Samuel Justin Jude Clarke, better known by his stage name Ghetts (formerly Ghetto), is a British grime MC, rapper and songwriter. His music has been played on national radio stations such as BBC Radio 1, Kiss 100, BBC Asian Network, and BBC Radio 1Xtra. Currently, Ghetts is signed to independent record label Disrupt, and released his debut studio album, Rebel with a Cause, on 9 March 2014. Known for his hard hitting lyrics and intricate rhyme schemes, he is associated and has toured internationally with such acts as Kano and was a member of NASTY Crew.
Musical career
Ghetts was a member of grime collective NASTY Crew, however he left, saying that things had gone "pear shaped" due to the number of people in the group. He later went on to create the grime collective The Movement, including Devlin, Wretch 32, Scorcher, Mercston, Lightning, and DJ Unique. Ghetts has made a number of well-known songs within the UK grime scene. In 2008, Ghetts was nominated for a BET Award for Best International Act: UK along with Chipmunk, Giggs, and Skepta. In the end, Giggs took home the award.
In October 2020, Ghetts collaborated with Fraser T. Smith in the production of Smith's debut album "12 Questions".
2005: 2000 & Life
After being released from prison in 2003, at the age of nineteen years, Ghetto put out his first release, 2000 & Life in 2005. The mixtape contains 24 tracks and numerous collaborations. 2000 & Life is widely regarded as pioneering within the context of grime music.
Initially after his release from prison, Ghetto was using the artist name "Freedom", however the name "wasn't catching on". His friends used to say he was "ghetto" and did "ghetto things", which began to catch on. Stormin, a fellow Plaistow-based MC, released a song called "Day By Day" which contained the lyric, "Back in the day me and my bredrin Ghetto". Following the release, he took on the name "Ghetto".
Ghetto featured on Kano's album Home Sweet Home. In 2004, they filmed the video for "Typical Me" together, and Ghetto accompanied Kano on touring with Mike Skinner.
2007: Ghetto Gospel
In 2007, Ghetto released his second pre-album mixtape Ghetto Gospel. The mixtape was a departure from his previous release, 2000 & Life, being more mellow and featuring tracks about his female relationships: girlfriends, sister, and mother. In interviews, he has stated that the mixtape's calmer tone is to "prove people wrong", as he does not want to be typecast as an aggressive and angry rapper.
Ghetto Gospel was considered Ghetts' breakthrough of that year and era, with "Top 3 Selected" becoming an underground hit in its own right. He personally names this mixtape as his best body of work in many interviews.
The album is titled Ghetto Gospel to demonstrate that Ghetts has put his soul into creating it.
On 27 October 2007, Ghetts performed with Kano at the BBC Electric Proms, performing alongside a violinist.
Hypothetically, Ghetto Gospel was Ghetts' debut album in which he mislabelled it as a mixtape; due to a recent interview with Link Up TV where he described Ghetto Gospel being his first studio album, but became unsure as to what to label it due to industry influences and a lack of resources at that time to have called it a full LP. This means his debut album Rebel with a Cause (2014) is his second studio album.
2008: Freedom of Speech, Boy Better Know beef
On 10 March 2008, Ghetto released Freedom of Speech. It is predominantly a solo mixtape, and features no other producers aside Lewi White and Smasher (the pair responsible for "Back in Da Day").
Many grime fans say that Freedom of Speech is considered Ghetto's best body of work, especially with how dark and aggressive this mixtape was. Unknown to many, he also had "beef" with Boy Better Know (3 members from the crew that he had clashed previously in consecutive years) and two of the mixtape's songs were centered on each member of the crew. This type of promotion was what helped him increase record sales in famous retail stores. Some of the mixtape's content was banned from legal radio at the time, however, some of the songs' one-liners have go on to become famous trademarks in grime events.
It includes collaborations with Smasher, Griminal, Brutal, Chipmunk, and Devlin. Ghetto stated that the mixtape is more akin to 2000 & Life than Ghetto Gospel.
Ten years later, Freedom of Speech is still widely considered as a classic grime mixtape and most of the one-liners still get used for reloads in famous grime events such as Eskimo Dance.