations of “So I answer bad vibes with violence, on and off mic, if the trouble comes to find me I’m hardly gonna stand there am I, can’t say I’ve ever been fazed by anything, anyone I’ve ever met knows I’m a gobsh!te as well…” I couldn’t help smiling to myself at FFSYTHO’s self-awareness at her small stature in the freestyle’s opening bars, and the quoted lyrics owning her title as a “gobsh!te”, it occurred to me that – this is the level of no f*cks given we’ve needed for a while now, a new rebel with a cause, within this new era of Grime.
FFSYTHO’s notoriety is made all the more sweeter because she is a woman in a male dominated genre, who is not only unapologetic for her brash views and crazy antics, as seen on twitter, she is also upfront regarding her sexuality and makes references to girls she finds attractive, just as the mandem do, making it a refreshing juxtaposition for a whole new generation of Grime artists’ as well as Grime fans. Clearly FFSYTHO is a feisty woman who will tell you to shut your mouth if she feels you warrant it, but she is not a ‘Girls MC’ and she is not a ‘Guys MC’, she is simply – A fire MC who can hold her own with her relentless ferocity, making her a problem for any MC regardless of gender, and that is what makes her journey a thrilling one to watch as she continues to garner recognition.
FFSYTHO ‘Bop through ya manor’, produced by the producer who I’m convinced does not sleep – Filthy Gears, is no exception. The video to yet another attention grabbing freestyle which dropped last year, has finally landed and it was worth the wait. As the track opens with Filthy Gears skittish violins, FFSYTHO is sat on an arm-chair, grinder in lap, placed on top of a newspaper, screw facing the camera, and it’s the exact opening visual you would expect from a self-confessed “Right Little madam” who is “Savage.” As FFSYTHO is busy savageing her peers with a tongue that slowly shape shifts into a sword as the track of attack progresses, the gritty video intercut’s between FFSYTHO well…boppin through her manor of course on her ones, rolling the kush, or making her point flanked by a wall of graffiti decked out in camouflage garms as we bear witness to a one woman army intent on bringing lyrical warfare to the people who can’t “Keep my name out of your mouth.”
As usual Filthy takes it to 125th Gear, by creating a monster instrumental that packs a punch and makes a statement, making it a match made in menace when paired with FFSYTHO’s brutal bars. As well as reppin’ her manor, it’s also refreshing to hear FFSYTHO rep. her mixed heritage with intelligent wordplay and a dose of comedy as she declares “It’s the Irish mixed in me with the rice and peas that make me like this, 0 to a 100 quick…” when offering an explanation as to why she is rowdy. It’s a stand out bar, which perfectly illustrates FFSYTHO’s big, bold yet humorous personality. FFSYTHO and Filthy Gears’ have brought us a bop that bangs, both sonically and visually (directed by Zorg visuals), here’s hoping this little Jamaican/Irish spitfire brings us more misbehaviour and “shenanigans” on a full length project later this year.
Dine On Grime / Munch on music 