The Streets
A Grand Don't Come For Free
Vice / Atlantic
By Iain Bluett

Simple brilliance - The Streets is back wif a new record.... inn't he?

A Grand Don't Come For Free , the second offering from The Streets' Mr Mike Skinner
is a refreshing wiff of fresh air. Although the tracks musically aren't quite as catchy
as some of those found on his debut Original Pirate Material , the lyrics and themes
are bang on again. If there was an award for best song titles of the year "such a twat"
would surely be a top the list! This is a simple, brilliant record for both friday night savvy lads getting keyed up for the weekend, and clued up cheeky girls... you know.. the ones that read Maxin, Stuff and Playboy for ideas!

Fit but you know it is the obvious first single and we think the best song. A top mix of music and rap - the track crash bounds along only stopping for the tag line about a girl Mike's got his eye on .. "She's fit... but my gosh ... don't she know it!". Not afraid to say what he thinks, Skinner often reflects - stopping to make you think that he's making this up as he goes along and every now and again ..... well, you've just got to stay in.

Of course, life is what you make of it and A Grand Don't come For Free is an over the top celebration of just that. Buy this record for the first single then stay for the rest of the record. Finally Britain's putting something out that's catching the ears of Americas rap-elite. Along with Dizzee Rascal, they're finally taking rap .... to The Streets .

www.the-streets.co.uk