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The Streets is an English musical project led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner. The project was founded in the early 90s in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
, while Skinner was still a teenager; however, no music would formally eventuate until the early 2000s. In the initial run of The Streets, the project released five studio albums: ''
Original Pirate Material ''Original Pirate Material'' is the debut studio album by English hip hop project the Streets, released on 25 March 2002. Recorded mostly in a room in a south London house rented at the time by principal member Mike Skinner, the album is musica ...
'' (2002), ''
A Grand Don't Come for Free ''A Grand Don't Come for Free'' is the second studio album by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under the music project the Streets. It was released on 17 May 2004 and is listed in the book ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die''. ...
'' (2004), ''
The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living ''The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living'' is the third studio album by Mike Skinner (musician), Mike Skinner, under the music project The Streets. It was released on 10 April 2006 in the United Kingdom and 25 April 2006 in North America. It is ...
'' (2006), '' Everything Is Borrowed'' (2008) and ''
Computers and Blues ''Computers and Blues'' is the fifth studio album by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under the music project The Streets. It was officially released in the United Kingdom on 7 February 2011; at the time Skinner said it would be the la ...
'' (2011). The Streets also released a string of successful singles during this time, which reached the Top 40 on the UK Singles chart – including "
Has It Come to This? "Has It Come to This?" is a song by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner under the music project the Streets. It was released in October 2001 as the lead single from their debut album '' Original Pirate Material''. The song reached number 18 ...
", " Fit but You Know It", "
Dry Your Eyes "Dry Your Eyes" is a single by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner under the music project the Streets. The song describes the protagonist trying to cope with his girlfriend breaking up with him. It was released in the UK on 19 July 2004. ...
" (the project's only number-one single), "
When You Wasn't Famous "When You Wasn't Famous" is a single by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner under the music project The Streets. It is the first single from their third studio album, ''The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living''. Released on 30 March 2006, it ...
" and " Prangin' Out". After disbanding The Streets in 2011, Skinner pursued several other musical projects before ultimately reviving the moniker in 2017. A mixtape, ''
None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive ''None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive'' is a mixtape by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under his music project the Streets. It was released on 10 July 2020 under Island Records. Singles On 14 April 2020, the Streets announ ...
'', was released in 2020. The Streets' sixth studio album, '' The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light'', was released in September 2023. The Streets is considered one of the most important and influential acts within the trajectory of hip-hop,
garage A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include: *Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicl ...
and
grime music Grime is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) that emerged in London in the early 2000s. It developed out of the earlier UK dance style UK garage, and draws influences from jungle, dancehall, and hip hop. The style is typified by rapid, sy ...
within the UK. In 2020, ''Pitchfork'' described ''Original Pirate Material'' as "a landmark for
UK rap UK rap, also known as British hip hop or UK hip hop or British rap, is a music genre and culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. The development of UK rap was shaped by a distinct set of regional inf ...
", while ''
Dazed ''Dazed'' (''Dazed & Confused'' until February 2014) is a quarterly British lifestyle magazine founded in 1991. It covers music, fashion, film, art, and literature. ''Dazed'' is published by Dazed Media, an independent media group known for produ ...
'' wrote in 2018 that the album "soundtracked the beginning of a decade – recovering from the
Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s United Kingdom, British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, with significant influences from British guitar pop of the 1960s and 1970s. B ...
hangover and comedown from
New Labour New Labour is the political philosophy that dominated the history of the British Labour Party from the mid-late 1990s to 2010 under the leadership of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The term originated in a conference slogan first used by the ...
euphoria – but also defined it."


History


2001–2003: ''Original Pirate Material''

Mike Skinner sent a demo tape to a record shop in north London, run by A&R Nick Worthington. The song developed into Skinner's first single, "
Has It Come to This? "Has It Come to This?" is a song by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner under the music project the Streets. It was released in October 2001 as the lead single from their debut album '' Original Pirate Material''. The song reached number 18 ...
", and was released under the name The Streets. The song peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart in October 2001. The Streets' debut album, ''
Original Pirate Material ''Original Pirate Material'' is the debut studio album by English hip hop project the Streets, released on 25 March 2002. Recorded mostly in a room in a south London house rented at the time by principal member Mike Skinner, the album is musica ...
'', was released in March 2002. The album was successful both with critics and the general public. In the UK, the album was nominated for the
Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...
. ''Original Pirate Material'' was nominated for British Album of the Year, and The Streets was nominated for British Urban Act, British Breakthrough Act and British Male Solo Artist at the
2003 BRIT Awards Brit Awards 2003 was the 23rd edition of the annual Brit Awards pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. It was organised by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 20 February 2003 at Earls Court in London. British Newcom ...
. ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' named ''Original Pirate Material'' as the third best album of 2002. Subsequent singles from ''Original Pirate Material'' include "
Don't Mug Yourself "Don't Mug Yourself" is a song by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner under the music project the Streets. It was released in October 2002 as the fourth and final single from their debut studio album, '' Original Pirate Material''. It reache ...
", "
Weak Become Heroes "Weak Become Heroes" is a song by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner under the music project the Streets. It was released in July 2002 as the third single from their debut studio album, '' Original Pirate Material''. Background The song con ...
" and "Let's Push Things Forward".


2004–2005: ''A Grand Don't Come for Free''

In May 2004, Skinner released the single " Fit but You Know It", which peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. The single was later used by
EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they imitated real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" (EASN) ...
as part of the soundtrack for its video game ''
FIFA Football 2005 ''FIFA Football 2005'', also known as ''FIFA Soccer 2005'' in North America or simply ''FIFA 2005'', is a football simulation video game released in 2004. It was developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for the Pl ...
''. "Fit But You Know It" appeared on The Streets' second album, ''
A Grand Don't Come for Free ''A Grand Don't Come for Free'' is the second studio album by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under the music project the Streets. It was released on 17 May 2004 and is listed in the book ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die''. ...
''. The album entered the UK album charts at number two, but later reached number one after six weeks. The album's second single, "
Dry Your Eyes "Dry Your Eyes" is a single by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner under the music project the Streets. The song describes the protagonist trying to cope with his girlfriend breaking up with him. It was released in the UK on 19 July 2004. ...
", debuted at the top of the chart in the UK. " Blinded by the Lights", the third single from ''A Grand Don't Come for Free'', peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart in 2004.


2006–2007: ''The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living''

The Streets' third studio album, ''
The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living ''The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living'' is the third studio album by Mike Skinner (musician), Mike Skinner, under the music project The Streets. It was released on 10 April 2006 in the United Kingdom and 25 April 2006 in North America. It is ...
'', was released on 10 April 2006. In the UK it debuted the album chart at number one.


2008–2009: ''Everything Is Borrowed''

In September 2008, The Streets released their fourth studio album, '' Everything Is Borrowed''. One song from the album was on Skinner's
Myspace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
page for a while before being replaced by a cover of "
Your Song "Your Song" is a song written by musician Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was John's first international Top 10 chart single. "Your Song" was first released by American rock band Three Dog Night in March 1970 ...
". In a posting on his Myspace blog, Skinner noted that the group's upcoming LP would contain "peaceful, positive vibes" in comparison with 2006's "weird guilt-ridden indulgence" that was ''The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living.'' In a blurb about the album on Skinner's Myspace, he says, "This album started off life as parables but then I realised that it might get a bit cheesy so I got rid of the alien song and the devil song replaced them with more straight up songs. I've pretty much kept my promise that I made to myself not to reference modern life on any of them though which is hard to do and keep things personal at the same time."


2010–2011: ''Computers and Blues'' and ''Cyberspace and Reds''

In November 2010, Skinner announced on the official The Streets website, that he would release what he referred to as a
mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...
album called '' Cyberspace and Reds'', consisting of various recordings he had made since he had finished work on the final Streets album, ''
Computers and Blues ''Computers and Blues'' is the fifth studio album by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under the music project The Streets. It was officially released in the United Kingdom on 7 February 2011; at the time Skinner said it would be the la ...
''. ''Cyberspace and Reds'' was released in January 2011, initially only for download via the Streets iPhone app. A so-called "deluxe" edition was later made available for general download through the Streets website. The fifth album ''
Computers and Blues ''Computers and Blues'' is the fifth studio album by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under the music project The Streets. It was officially released in the United Kingdom on 7 February 2011; at the time Skinner said it would be the la ...
'' was released on 7 February 2011, the first single being "Going Through Hell".


2017–present

On 22 December 2017, The Streets released two new tracks: "Burn Bridges" and "Sometimes I Hate My Friends More Than My Enemies". It was The Streets' first new music released in six years. In 2018, The Streets released three singles: "If You Ever Need to Talk I'm not Here" was released on 31 January, "You Are Not the Voice in Your Head..." was released on 30 March, and "Call Me in the Morning" was released on 22 November. On 1 April 2020, Skinner announced a new single featuring Australian music project
Tame Impala Tame Impala is the psychedelic music project of Australian singer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker (musician), Kevin Parker. In the recording studio, Parker writes, records, performs, and produces all of the project's music. As a touring a ...
, included on a
mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...
titled ''
None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive ''None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive'' is a mixtape by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under his music project the Streets. It was released on 10 July 2020 under Island Records. Singles On 14 April 2020, the Streets announ ...
'', released 10 July 2020. The track premiered on Annie Mac's
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
show. In March 2021, following the UK Government's announced
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
restriction easing timetable, The Streets released the single ''Who's Got the Bag (21st June)''. Referencing the earliest possible date when nightclubs could reopen and the names of members of government the single was described by Skinner as a "end of lockdown celebratory track". In October 2023, the first studio album in twelve years, '' The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light'', was released.


Band members

Current members * Mike Skinner – vocals, arrangement, composition, mixing, keyboards, synthesizers (1994–2011; 2017–present) Current contributors and live musicians * Kevin Mark Trail – vocals, production, composition (1994–2003, 2007–2011, 2018–present) * Wayne Bennett – bass guitar, composition, guitar (2007–2011, 2018–present) * Rob Harvey – vocals, guitar (2011, 2018–present) * Cassell the Beatmaker – drums (2011, 2018–present) Former contributors and live musicians * Johnny "Drum Machine" Jenkins – drums, percussion, orchestration, production (1994–2011) *
Morgan Nicholls Morgan Daniel Nicholls (born 18 March 1971) is an English musician, a member of English pop band Senseless Things who is best known for performing with Muse, Gorillaz, The Streets and Lily Allen. He has released one solo album under the mononym ...
– bass guitar, guitar, percussion, programing piano, synthesizers (2003–2005; 2008) *
Leo the Lion Leo the Lion may refer to: Film and television * Leo the Lion (MGM), the mascot of the Hollywood film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer * ''Leo the Lion'' (2005 film), an Italian animated film * ''Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle'', a 1994 Japanese anima ...
– vocals (2003–2007) * Mike Millrain – synths, soundboard, guitar, bass guitar, production * Chris Brown – synths, piano, keyboards * Eddie Jenkins – keyboards, piano *
Stuart Coleman The Music was an English alternative rock band, formed in Kippax, Leeds in 1999. Comprising Robert Harvey (vocals, guitar), Adam Nutter (lead guitar), Stuart Coleman (bass) and Phil Jordan (drums), the band came to prominence with the releas ...
– bass guitar * Steve Corley – keyboards * Laura Vane – vocals * Rich Wheatley – keyboards (2002-2003)


Discography

* ''
Original Pirate Material ''Original Pirate Material'' is the debut studio album by English hip hop project the Streets, released on 25 March 2002. Recorded mostly in a room in a south London house rented at the time by principal member Mike Skinner, the album is musica ...
'' (2002) * ''
A Grand Don't Come for Free ''A Grand Don't Come for Free'' is the second studio album by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under the music project the Streets. It was released on 17 May 2004 and is listed in the book ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die''. ...
'' (2004) * ''
The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living ''The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living'' is the third studio album by Mike Skinner (musician), Mike Skinner, under the music project The Streets. It was released on 10 April 2006 in the United Kingdom and 25 April 2006 in North America. It is ...
'' (2006) * '' Everything Is Borrowed'' (2008) * ''
Computers and Blues ''Computers and Blues'' is the fifth studio album by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under the music project The Streets. It was officially released in the United Kingdom on 7 February 2011; at the time Skinner said it would be the la ...
'' (2011) * '' The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light'' (2023)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Streets, The 679 Artists artists XL Recordings artists English electronic music groups Musical groups from Birmingham, West Midlands Brit Award winners Ivor Novello Award winners UK garage groups Alternative hip-hop groups English hip-hop groups Hip house music groups Grime music groups Musical groups established in 1994 Musical groups disestablished in 2011 Musical groups reestablished in 2017 Atlantic Records artists Locked On Records artists BT Digital Music Awards winners