GRM Daily

In the early 2000s, pirate radio stations such as Rinse FM and DvDs such as Risky Roadz and Lord of the Mics were the only major platforms that grime and UK rap artists could promote themselves through.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CA3JCwAAQBAJ&q=%22grime-daily%22&pg=PT253|title=This Is Grime|last1=Collins|first1=Hattie|last2=Rose|first2=Olivia|date=2016-09-08|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|isbn=9781473639294|language=en|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=5 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905120718/https://books.google.com/books?id=CA3JCwAAQBAJ&q=%22grime-daily%22&pg=PT253|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/wiley-interview-godfather-ii-grime-dizzee-stormzy-skepta-511299|title=Wiley: 'If I was trying to act like I was 20, trying to sell records to teenagers, that would be stupid'|website=inews.co.uk|date=2 May 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026065357/https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/wiley-interview-godfather-ii-grime-dizzee-stormzy-skepta-511299|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2018/08/voices-of-pirate-radio-grime|title=Red Bull Music Academy Daily|website=daily.redbullmusicacademy.com|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101152234/https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2018/08/voices-of-pirate-radio-grime/|archive-date=2019-11-01|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefader.com/2015/09/11/jammer-lord-of-the-mics-interview|title=How A DVD Series Helped Shape A Decade Of Grime Culture|website=The FADER|language=en|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715131604/http://www.thefader.com/2015/09/11/jammer-lord-of-the-mics-interview|archive-date=2019-07-15|url-status=live}} This meant it was often difficult for an artist to find an audience. With this in mind, Jamal Edwards founded SB.TV in 2007, an online music platform that would be used to showcase artists and allow them an easy platform to release music through. This was followed by the founding of Link Up TV a year later, and finally Grime Daily in 2009, all based on the same concept. Collectively these platforms have served as the backbone to much of UK urban music and provided a large outlets for artists to gain popularity and fame.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/nov/24/sbtv-link-up-grm-daily-black-british-music|title=Grime watch: how SBTV, Link Up and GRM Daily propped up black British music|last=Abiade|first=Yemi|date=2017-11-24|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-10-26|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729112723/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/nov/24/sbtv-link-up-grm-daily-black-british-music|archive-date=2019-07-29|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/17489646.the-grey-area-why-scottish-arts-and-media-must-reflect-working-class-culture/|title=Why Scottish arts and media must reflect working-class culture|website=The National|date=10 March 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026065400/https://www.thenational.scot/news/17489646.the-grey-area-why-scottish-arts-and-media-must-reflect-working-class-culture/|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}}

Grime Daily was formed in 2009 by founders Matt 'Sketchy' Thorne, Pierre Godson-Amamoo and Koby 'Posty' Hagan. The platform was created in order to create a space for UK urban artists to showcase themselves and release music. At the time, the platform was named 'Grime Daily', to denote its affiliation with the grime music scene. For the first week, the website was used to upload old grime DvDs and videos, however they also wanted to film their own unique content. Initially, the plan was to have Jamal Edwards film content which would then be uploaded to Grime Daily, however Jamal instead filmed content for his own platform SB.TV. Posty instead decided to buy a camera and film content for Grime Daily himself.{{Citation|title=The Platform is Born {{!}} Ep 1 {{!}} Together We Rise (Documentary)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrcfJBSvyH0|language=en|access-date=2021-08-10|archive-date=23 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523054117/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrcfJBSvyH0|url-status=live}} The "Daily" is a reference to the fact that the outlet originally intended to release grime related content every single day.{{Cite web|url=https://urbandevelopment.co.uk/blog/meeting-the-platform-grm-7238|title=UD|website=urbandevelopment.co.uk|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026055835/https://urbandevelopment.co.uk/blog/meeting-the-platform-grm-7238|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}} Early on, one way this was done was by doing long interviews with artists, splitting the interview into parts, and releasing the parts from the interview throughout the week. An interview with grime artist J2K was Grime Daily's first ever interview. Co-founder Sketchy had previously built J2K's MySpace page, which led to Posty asking Sketchy to build the Grime Daily website. In its early days, the website struggled with high traffic and would go down on occasion. Within the first year, they hit over a million views a month.{{Citation|title=A Celebration, A Disaster {{!}} Ep 2 {{!}} Together We Rise (Documentary)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brJxgU5csGc|language=en|access-date=2021-08-10|archive-date=23 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523054206/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brJxgU5csGc&feature=youtu.be|url-status=live}}

In 2011, the original Grime Daily YouTube channel was taken down by YouTube, resulting in the loss of over 2000 videos.{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/fionarutherford/this-is-what-grm-daily-thinks-about-grime-and-uk-rap-becomin|title=How The Grime And UK Rap Scene Is Finally Getting The Recognition It Deserves|last=Rutherford|first=Fiona|website=BuzzFeed|date=26 February 2017 |language=en|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026065356/https://www.buzzfeed.com/fionarutherford/this-is-what-grm-daily-thinks-about-grime-and-uk-rap-becomin|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.plugsville.com/10-best-football-bars-uk-rappers-grime-artists/|title=10 of the best football bars from UK rappers and grime MCs|date=2018-05-22|website=Plugsville|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026070904/https://www.plugsville.com/10-best-football-bars-uk-rappers-grime-artists/|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Scott|first=Nicolas-Tyrell|date=2020-09-29|title=How GRM Daily Became "the Holy Grail of Black British Music"|url=https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a34202776/grm-daily-documentary-posty-interview/|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Esquire|language=en-GB|archive-date=1 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101015956/https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a34202776/grm-daily-documentary-posty-interview/|url-status=live}} It was alleged that this was because a man had shown a knife on a music video for one of Scorcher's songs, however this was denied by both Scorcher and Grime Daily (the music video was still actually available on the artist's own channel).{{Cite web|url=https://urbandevelopment.co.uk/blog-categories/features-reviews/features/guest-blog-beatrice-alessio-grime-daily-dont-believe-socia|title=UD|website=urbandevelopment.co.uk|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026063717/https://urbandevelopment.co.uk/blog-categories/features-reviews/features/guest-blog-beatrice-alessio-grime-daily-dont-believe-socia|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}} Posty also stated it was claimed the channel was terminated due to receiving 3 copyright strikes, however this was disputed by Posty and Sketchy. Posty also stated they were told someone had bought views for a video.{{Citation|title=Grime Daily Gets Shut Down {{!}} Ep 3 {{!}} Together We Rise (Documentary)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX2_ykrUVgE|language=en|access-date=2021-08-10|archive-date=23 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523054152/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=yX2_ykrUVgE|url-status=live}} Posty, one of GRM's founders, stated in a 2020 interview that he still did not know why the channel was originally taken down. The platform rebranded as GRM Daily in 2012, which stands for "Grime and Rap Music", and created a new YouTube channel (the one-year delay was due to a fear that the channel would be banned again if they returned too quickly). The new name was to clarify its expanded scope with not just grime, but also British hip hop and related genres.

In 2012 Grime Daily joined with The BiG! Agency, now taking responsibility for the commercial operations of GRM Daily's website, and Silver Bullet Digital (SBD).

In 2013, GRM Daily had over 40,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel.{{Cite web|date=2013-06-18|title=GRM Daily - YouTube|website=YouTube|url=http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqTwKvjbTENZDGbz2si47ag|access-date=2021-08-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618031125/http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqTwKvjbTENZDGbz2si47ag|archive-date=2013-06-18}} It took 7 years (from its founding) for GRM Daily to gain over 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. The channel rapidly grew from there, earning over a million in 2018,{{Citation|title=Empowerment {{!}} Ep 4 {{!}} Together We Rise (Documentary)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwsDkI2dX_I|language=en|access-date=2021-08-12|archive-date=12 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812190712/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=PwsDkI2dX_I&feature=youtu.be|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=2018-06-14|title=GRM Daily - YouTube|website=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqTwKvjbTENZDGbz2si47ag|access-date=2021-08-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614222142/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqTwKvjbTENZDGbz2si47ag|archive-date=2018-06-14}} and 5 million by 2022.{{Cite web |title=Exclusive digital cover: Koby 'Post' Hagan on the GRM Daily empire |url=https://www.musicweek.com/interviews/read/exclusive-digital-cover-koby-post-hagan-on-the-grm-daily-empire/085528 |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=www.musicweek.com |language=en}} In 2015, GRM created the Rated Awards, an awards show dedicated to UK urban music.{{Cite web|url=https://www.flavourmag.co.uk/ka-drinks-and-grime-daily-present-the-rated-awards/|title=KA Drinks and Grime Daily present the Rated Awards|last=Azeez-Harris|first=Semper|date=2015-08-13|website=FLAVOURMAG|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026065400/https://www.flavourmag.co.uk/ka-drinks-and-grime-daily-present-the-rated-awards/|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/grime-is-a-cultural-export-meet-the-guys-taking-uk-rap-global-with-their-second-annual-awards-ceremo-3593|title=Rated Awards 2016: Meet the guys taking UK rap global|last=Homewood|first=Ben|date=2016-09-05|website=NME|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026065356/https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/grime-is-a-cultural-export-meet-the-guys-taking-uk-rap-global-with-their-second-annual-awards-ceremo-3593|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2017/10/17/in-focus-why-do-we-need-urban-award-shows-in-the-first-place-7007236/|title=In Focus: Why do we need 'urban' award shows in the first place?|last=Akingbade|first=Tobi|date=2017-10-17|website=Metro|language=en|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026065356/https://metro.co.uk/2017/10/17/in-focus-why-do-we-need-urban-award-shows-in-the-first-place-7007236/|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}}

In 2020, GRM released a documentary entitled "Together We Rise", detailing the platforms history.{{Cite news|date=2020-10-03|title=GRM Daily is the 'core and centre' of black British music, says its founder|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-54387167|access-date=2021-03-16|archive-date=1 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220901210411/https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-54387167|url-status=live}} The platform released "GRM 10", an album to celebrate the platforms 10 year anniversary. The album featured artists such as Aitch, B Young, Unknown T, D Double E, M Huncho, Dutchavelli, Not3s, Blade Brown, Nafe Smallz, Yxng Bane, and others.{{Cite web|date=2020-06-12|title='GRM10' Anniversary Album Announced Featuring Unknown T, Aitch, M Huncho & Many More|url=https://grmdaily.com/grm10-album-announced/|access-date=2021-08-10|website=GRM Daily|language=en-GB|archive-date=10 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810131138/https://grmdaily.com/grm10-album-announced/|url-status=live}}

"Daily Duppy" is a platform for freestyle releases. The platform was launched as a response to the success of Jamal Edwards' "Fresh 64" ("F64") release series on SB.TV, where artists rapped 64 bars of original ("fresh") content.{{cite news |title=Exclusive digital cover: Koby 'Post' Hagan on the GRM Daily empire |url=https://www.musicweek.com/interviews/read/exclusive-digital-cover-koby-post-hagan-on-the-grm-daily-empire/085528 |access-date=18 December 2022 |work=Music Week |date=30 March 2022 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Bartholomew |first1=Jem |last2=Khomami |first2=Nadia |title=Jamal Edwards, SBTV founder and music entrepreneur, dies aged 31 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/feb/20/jamal-edwards-sbtv-founder-and-music-entrepreneur-dies-aged-31 |access-date=18 December 2022 |work=the Guardian |date=20 February 2022 |language=en}} {{as of|2022}}, after more than a decade of releases,{{cite news |last1=Archibald-Powell |first1=Naimah |title=Here Are The Most Viewed Daily Duppy Freestyles |url=https://grmdaily.com/most-viewed-daily-duppy-freestyles/ |access-date=18 December 2022 |work=GRM Daily |date=31 March 2022}} "Daily Duppy" singles have charted seven times on the UK Singles Chart and three of them, by Aitch, J Hus, and Fredo, have been certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).{{cite web |title=daily duppy {{!}} full Official Chart History |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/daily%20duppy/ |website=www.officialcharts.com |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=18 December 2022 |language=en}}{{cite certification|region=United Kingdom|title=Daily Duppy|access-date=18 December 2022}}

By 2012, the Grime Daily website was taking in 70 million website hits and had over 50,000 daily visitors. The platform played a part in popularising artists such as Tinie Tempah, Tinchy Stryder, and Wretch 32 in the early 2010s.

GRM Daily has been very influential in propping up UK urban artists from various genres, such as grime, British hip hop, and Afroswing. The platform has been credited for bringing fame to artists such as Stormzy, Dave, J Hus,{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/53ndxk/j-hus-interview-2017-common-sense|title=No One Is Like J Hus|last=Lewis|first=Ryan Bassil, Jake|date=2017-05-12|website=Vice|language=en|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722030122/https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/53ndxk/j-hus-interview-2017-common-sense|archive-date=2019-07-22|url-status=live}} B Young, Amelia Monét, Kojo Funds, Steel Banglez, Not3s, Mabel, and many others.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/02/everybody-is-looking-at-us-right-now-how-black-british-pop-reclaimed-the-charts|title='Everybody is looking at us right now': meet the young British pop stars reclaiming the charts|last=Adegoke|first=Yomi|date=2018-11-02|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-10-26|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729112710/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/02/everybody-is-looking-at-us-right-now-how-black-british-pop-reclaimed-the-charts|archive-date=2019-07-29|url-status=live}} GRM Daily, along with related platforms such as Link Up TV and Pressplay Media, have created an ecosystem that allows artists to easily record, produce, and release music to the masses without the need of support from traditional media or the music industry.{{Cite web|url=https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/xwddaq/why-this-is-such-an-exciting-time-for-the-afrobeats-scene-in-the-uk|title=why this is such an exciting time for the afrobeats scene in the uk|last=McQuaid|first=Ian|date=2017-03-24|website=i-D|language=en|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721164205/https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/xwddaq/why-this-is-such-an-exciting-time-for-the-afrobeats-scene-in-the-uk|archive-date=2019-07-21|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/independent-artists-music-industry-stormzy-aj-tracey-stefflon-don-hardy-caprio-major-label-streaming-a8110936.html|title=How independent artists have changed the music industry|date=2017-12-14|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608155218/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/independent-artists-music-industry-stormzy-aj-tracey-stefflon-don-hardy-caprio-major-label-streaming-a8110936.html|archive-date=2019-06-08|url-status=live}}

In 2010, DJ Werewolf was hit in the chest and buttocks after an individual pulled out a Mac-10 submachine gun and fired rounds at a GRM Daily event, containing over 600 people, celebrating their anniversary. Another unidentified woman and man were also shot in the incident. Police claimed they were not informed the event was happening.{{Cite web|url=https://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/8094411.grime-dj-werewolf-injured-in-shooting-at-warehouse-rave-in-colindale/|title=Grime DJ one of three injured in shooting|website=Harrow Times|date=12 April 2010 |language=en|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026053223/https://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/8094411.grime-dj-werewolf-injured-in-shooting-at-warehouse-rave-in-colindale/|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/tv-girl-escapes-death-as-man-opens-fire-with-machine-gun-at-party-6458592.html|title=TV girl escapes death as man opens fire with machine-gun at party|date=2010-04-13|website=Evening Standard|language=en|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026053502/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/tv-girl-escapes-death-as-man-opens-fire-with-machine-gun-at-party-6458592.html|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8618778.stm|title=Three hurt in shooting at event|date=2010-04-13|access-date=2019-10-26|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026055339/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8618778.stm|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8096029.new-incident-room-launched-after-grime-daily-nightclub-shooting-in-colindale/|title=Organisers say warehouse shooting was 'isolated incident'|website=Times Series|date=13 April 2010 |language=en|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026065400/https://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8096029.new-incident-room-launched-after-grime-daily-nightclub-shooting-in-colindale/|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}} Donatella Panayiotou, the presenter of the event, quit working for GRM Daily as a result of the shooting, and criticised them for their handling of the event.{{Cite web|url=https://thegrimereport.blogspot.com/2010/04/donatella-quits-grime-daily-over.html|title=THE GRIME REPORT: DONATELLA QUITS GRIME DAILY OVER SHOOTING INCIDENT|last=Unknown|date=2010-04-16|website=THE GRIME REPORT|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026053730/https://thegrimereport.blogspot.com/2010/04/donatella-quits-grime-daily-over.html|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}}

In 2018, British rapper Young Spray was stabbed at GRM Daily's Rated Awards event.{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/rapper-stabbed-at-starstudded-music-awards-poses-with-gun-signs-in-hospital-bed-a3934726.html|title=Rapper stabbed at star-studded music awards poses in hospital bed|date=2018-09-13|website=Evening Standard|language=en|access-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026065357/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/rapper-stabbed-at-starstudded-music-awards-poses-with-gun-signs-in-hospital-bed-a3934726.html|archive-date=2019-10-26|url-status=live}}

• Mixtape Madness
• Link Up TV
• SB.TV

{{reflist}}

{{Hip hop websites}}

Category:YouTube channels

Category:Hip-hop websites

Category:British hip-hop

Category:British music websites

Category:British music industry

Category:Internet properties established in 2009