A Grand Don't Come For Free
by The Streets
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 226 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 180 out of 226
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 226
  3. Negative: 28 out of 226

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  1. SAVAGETOAST
    Aug 8, 2006
    7
    Not as good as the critics say. i'd recomend buying "original pirate material" by them. i find this album slow and preachy. A 7
  2. GlenB
    Jul 13, 2004
    6
    Good because it's the streets, but really it's pretty average. I had high expectations after OPM but this is a poor follow up. Losing money in a TV? Come on.
  3. ColbyB
    Dec 21, 2006
    6
    Maybe i don't know rap very well but i know Fruityloop beats when i hear them. I think i am biased towards the whole british rap thing as well, to me it sounds like a Wierd Al comical rap cover, listening to M&M is hard enough, add some 'bloody hells', 'wankers', 'twats', 'mate'. no emotion poetry reading over basic tired beats. It reminds me Maybe i don't know rap very well but i know Fruityloop beats when i hear them. I think i am biased towards the whole british rap thing as well, to me it sounds like a Wierd Al comical rap cover, listening to M&M is hard enough, add some 'bloody hells', 'wankers', 'twats', 'mate'. no emotion poetry reading over basic tired beats. It reminds me of the Numa-Numa guy.… Expand
  4. richardj
    Jun 22, 2006
    5
    Sorry why do you hype this man! He has minimal talent and is plainly musically retarded, wanna listen to a good english MC listen to Plan B, album out on 26th June in UK, hard hitting and relevant this is just totally Sh*T! Crap rhymes and Sh*tty beats!
  5. Zion
    Jun 10, 2004
    5
    just bad.. no beats, no harmony. just a long boring story. unacceptable for a band like the streets...ill try the next albun just in case they were "baked" when they made this one..
  6. darrins
    Jan 16, 2005
    5
    I dont get it. I mean, its creative, but not really my thing. I respect this guy, but hes far from being a lyrical genius. I hope this isnt where hip hop is heading. Personally, hip hop album of the year/decade is Madvilliany. This is more like techno with spoken word.
  7. AliR
    Mar 14, 2005
    5
    Confused and dull second coming that reaches for the stars but barely gets out of the earths orbit!
  8. benk
    Apr 23, 2006
    5
    I've seen a few reviews stating that Mike Skiinner "definitely took some risks" making this album. Risks? What risks? Original Pirate Material, if anything, was a risk, because it was so unique in an otherwise same-sounding genre. This new record is more of the same, hence my wonder: If your second record sounds like it could have been bundled with the first, what risks are you I've seen a few reviews stating that Mike Skiinner "definitely took some risks" making this album. Risks? What risks? Original Pirate Material, if anything, was a risk, because it was so unique in an otherwise same-sounding genre. This new record is more of the same, hence my wonder: If your second record sounds like it could have been bundled with the first, what risks are you taking with the album? It's a stretch calling this stuff 'music'. It's unique to be sure, but I still think it's slightly overrated. There's a value to originality, but there's also a value to cohesive rhythm and flow, which I feel this album (much like OPM) seriously lacks. What saved OPM was the handful of distinctive songs that this album lacks. "Fit But You Know It" is a good time.… Expand
  9. JT
    Jun 10, 2004
    4
    This album is a let-down compared to Original Pirate Material. Skinner's schtick wears thin early on when all he does is gripe about poor me type sh!t. At least with OPM there was some edge to the beats and his delivery was refreshingly different and varied between tracks. Now he seems to have shifted to cruise control, making some kind of "concept album" using presumably an episode This album is a let-down compared to Original Pirate Material. Skinner's schtick wears thin early on when all he does is gripe about poor me type sh!t. At least with OPM there was some edge to the beats and his delivery was refreshingly different and varied between tracks. Now he seems to have shifted to cruise control, making some kind of "concept album" using presumably an episode of his own life as the muse. The result- listenable but unimpressive. The critics have been jizzing over this album but I can't believe they've actually listened to it, or if so they must not have heard OPM first. Anyway, they've got me scratching my head, cause I don't get all the fuss.… Expand
  10. JosephP
    Jun 8, 2004
    4
    I can't stand this cd. Theres a few good parts but the majority of the cd is incredibly difficult to listen to. The tracks sound good but the british accent totally works against getting a flow going as far as word-play goes.
  11. ScottY
    Jul 9, 2005
    4
    I just didn't get it. It's highly-rated, but it seemed more like talking over electronica than music to me.
  12. DanielD.
    Jun 2, 2009
    3
    I'm pretty sure I could also make an album that sounded "like nothing else..." unfortunately it would be total garbage, just like this one. Call it lost in translation, say Americans just don't get it, whatever you want....this is annoying to the ear right off the bat, and it doesn't change the 2nd time around, either.
  13. MikeSkinner
    May 20, 2004
    2
    I think this album is pure crap. I am a brit and I kinda liked Original Pirate Material because the beats were fresh and original. His style was quirky and different and it felt like some geniune effort had gone into the album. This album, sounds like its completely unrehearsed and unplanned, the beats suck and listening to skinner and his mates singing his lame hooks is about as I think this album is pure crap. I am a brit and I kinda liked Original Pirate Material because the beats were fresh and original. His style was quirky and different and it felt like some geniune effort had gone into the album. This album, sounds like its completely unrehearsed and unplanned, the beats suck and listening to skinner and his mates singing his lame hooks is about as enjoyable as vomiting and looking for the peas. No effort has gone into this offering and I've produced better beats with Cubase and a sample cd. Not even worth dowloading this steaming turd. I just don't understand how it can get such good reviews and it just goes to show how many sheep there are in the industry, everyone jumps on the band wagon and follows the leader. Get a life make your own choices and don't support sh*t albums like this. … Expand
  14. EmilT
    Sep 2, 2005
    2
    too sweet
  15. DannyC
    Sep 7, 2004
    1
    You can't have but high expectations for this eagerly anticipated second installment from The Streets. Original Pirate Material rang out promises of originality, marrying an unusual blend of 2-step/British garage, hip hop and lucid lyrics, and you?re led to believe that at last, British hip hop is capable of coming all unto its own. You thought that if someone?s going to do, it may You can't have but high expectations for this eagerly anticipated second installment from The Streets. Original Pirate Material rang out promises of originality, marrying an unusual blend of 2-step/British garage, hip hop and lucid lyrics, and you?re led to believe that at last, British hip hop is capable of coming all unto its own. You thought that if someone?s going to do, it may as well be Mike Skinner. A Grand Don?t Come Free is a severe disappointment. All at once, the album is bland, elementary, repetitive, and a waste of time. The lyrics are watery and boring. Skinner is locked into some moronic quest to make good his mediocre, day-to-day existence, which quite frankly is not ?street?. It's not clever nor is it artistic. It?s dreary and I am not sure Skinner really tried that hard. More astonishingly, it?s garnering overrated and bloated reviews coast to coast from many of music?s fiercest critics. I can only reason that reviewers (mostly the Americans) who like Skinner's style may find his social commentary on Brit youth culture more fascinating than what whinging poms like me feel about this album, which is as appetizing as pig tripe. … Expand
  16. Marc
    Jul 30, 2004
    1
    How people can listen to The Streets in the first place baffles me! He doesn't sing or rap, he just talks! Who cares about listnening to stories about fast food and complaining about his broken TV, etc. The Streets for me, are overrated and just plain boring. And for his comparison with Eminem, he's not even in the same league!
  17. bobb
    Mar 24, 2005
    1
    this is just some bloke talking over elevator music ain't it. the 1 is for fit but don't you know it vid, but the album is shit
  18. Matt
    Aug 29, 2004
    1
    This guy is pretty terrible. Sorry. The white critics just love it when they find a white rapper who is unique but still inoffensive. Sure he is different, but seriously, his rhymes are elementary, the beats are sparse (and simple beats is not a progressive niche, hip hop has had that since the beginning), and while he does weave a somewhat interesting story for each track you must This guy is pretty terrible. Sorry. The white critics just love it when they find a white rapper who is unique but still inoffensive. Sure he is different, but seriously, his rhymes are elementary, the beats are sparse (and simple beats is not a progressive niche, hip hop has had that since the beginning), and while he does weave a somewhat interesting story for each track you must realize that when you have unrestricted lyrics due to simple or even nonexistent rhymes it's pretty easy to tell a story over a beat. At least he is not as bad as Dizzee Rascal, jesus that guy is shit. You want some progressive hip hop? Go check out the Anticon label, Atmosphere, or Sage Francis.… Expand
  19. stevem
    Sep 7, 2004
    0
    I hope my vote brings down the overall score for this terrible album. It's a shame I beleived waht was written in these high-score reviews for A Grand.... after listening to it, I 100% disagree with all of them. Come on people, you made me waste my money on a crap album. You're suppose to critics, not lemmings.
  20. AlexH
    Oct 11, 2005
    0
    Will never top the first album, especially not with this effort.
  21. JacksonAnimal
    Mar 1, 2006
    0
    This is the epitome of awful music. His ryhmes, or lack thereof, are a mindless dribble of nonsense. II admit that nothing else sounds like this; but to many people are influenced into thinking that it is good because of that.This is bad music; there is no flow, there is no good content, and there is only a slow, lethargic and rough stream of noise. I think that the beats are good but to This is the epitome of awful music. His ryhmes, or lack thereof, are a mindless dribble of nonsense. II admit that nothing else sounds like this; but to many people are influenced into thinking that it is good because of that.This is bad music; there is no flow, there is no good content, and there is only a slow, lethargic and rough stream of noise. I think that the beats are good but to put such rubbish over the beats is sacrilege. Not one critic has given a good reason as to why he believes that this is a good album. The fact that this album got such high reviews just goes to show how biased these pundits are towards new concepts. Critics laud those who make new extreme, albiet awful, music while critizing those who make good rock or hip-hop albums. A Grand Don't Come For Free is just cut and dry bad music. Do yourself a favor and pick up some good music.… Expand
  22. SamM
    Oct 12, 2004
    0
    he's talking, thats it he's talking with a slight hint of a rythm plain bollocks
  23. DavidT
    Feb 8, 2006
    0
    Reminds me if David Brent from BBC's The Office made a rap album. mike Skinner can't rap, he just speaks in a brit accent over crappy beats. How does this get such great reviews? Just awful
  24. AlanK.
    Feb 27, 2008
    0
    Excruciating. It may be supposed to be a parody of Eminem - it sounds a lot like Jilted John, which was definitely a parody of punk - and if so it's grimly hilarious. Otherwise...
  25. BarryL
    Jan 14, 2005
    0
    This album is not an album. It's not even music. There's no harmony, no tune, and they don't actually sing. Not once. At all. Zilch. And at the times when they attempt to do so they are way out of tune. In short, S**T.
  26. JeffR
    Jan 31, 2005
    0
    What the hell is this crap? What is it that I don't get that everybody else seems to? I don't see any musical insight in here at all. In fact, this CD actually was painful to listen too. Odd tempos, bad timing, tuneless singing (when there is any). This CD is amazingly bad. I always thought I had an open mind about music. Now I'm not so sure.
  27. RyanC
    Feb 22, 2005
    0
    Please. This man is single-handedly making 'chavs' (a new form of human street rat) accepted in my country. We must wipe these people out before they steal our precious time and money. Culture will judge you if you like this
  28. MarkD
    Feb 19, 2007
    0
    The English Eminem??? Um, He's white and he raps but thats where the comparisons end. Eminem had decent lyrics and the odd thing resembeling a tune, remember. Original??? Creative??? No, Kid A, Sgt Peppers and Surfa Rosa could arguably be called inventive but this? NEVER! Overhyped??? Hell yeah!!! The best review compares him to Ray Davies and Brian Wilson. Funniest thing i ever The English Eminem??? Um, He's white and he raps but thats where the comparisons end. Eminem had decent lyrics and the odd thing resembeling a tune, remember. Original??? Creative??? No, Kid A, Sgt Peppers and Surfa Rosa could arguably be called inventive but this? NEVER! Overhyped??? Hell yeah!!! The best review compares him to Ray Davies and Brian Wilson. Funniest thing i ever read. Thanks for giving me the biggest laugh i've had in years Launch.com!!!… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best Album of 2004
11
#11 Most Discussed Album of 2004
36
#36 Most Shared Album of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Vibe
    70
    11 frenetic, oddball, and extremely original tracks. [Jun 2004, p.154]
  2. The New York Times
    70
    The problem with "A Grand Don't Come for Free" is that the pieces often work better as stories than as songs.... But it is still a thrill to hear Mr. Skinner toy with the form that he invented.
    Read full review
  3. Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
    83
    This makes engrossing listening if the effort suits you, but it's useless as background music.
    Read full review
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