Justin Reginald Clarke Samuel (born 9 October 1984), better known by his stage name Ghetts (formerly Ghetto) is a grime artist from Plaistow, Newham, east London of African-Caribbean (Jamaican/Grenadian) Ghanaian descent. His music has been played on national radio stations such as BBC Radio 1, Kiss 100, BBC Asian Network and BBC Radio 1Xtra. He is associated and has toured internationally with such acts as Kano and was a member of NASTY Crew.
About Ghetto
Ghetto was a member of grime collective NASTY Crew, however he left, saying that things had gone “pear shaped” due to the number of people in the group. He later went on to create the grime collective The Movement. Ghetto is a very enthusiastic UK artist who has made a number of well-known songs within the UK Grime scene. He is also notorious in the UK music industry for his freestyling ability, being able to come up with lyrics off the top of his head during MC clashes with other artists. In 2008 he got nominated for a BET award for Best UK Act along with Chipmunk, Giggs and Skepta, in the end Giggs took home the award.
On 20 December 2010, Ghetts recorded with upcoming artist Aaron Scarborough, this set is said to be released and titled in January 2011.
2000 & Life
After being released from prison in 2003,at the age of eighteen years old, Ghetto put out his first release, 2000 & Life in 2005. The mixtape contains 24 tracks and numerous collaborations
Ghetto Gospel
In 2007 Ghetto released his second, pre-album mixtape Ghetto Gospel. The mixtape was a departure from his previous release, 2000 & Life, being more mellow and featuring tracks about subjects such as girlfriends and his mother. In interviews, he has stated that the mixtape’s calmer tone is to “prove people wrong”, as he does not want to be typecast as an aggressive rapper.
The album is titled Ghetto Gospel to demonstrate that Ghetto has put his soul into creating it.
On 27 October 2007 Ghetto performed with Kano at the BBC Electric Proms,[8] performing alongside a violinist
Freedom of Speech
On 10 March, Ghetto released his third mixtape, Freedom of Speech. It is predominantly a solo mixtape, and features no other producers aside Lewi White and Smasher (The pair res bbbponsible for “Back in the Day”). It includes collaborations with Smasher, Sparkey, Griminal, Brutal, Chipmunk & Devlin. Ghetto stated that the mixtape is more akin to 2000 & Life than Ghetto Gospel.
Future projects
Ghetto’s “Sing For Me(Electro Remix)”; produced by Rude Kid another well known producer in the grime scene has had attention from the mainstream market. This single has been signed by the “All Around The World” record label, (also known as AATW) who specialise in electronic dance music and is also home to acts such as N-Dubz and Cascada
Calm Before The Storm
While a lot of grime MCs are heading for chart success with pop excuses for grime, Ghetts brings us his long awaited ‘Calm Before The Storm,’ fusing the best elements of UK hip-hop and grime into his pre-album massacre. He dives right in with his fast pasted ‘Intro’ tapping on every issue that fans and critics have addressed since his last release. With topics concerning clashing P Money, grime politics, deals and personal lyrical levels, the introduction sets the stride for the hurricane yet to come…
His distinctive vigorous delivery on ‘Brainless’ and ‘Dosein It’ form together the best elements of his previous release, ‘Freedom Of Speech’. With his selection of flows that are second to none and insane word play, he balances his hardcore aggressive road side tracks alongside insightful songs that have a ‘Ghetto Gospel’ (his 2nd release) ingredient. ‘Job For You’ and especially ‘Trained To Kill’ soften the edge to the harsher topics and concentrate on similar issues, but the angle is brought together by Dot Rotten’s aided chorus.
The tracks fundamental factors show just how helpful a constructive hook can empower Ghetts, commanding verses even more. Just how ‘The Greatest’ shined, ‘By Shy’ is an example of how his format had the potential to be a lethal flash of lightning, but the lack of a strong chorus left its impact to just a soft breeze. Further development with choruses and additional experimentation with better production could have taken tracks like ‘My Sperm’ from a good track, to a very strong song.
While the production combines elements of hip-hop, grime dominates the collection and with ‘Grimedaily’ Justin Clark addresses his personal love and battle with the grime sound, giving an understanding to the underlying echoes of the full thunder before the real storm. Collaborations are some of the best up-and-comers within the UK circuit, including Maxsta, Youngsta and Badness contributing, but it has to be ‘We Control This’ that combines the best bill with Devlin and Griminal holding their own corners adding their own exclusive splash of originality to the mixture.
Fans of Ghetts will definitely not be disappointed as the CD gives a collective meltdown of all the proclaimed previous releases into one release, although there does leave a space for improvement for the official cyclone which we hope these tweaks will be addressed on.
Ghetts – Merry Christmas EP
A festive treat for all Grime fans from one of the scene’s best. Ghetts, the one who is considered to propel constantly Grime farther and farther year by year. An earlier release this year in, Calm Before The Storm really cemented Ghetts’ position as one of, if not the greatest in Grime.
With Merry Christmas E.P being a free download, do not expect a half-hearted mixture of poor tunes and little features; it’s just the opposite. Devlin, Griminal, Dot Rotten, Wiley, Mercston and Stutta all make an appearance on the E.P giving a well rounded eye catching line up. High caliber of artists collaborate with Ghetts on an overall relaxing, easy listening enjoyable snoop.
This is portrayed well with What Happened, where Ghetts slowly takes you through the intriguing chronicles of people who he has come across. From a rebellious adolescent youth who ‘picked the wrong fight’, to a thieving teenager, and his life after his inevitable incarceration. An excellent track which helps depict Ghetts’ credentials; a very adaptable flow and ingenuous story telling ability. Another similar song is Closer which again has an elegance of tranquil story telling with a calm melodic beat.
With Ghetts not one of his tracks sound the same. There are incredulously grimy songs on Merry Christmas, Platoon is a good example of this, where he said he made the song a while back but there is no hint of oldness in all its freshness. They Don’t Know is Ghetts and Devlin collaborating again and producing something special as they usually do, where Ghetts offers his insightful innovative thoughts on what artists in similar positions as him should do, “making a hit is my ultimate goal”. Star/Outro presents Ghetts’ conceited views which all good rappers/MC’s need to propel themselves but as Ghetts says he “walks the walk” so I suppose its irrelevant.
Styles showed in Merry Christmas may have been familiar to us when talking about Ghetts. Fresh new material from him in a free download is brilliant for the fans. A lot of the tracks on the E.P sound to have been done that night, and lacking quality it is not. So for other artists it is worrying to know that an already supreme artist can give away; quality in abundance as a free download. Fantastic for fans of Ghetts’ and we can only look forward to his album, Rebel With A Cause, recently changed to Hurricane Ghetts…
