Music
The story of grime hero Kano in 10 brilliant tracks
From pirate radio shellers to conscious lyricism and thoughtful autobiography, East Londoner Kane Robinson has distinguished himself as one of the greatest in grime. Here are 10 of his best tracks.
Alongside Wiley, Dizzee Rascal and D Double E, Kano has been at the forefront of grime since its birth in the early ‘00s. Putting his career as a promising footballer on hold, the East Ham MC – born Kane Robinson – rose to fame as one of East London’s N.A.S.T.Y Crew, before embarking on a solo career that commenced with the track Boys Love Girls.
Some MCs have built a career off a few hype singles, but Kano has distinguished himself through his weighty, well-thought out albums – from his breakout 2005 LP Home Sweet Home to the Mercury-nominated fifth album Made In The Manor. As he returns with his first album in three years, Hoodies All Summer, what better time to run through 10 essential tracks that show off Kano at the top of his game.
1. Boys Love Girls
Kano’s Boys Love Girls announced his entrance to UK music as a solo performer. A hit on pirate radio, the track was remastered in the studio by Dizzee Rascal for Kano's debut album. Even before he had a record deal, Kano’s able to deliver slick bars and tight rhymes with an ease and confidence: “Mind’s right, money’s tight/Sippin’ a bottle of suttin/Bust mic all night/No one can tell me nuttin.” It's Kano’s breakout tune and the springboard that enabled him to secure a record deal, paving the way for his future success.
2. Ps and Qs
“Some manors don’t like me, they try and bad mind me/When Kano comes to town.” Kano’s debut single proper, Ps and Qs is a hard-hitting track that showcased his rapid flow and taste for wordplay, spinning a slang term for good manners into a classic cut of smart, combative lyricism backed by equally lively production from DaVinChe. A stone cold classic and one of the defining songs of grime.
3. Signs In Life ft Ghetts
A conscious track from Home Sweet Home, warning against the pitfalls of gang culture: “Look, you can do moves on the street/I’d rather spit bars on the beat/I’d rather that then lick cars every week.” Kano taps into the mindset of a youth growing up in a rough environment while reflecting on his own struggles as an up-and-coming MC. Kano worked with producer/songwriter Fraser T Smith – later to work with Dave and Stormzy – to make the dark, dramatic beat. The track samples the lyrics from Sanchez’s reggae hit Never Dis Di Man – the early sign of a cultural wisdom that Kano’s carried throughout his career.
4. Nite Nite
Produced by and featuring vocals from The Streets’ Mike Skinner, Nite Nite is a laid-back track that shows a sensitive side to Kano: “Look, I call her nite nite/Cos it seems from the day right to the bright light/That I like her too much to say bye-bye.” A track that mixes the sounds of grime and UK garage, Nite Nite was another diverse, urban track to become a hit amongst fans during Kano’s rise to fame, and it was an early indicator of his real potential to cross over into other styles and genres. As one of the six singles released from Home Sweet Home, Nite Nite peaked within the Top 30 of the UK Singles Chart List.
5. Flow Of The Year
A collaboration with JME of Boy Better Know, Flow Of The Year was released with a striking monochrome music video directed by Morgan Keyz. It’s not a dig at the competition, but rather a bold reminder that Kano’s flow is one of the best on the scene. Through the tune he drops knockout punchlines such as: “Print on my out inferiors/Might just cop them Red Octobers/Wear an all-red suit like Delirious” – a reference to Eddie Murphy’s iconic red-leather suit, worn in his classic stand-up show Delirious. It’s clever moments like these that show Kano’s knack for delivering heavy-hitting lyrics with a wry sense of humour.
6. 3 Wheel-Ups
Taken from his fifth studio album Made In The Manor, 3 Wheel-Ups is a bona-fide grime banger with a feature from UK rap trailblazer Giggs. Here Kano delves into grime battle culture, paying respect to his contemporaries and referencing his legendary Lord Of The Mics clash with Wiley (who also appears on the album version): “Me and Wiley had a clash, that’s a real MC/Hold tight D Double E, that’s a real OG.” Rapping over a ruthless beat produced by Swifta Beater, Kano pays tribute to the wheel-up – the act of rewinding a song back to the beginning to hype up the crowd in a rave. The practice has long been a grime mainstay but has its roots in Jamaican sound system culture – and in this track, Kano is full of braggadocio, declaring that his tunes get “three wheel ups in a row.”
7. T-Shirt Weather In The Manor
Set to a piano-laced beat, T-Shirt Weather In The Manor finds Kano getting autobiographical, reminiscing on his memories of growing up in East London. Describing real family members and street names, Kano creates a powerful sense of time and place: “69 Manor Road, Sunday Morning/Dorothy be up but Jennifer be yawning.” With production from Fraser T Smith, it's a welcome splash of nostalgia showing off Kano's skills as a storyteller, celebrating family, friends and summer days in London.
8. Garage Skank
Another track from 2016's Made In The Manor, this lively and eccentric freestyle found Kano calling up fans and friends for the music video. There are cameos from the likes of Lethal Bizzle and grime DJ Logan Sama. Garage Skank shows Kano having fun with his music and rapping over a swaggering beat produced by Zeph Ellis – formerly grime MC Dot Rotten. It's funny, too: “So, what them man are flexing?/Them man are keyboard flexing/Well, your girl’s poom-poom stinks like the A13 Beckton Exit…"
9. Class Of Deja ft D Double E and Ghetts
Kano collaborates with old compatriots D Double E and Ghetts on Class Of Deja, a reference to Deja Vu, the iconic pirate radio station where N.A.S.T.Y Crew – among many others – got their break. The track pairs a minimalist sound to a crackling bassline with the energy of old-school grime. Kano unleashes a verbal massacre, switching styles and dropping bars with sheer freedom and prowess: “Get money, get snakes by your ankles/Any cobras get handled/Got ‘nuff raw soldiers like Dangles.”
10. Trouble
Released alongside a 20-minute visual directed by Aniel Kara, Trouble is another affecting track from Hoodies All Summer. It’s about the reality of youth violence in today’s Britain with the video following the final moments of a young boy’s life. Kano lays down rhymes over a melancholic instrumental: “All our mothers worry when we touch the road/‘Cause they know it’s touch and go whether we’re coming home.” Kano raps from the perspective of young people facing oppression in their local communities and the track samples news channels and interviews, including the words of the late activist Darcus Howe.
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