more on Mike

Another odd thing about that Streets record - can anyone recall a record in the hip hop / garage / urban genre which resists all temptation to brag about the rapper's finesse with lyrics or beats? Better than that, the words "The Streets" don't even appear on A Grand Don't Come For Free. In fact the only mention of music on the entire record is when Mike mentions his, erm, admiration for Femme Fatale, and even then he's not talking about her mixing skills. The closest it comes to "Original Pirate Material - you're listening to The Streets" is that 'No-one gives a crap about Mike' chorus - that's the only way he refers to himself. And the only other mention of music on the entire LP is oblique; that awkward trance riff in 'Blinded By The Lights'. I'm not sure why I really like this fact, as I've no objection to name-dropping in music. I just like the way he's decided not to.