Matt Hancock’s 2017 column about loving grime music has resurfaced and people are struggling to wrap their heads around it.
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While it’s highly doubtful that Hancock could relate to any of the common themes and attitudes within Grime, the 42-year-old Secretary of State for Health and Social Care wrote about his love for the genre in The Times, and the piece has gone viral once again.
In it, he wrote:
As a grime fan, I know the power of the UK’s urban music scene. I have the great honour of championing British music around the world.
As we look out across the globe as a nation, our music is one of our strongest calling cards.
Noting that the UK is the second-largest music exporter after the USA, he said:
From classical to pop, punk to grime, the UK’s music is loved all over the world.
It hardly needs saying that this dominance is down to the ingenuity and creativity of British artists. So it is hugely important that music reflects the diversity of modern Britain.
For example, as a fan of grime music, I know our amazing urban music makes a massive contribution to our creative industries. The sounds of Skepta and Lady Leshurr are making waves across the world.
Jeez, can you imagine Matt Hancock returning from a long day at Parliament, loosening his tie and skanking out to some grime tunes to de-stress? Twitter couldn’t handle it:
If you’re dubious over how genuine Matt Hancock’s love for grime music is, you’re not alone. A year before he wrote that article, Hancock had claimed to be a fan of Skepta after the MC had won a Mercury Award, but was then unable to name a single song by the artist.
The Mirror reported that Hancock was speaking backstage at the Mercury Prize after-party when he said: “I’ve just met Skepta, why wouldn’t I be here? We listen to it in the back of the ministerial car.”
Asked to name his favourite track, Hancock turned to an aide and asked: “Jonathan, help me out here.” The aide then reminded him of the song that Skepta performed live at the ceremony – ‘Shutdown’. Whoops.
So yeah, either Matt Hancock found a Michael Bolton album in a Skepta sleeve by mistake or he’s just saying what he thinks people want to hear, like most politicians do. I’m gonna go for the latter.
If Matt Hancock really does want to prove his love for the grime scene though, maybe he can set Skepta up with colleague Priti Patel? The grime legend has made no secret of his fondness for the Tory MP in recent weeks.
