Stylistically, Grime, a UK-based urban vernacular from, takes from many genres including Dancehall, Drum and Bass and Hip Hop. Melodies combine futuristic electronic elements and dark, guttural bass lines. Grime is further typified by complex 2-step breakbeats, tempos generally around 140 beats per minute and the sampling of unorthodox sounds. Progenitors include Dizzee Rascal, Wiley and Lady Sovereign.
Reggaeton‘s cultural roots emerged from Afro-Caribbean culture in Panama during the late 1980s and 1990s. Jamaican Dancehall and Ragga had been filtering into the country for years, but it wasn’t until Spanish Hip Hop production took off in Puerto Rico that the sound began to gel into a distinct genre, as opposed to Ragga or Hip Hop with Spanish vocals. The foundational riddim of Reggaeton can be found on “Dem Bow,” a production by Bobby “Digital” Dixon for Jamaican Dancehall singer Shabba Ranks. Variations of the seminal beat lend the music its digital bass and tom thump. Some well-known Reggaeton artists include Tego Calderon, Daddy Yankee and Ivy Queen.
Ragga describes a digital production style characteristic of Hip Hop-influenced Dancehall that emerged in second half of the 1980s. It is a precursor to Grime in the UK and heavily influenced Kwaito in South Africa. The term is often used interchangeably with Dancehall.
Reggae emerged as a distinct genre around 1966 through 1968. The skank of the piano and guitar, which was constitutive of earlier Ska and Rocksteady, became even more pronounced and laid back in the offbeats. The guitar became more prevalent as well and horn melodies were toned down or tuned out. In addition to the romantic themes of Ska and Rocksteady, Reggae had a decidedly more political bent, with many artists incorporating Rastafarian as well as Black Nationalist themes. Important artists from the early transitional and early era of Reggae, before it became a catchall for Jamaican music, include Lee “Scratch Perry, The Pioneers, and Larry Marshall.
Genealogy of Kwaito 