As with any rapidly evolving underground scene, the history of grime is murky, at best. As far as America is concerned, however, it begins (and, for too many, ends) with Dizzee Rascal. His debut, Boy In Da Corner, is still the best introduction to the sound. Listen, particularly, to the fidgety, boinging "I Luv U" and the bare-bones opening track "Sittin' Here."

Though he rode Dizzee's coattails to America, Wiley is actually a grime foundational figure, and Dizzee's mentor. His influential 2002 track, "Ice Rink," supplied the sonic DNA for grime, and its influence can be heard in everything that's followed. Run the Road, a recent compilation by hipster label Vice Records, makes the case for the broader grime scene, and buzz is building for forthcoming releases by second-wave grime artists Kano and Lady Sovereign.

The best way to get beyond the smattering of stuff that makes it to the States is to listen the way Londoners do: Tune in to pirate radio, where the top grime DJs, producers, and MCs host their own shows. Pirate radio signals are broadcast illegally from rooftops around the city, and are occasionally interrupted by run-ins with the law, but many of the biggest stations also stream over the Web. RinseFM.com boasts the most star-studded lineup, with weekly shows by Wiley and the Roll Deep Crew, Slimzee, Plasticman, Jammer, and D Double E.

For the latest grime news, journalist Chantelle Fiddy's blog and RWD Magazine (where grime is called U.K. garage) are essential reading. Although the full magazine is hard to find in the States, the RWD Web site includes various interviews, profiles, and, most important, a U.K. Garage Top 20 Street Chart with full-length, streamable songs.