The 2nd in the BADMEANINGOOD series came from the one and only Roots Manuva: unarguably one of the most influential figures in UK Hip-Hop. Raised in Stockwell by Jamaican parents, his father was a preacher and a tailor - and Roots Manuva’s music, undoubtedly a precursor to Grime, still fits the music it inspired like a bespoke suit. ‘Brand New, Second Hand’ (his debut for Ninja Tune’s ‘Big Dada’ label) signalled the arrival of influential voice - and his breakout single ‘Witness the Fitness’ is a stone-cold classic and very probably the best UK rap record ever made.
For the rear of the album artwork, Banksy produced a portrait of him featuring a radio aerial sprouting from his left ear -...