15. Ruff Sqwad - White Label Classics
Ruff Sqwad, one of grime's most infamous crews, were undoubtedly responsible (along with Eskiboy Wiley) for the most memorable production to emerge from the genre. Many of their best tracks had been long out of print, but No Hats No Hoods finally pulled together an exceptional instrumental compilation for release in 2013. It was well worth the wait. Almost all of Prince Rapid, XTC and Dirty Danger's best soundscapes are laid out here, and they arguably sound even better when freed from the pressures of holding up the flows of Ruff Sqwad's MCs. There's the sample of The Police that drives Together, the gorgeous deconstruction of Cutting Crew's Died In Your Arms, the tear-jerking Your Love Feels, the gritty strangeness of Move 2 Dis... And, of course, probably the most famous track produced by the group, XTC's unbelievably catchy and inventive Functions On The Low - a masterclass in minimal production. If you want to know about classic grime production, look no further. WLC captures grime at its most youthful and inventive.