Grime events seem to have had a rather bad reputation in the last few weeks (hell, when have they ever had a good reputation?).

But those that do make the effort to put them on and venture to them know that 99.9% of the time, it’s nothing but good music and good vibes. I would imagine this is what East London MC Rival had in mind when preparing for the launch party for his recently released CD 'Lord Rivz'. He even declared on Twitter that this night “isn’t a Boxing match” and that everyone should “behave themselves”.

As I arrived at East Village, DJ Vectra was on the decks spinning a great mix of old school garage and grime. The room quickly began to fill with grime fans and artists alike. Around midnight, Kozzie took the first step to the mic and began the night’s events. Man of the hour Rival followed which really got things moving. He was soon joined in the DJ booth with Lioness, Jammin, D Power and a rousing set by Big Narstie.

Following Vectra’s mammoth set, DJ Logan Sama took over the musical reigns with Roll Deep member Manga and Discarda, who I unfortunately wasn’t able to stay and watch, although, rumour has it Manga stayed on the mic well after the lights had been switched on!

Overall, it was a great night and a great night for grime in general. While the turnout probably wasn’t as strong as expected, those that did come out for the night were treated to a thrilling set of MC’s, DJ’s spinning some of the best music on offer and... A great vibe! The only thing the night was missing was Party Rings! Big shouts to Rival!

'Lord Rivz' is out now on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/lord-rivz/id479091512

www.twitter.com/jusrival

WORDS: Courtney Buck