Celebrating The Streets’ Original Pirate Material, 15 years on

It’s 15 years since Mike Skinner released the iconic album, breaking clichéd chart glamour by narrating life’s average suburban mundanity.

When Zane Lowe left BBC One in 2015, a void was left in British radio. The New Zealander made it his mission to air emerging talent as well as spin the finest new music, and was credited with aiding the rise of Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, The xx and Bloc Party. Before he moved to Los Angeles to take up a role at Beats One, Lowe’s final show verged away from the usual format, as he played a selection of tunes he felt defined his twelve years at the station.

Lowe began the show with ‘Turn the Page’ by the Streets, from their seminal first record Original Pirate Material. It was the only opening that felt worthy.

Streets vocalist, songwriter and brainchild Mike Skinner grew up influenced by American hip-hop, citing Nas’ 1994 masterpiece Illmatic as a constant reference in his life. “Nas could come up with these cool-sounding couplets about all the weed that gets smoked and all the little adventures that you go on.”

In the late 90’s, UK garage crossed over into mainstream consciousness, but whilst he listened to it and loved the musical element, the MC’s from his native land who rapped over the beats failed to resonate with Skinner. The idea of getting the girl and drinking champagne on the dance-floor was alien to the kid from Birmingham, who usually heard garage in cars or mates’ houses on pirate radio.

That formed the basis of Original Pirate Material — paying homage to the UK garage scene, yet adding a distinct English flavour to the narrative vocalised.

Original Pirate Material turns 15 this week, released initially on the 25th of March 2002. Like all great albums, it was very much of its time but still sounds excitingly fresh when penetrating your eardrums now. From the introductory string section on ‘Turn the Page’, you feel transported to another world and the grimy realism of urban England. Even the sleeve — a council flat building dimly lit — adds to the overall aesthetic.

Skinner broke the cliched chart glamour, narrating life’s average suburban mundanity over two step beats. There are tales about chasing girls, weekend cans, playing Gran Turismo on Playstation for hours upon end, munching on chips and getting by while broke. Skinner does so with wry humour and witty anecdotes, capturing the essence of late teen, early twenties abandonment. ‘A day in the life of a geezer’ as he puts it on second track ‘Has it Come To This?’

Anthem is a word thrown around loosely, but ‘Weak Become Heroes’ is a poem for the ages, laying the path for others such as Burial, Jamie xx, Ghostpoet and Real Lies to produce odes to rave culture and nights out, referencing Paul Oakenfold, Danny Rampling and others responsible for giving them “these times”.

In five and a half minutes, Skinner conveys those seemingly endless nights lost in music on the dance-floor, those empathetic and hazy drugged up conversations in the smoking area, as well as comforting the crushing next day hangover like a warm blanket. More than any song, he perfectly described the transient feeling of togetherness and tolerance that epitomises rave culture.

‘See, people are all equal

Smiles are front and behind me

Swim in the deep blue sea corn fields sway lazily

All smiles all easy

Where ya from, what ya on and what’s ya story?’

The record closes out with ‘Stay Positive’, a dark and dreary gaze into depression and hitting rock bottom, a rallying cry for young people everywhere. While reminiscing, it’s almost unfathomable that Skinner was in his early 20's when he wrote the song.

Skinner’s role in influencing modern British music is undeniable. The rise of grime from underground sub-genre to prominent cultural force is inextricably linked to Original Pirate Material. Skinner demonstrated that English MC’s can rap authentically, and alongside Dizzie Rascal, Kano and Wiley, positioned English rapping in public consciousness.

Over a decade later, grime is gaining traction in North America as well as dominating the charts and festival bookings over here. Stormzy earned a number one album in the UK and Drake has collaborated with Skepta and Giggs.

What Skinner achieved was more than just shaping the future though. He captured a distinct culture from a specific time with comedy, colourful imagery and colloquial metaphors. It was the soundtrack of a generation and for a generation. A cult classic, not bestseller.