A Grand Don't Come for Free (2004)

A Grand Don't Come for Free is the second studio album by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under the music project the Streets. It was released on 17 May 2004 and is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It is a rap opera and concept album that follows the story of its protagonist's relationship with a girl named Simone, alongside the mysterious loss of £1,000 from his home (the eponymous "grand").

Plot

In the story, the protagonist loses £1,000, or a "grand" in slang terms, and strives to recoup the money.

In his book The Story of the Streets, Skinner explained his decision to create a story that ran through the album:"The reason I decided to write A Grand Don't Come for Free as episodes from a single unfolding narrative was because I'd got so into my songwriting manuals and books by Hollywood screen-writing gurus – not just Robert McKee but Syd Field and John Truby as well – and I wanted to try and put what I'd learnt from them into practice. Every song needs a drama at the centre of it, and once you have the drama, the song writes itself – that's what I firmly believed, and still do believe. I'm not alone in this conviction, either. It's something pretty much all rappers seem to be sure about."

In the first track on the album, "It Was Supposed to Be So Easy", Skinner attempts several tasks during a day, but they do not go according to plan – he mistakenly leaves a DVD he'd rented behind while taking its empty box to return it, tries to withdraw money only to find he has insufficient funds, and is unable to call his mother due to his phone's battery running out. When he comes home he cannot find the £1,000 he has saved and his television is broken. In the process of trying to recover the money he:

Starts seeing a girl called Simone who works in JD Sports with his friend Dan. ("Could Well Be In")

Tries to recover the £1,000 by gambling on football. After a series of wins, he frustratingly cannot get to the bookmakers in time to make a big gamble. Fortuitously, the prediction is wrong — it is his lucky day. ("Not Addicted")

Is stood up at a nightclub by Simone, so he passes the time drinking alcohol and taking ecstasy. He thinks he sees Simone kissing Dan but the drug-induced high distracts him before he can think about it properly. ("Blinded By the Lights")

Moves into Simone's house and finds himself comfortable smoking marijuana there, rather than drinking with his friends at the pub. ("Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way")

Argues with Simone and gets kicked out of her house. ("Get Out of My House")

Poses to impress a girl in a take away restaurant during a heavy night drinking on holiday. ("Fit But You Know It")

Flies back from the holiday and remorsefully reviews the events of the previous night during a phone call to a friend, realising he still wants to be with Simone. ("Such a Twat")

Suspects his mate Scott of stealing his coat, money, and girlfriend but discovers that Simone is actually having an affair with Dan. ("What is He Thinking?")

Tries to cope with his girlfriend breaking up with him. ("Dry Your Eyes")

Deals with the events of his life in one of two ways; the final track, "Empty Cans", features two endings to the plot, a bitter ending and a happy ending (the former where he and a TV repairman get into a fight over the repairman's fee, and the latter in which he reconciles with his mates and finds the £1,000 had fallen down the back of the TV, making it malfunction).

The B-side of the UK single release of "Fit But You Know It" is the song "Soaked by the Ale". The story of this song takes place between the events of "Fit But You Know It" and "Such a Twat". It documents one of Skinner's mates being annoyed at Mike for stealing a tub of ice cream whilst on holiday in Spain as a result of his excessive drinking. The chronological order is identified in "Such a Twat" where Skinner raps "And that incident with the ice cream I forgot, it all ended in our vodka".

Like the Streets' debut album, Original Pirate Material, the album was recorded in a flat in south London, but this time in Skinner's own flat in Stockwell which he had bought using the money he had received upon signing his publishing deal.

Artwork

The front cover of the album features Skinner posing in a bus shelter at night, taken by British photographer Ewen Spencer.

Singles

The first single from the album, "Fit But You Know It" reached number four on the UK Singles Charts with the second single, "Dry Your Eyes" entering the UK Charts at number one. The album itself reached number one in the UK Album Charts, number eleven in Australia and number eighty-two in the United States.

• "Fit But You Know It" Released: 3 May 2004 No. 4 UK
• "Dry Your Eyes" Released: 26 July 2004 No. 1 UK
• "Blinded by the Lights" Released: 4 October 2004 No. 10 UK
• "Could Well Be In" Released: 6 December 2004 No. 30 UK