A Grand Don't Come For Free is a lesson in two things: the disregarded importance of narrative economy in Hip-Hop and the law of conservation. Skinner's previous album Original Pirate Material reintroduced the storytelling aspect, one popular with hip-hop forefathers like Grandmaster Flash, Slick Rick, Eric B. & Rakim, and DJ Kool Herc. seen mainly as atavistic and cheesy now, Skinner has updated the fashion (along with fellow Brit cohorts Roots Manuva and Dizzee Rascal) to suit a modern environ: the block. Pirate Material was a glimpse into Skinner's theater, one filled with happiness, destitution, and lots of weed and wrapped it in plenty of charm and lyrical talent. there've been rampant comparisons to Eminem, an artist that gets too much credit for being mediocre, which is basically an inappropriate gauge of a style that has enough credibility on its own.

Skinner returns on A Grand evidencing the mutability of events within the same street, day, and with the same people (hence the thermodynamics lesson). this is the greater musical frame as both the first and last tracks display a series fo events that flow from auspicious to dispiriting ('It Was Supposed to Be so Easy') and vice versa ('Empty Cans'). the middle adheres to and refrains from that genre, showcasing Skinner's penchant for delivery and humor. 'Get Out Of My House' and 'What is He Thinking' explore Skinner's thoughts and verbal interchange, offering insight into his interpersonal relations. 'Such a Twat,' 'Dry Your Eyes' and 'Fit But You Know It' are perhaps his most honest moments of soliloquizing and general introspection, the first two being of regret while the last of humorous, fatuous admiration.

the beats aren't as strong as the last work, but i think that's following a general, more pedestrian formula to the music. Original Pirate Material played with a bit more tension and gravitas and portrayed greater seriousness with songs like 'Geezers Need Excitement' and even the humorous bits ('Too Much Brandy' and 'Don't Mug Yourself'). while i certainly miss that heft, it doesn't terribly deflate Skinner's latest effort. if anything it shows respectable dexterity with a flow that he could have easily been locked into. A Grand Don't Come For Free is well-written, well-produced, and well-executed. i guess now the question is whether Skinner will advance past the local pub.