Grime, Garage, Growing Up Underground & Being Famous in Sheffield – Shinobi

Sheffield legend Shinobi joins us to talk about growing up in the city’s underground music scene — from sneaking into youth clubs and pirate radio, to selling thousands of DIY mixtapes recorded with socks over microphones. We dive into the rise of UK garage, grime, bassline and speed garage in Sheffield, the early days of Bluetooth sharing, under-18 raves, All Out Crew, and how tracks like Dirty Girl and the Clubs & Spades project shaped a generation locally. Shinobi opens up about being “famous in Sheffield but still working a 9–5,” the reality behind recognition, rivalry between crews, the emotional side of making honest music, and why community — not clout — kept the scene alive.