WHEN iM ERE - Book

WHEN iM ERE 

A photo book by James Pearson-Howes documenting the UK grime scene, 2003–2012

Released 17.07.25

It was 2003 and I was working as a staff photographer at Vice magazine. The editor asked/told me to go shoot a young musician named Dylan, who went by the name Dizzee Rascal.

I turned up at his studio in South London.  After five minutes of awkward intros, we started shooting and he quickly got into it.  We spent a couple of hours bouncing around the rooftop and out on the street—his energy was infectious. I only shot two rolls of film that day, but more than 20 years later, I still love nearly every frame.

I remember playing Boy in Da Corner back at the Vice office. It confused me. I’d grown up on UK garage and happy hardcore—this sounded familiar but also totally alien. But after a week of listening on repeat, something clicked. I was sold. Grime was it.

James Pearson-Howes went on to photograph over 30 MCs and crews from the early grime scene, shooting for magazines like i-D, Dazed, Crack, The Guardian, RWD, and Vice. That body of work became a tribute to the pioneers of a sound that’s come to define British music and reshape youth culture over the past two decades. His book WHEN iM ERE is a testament to the forefathers of a musical genre that has gone on to dramatically change UK mainstream culture.

Foreword by Chantelle Fiddy. Interview featuring DaMetalMessiah in conversation with Slix from Ruff Sqwad

James Pearson-Howes is a London based photographer and director working across documentary, fashion and portraiture.  Over the past 2 decades he has honed his craft working for the likes of Adidas, Nike, BMW, Universal Music & Dr Martens as well as editorially with British Vogue & GQ Magazine. His previous book was British Folk (2012) was an exploration into the world of folk practices in Britain. 

Embossed slip case with rubber belly band
303mm x 224mm
56 images and photograms
13 A2 fold-out posters
Self-published limited edition of 500

Designed by Alfie Allen & Max Marshall