The first mixtape from stand-out crew Ruff Sqwad is a key example of the DIY style of grime. Now effectively a decade old, it remains as fun and as confrontational as when it was first released - a testament to both the production of Dirty Danger and Prince Rapid, and the youthful talents of MCs Danger, Rapid, Slix, Shifty Rydos and soon-to-be megastar Tinchy Stryder (amongst others). There isn't a bad track on the release, because even those that feature slightly weaker rhymes of less innovative production still maintain an edginess and a freedom that most other grime releases lack. The best tunes - the looping samples of gang-vocal Calmer, the Eski sounds of Ice Cream, Dirty's solo track, Wiley's all-too-brief feature on Wild Clipse - rival anything else in grime. Listening back to this mixtape, it's clear why Ruff Sqwad have gone on to become legendary for their production in particular. While White Label Classics shows off their ability to create evocative beats that destroyed those of everyone else, Guns 'N' Roses Vol. 1 highlights how effective their tracks were at backing up some of the most gifted MCs in the scene.
