Editing Original Pirate Material

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Original Pirate Material
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[the Streets]]
| cover      = OriginalPirateMaterial.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = 25 March 2002
| recorded   = 2001–2002
| studio     = Mike Skinner's house, [[Brixton]], London
| genre      = {{hlist|[[Alternative hip hop]]|[[electronica]]|[[UK garage]]|[[2-step garage]]}}
| length     = 47:24
| label      = {{hlist|[[Locked On Records|Locked On]]|[[679 Artists|679]]}}
| producer   = [[Mike Skinner (musician)|Mike Skinner]]
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title = [[All Got Our Runnins]]
| next_year  = 2003
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Original Pirate Material
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[Has It Come to This?]]
 | single1date = 8 October 2001
 | single2     = [[Let's Push Things Forward]]
 | single2date = 15 April 2002
 | single3     = [[Weak Become Heroes]]
 | single3date = 22 July 2002
 | single4     = [[Don't Mug Yourself]]
 | single4date = 21 October 2002
 }}
}}

'''''Original Pirate Material''''' is the debut studio album by English [[hip hop music|hip hop]] project [[the Streets]], released on 25 March 2002. Recorded mostly in a room in a south London house rented at the time by principal member [[Mike Skinner (musician)|Mike Skinner]], the album is musically influenced by [[UK garage]] and American hip hop, while its lyrics tell stories of British working-class life. It was supported by four singles: "[[Has It Come to This?]]", "[[Let's Push Things Forward]]", "[[Weak Become Heroes]]", and "[[Don't Mug Yourself]]".

The album originally rose to number 12 on the [[UK Albums Chart]] in 2002, and then peaked at number 10 in 2004 following the release of the chart-topping second Streets album ''[[A Grand Don't Come for Free]]''. It re-entered several charts in April 2022, following its reissue on orange vinyl for 2022's [[Record Store Day]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lavin |first=Will |title=The Streets announce ''Original Pirate Material'' 20th anniversary vinyl |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-streets-announce-original-pirate-material-20th-anniversary-vinyl-3192224 |magazine=[[NME]] |date=28 March 2022 |access-date=29 April 2022}}</ref> ''Original Pirate Material'' received widespread critical acclaim, with many reviewers praising the originality and humour of Skinner's lyrics, and subsequent critics' polls have placed it among the best albums of the 2000s.

==Background==
Skinner has stated that his main early influences were from the United States, in particular [[Wu-Tang Clan]] rappers such as [[Raekwon]] and [[RZA]], as well as [[East Coast rap|East Coast]] rapper [[Nas]]'s album ''[[Illmatic]]''. However, Skinner attributes the album as emerging from the [[UK garage]] scene of the late 1990s.{{sfn|Skinner|2012|p=19}} His stance when making the album was to combine the UK garage sound with a lyrical content about "all the little adventures you go on" rather than the style of [[UK hip hop]], which he accused of being "someone from [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] pretending to be [[The Notorious B.I.G.|Biggie]] or [[Q-Tip (musician)|Q-Tip]]".{{sfn|Skinner|2012|p=21}}

Journalist [[Simon Reynolds]] identified the album's lyrical content as capturing UK garage's "submerged reality" as a genre not based in [[nightclub]]s. Outside London in the late 1990s, UK garage was rarely played in clubs but was instead found on [[pirate radio]] stations, reflected by the album's title.<ref>{{cite book |first=Simon |last=Reynolds |author-link=Simon Reynolds |title=Bring the Noise |publisher=[[Faber and Faber]] |location=London, England |page=340 |date=2007 |isbn=978-0-5712-3207-9}}</ref>

==Recording==
Recording for ''Original Pirate Material'' lasted over a year, with Skinner recording the bulk of the album in the room he was renting in a house in [[Brixton]] in south London.{{sfn|Skinner|2012|p=83}} The instrumental tracks were created on an [[IBM]] [[ThinkPad]], while Skinner used an emptied out wardrobe as a vocal booth using duvets and mattresses to reduce [[echo (phenomenon)|echo]].{{sfn|Skinner|2012|p=84}} Direct influences on the album included the 2000 film ''[[Gladiator (2000 film)|Gladiator]]'', which inspired the lyrics of "Turn the Page", the opening track of the album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=1&title=listomania_10_best_songs_with_no_choruse&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 |title=10 Amazing Songs Without Choruses - NME Blogs - NME.COM - The world's fastest music news service, music videos, interviews, photos and more |work=NME|date=2009-12-09 |access-date=2012-11-04}}</ref> He eschewed analogue recording equipment and recorded and mixed the album entirely on [[Logic Pro]], a [[digital audio workstation]].<ref>[http://www2.solidstatelogic.com/news/mike-skinner-aka-streets-installs-solid-state-logic-duality-console Mike Skinner, AKA The Streets, installs Solid State Logic Duality console]. Solid State Logic (7 July 2011). Retrieved 2017-02-06.</ref>

==Artwork==
The cover artwork depicts the south face of the Kestrel House [[Tower blocks in Great Britain|tower block]] on [[City Road]], London at night. The photo was taken in 1995 by German photographer [[Rut Blees Luxemburg]] using an [[Long-exposure photography|eight-minute exposure]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Stokes |first=Tim |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-43318498 |title=Revisiting London's iconic album cover images |work=BBC News |date=2 June 2018 |access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref>

==Critical reception==
{{Album ratings
| MC         = 90/100<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/original-pirate-material/the-streets |title=Reviews for Original Pirate Material by The Streets |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=4 March 2012}}</ref>
| rev1       = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score  = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/original-pirate-material-mw0000662618 |title=Original Pirate Material – The Streets |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=4 March 2012 |last=Bush |first=John}}</ref>
| rev2       = ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''
| rev2score  = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=128 |title=The Streets: Original Pirate Material |magazine=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]] |location=New York |issue=11 |page=143 |date=November 2002 |access-date=9 January 2016 |last=Salamon |first=Jeff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060504144156/http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=128 |archive-date=4 May 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev3       = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev3score  = A<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2002/09/20/original-pirate-material/ |title=Original Pirate Material |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |location=New York |date=20 September 2002 |access-date=1 September 2012 |last=Hermes |first=Will |author-link=Will Hermes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109130505/http://www.ew.com/article/2002/09/20/original-pirate-material |archive-date=9 January 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev4       = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| rev4score  = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Pirates and predators |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] Friday Review |page=14 |location=London |date=15 March 2002 |last=Costa |first=Maddy}}</ref>
| rev5       = ''[[NME]]''
| rev5score  = 9/10<ref name="NME20020316">{{cite magazine |title=Geezer Good |magazine=[[NME]] |location=London |date=16 March 2002 |page=28 |last=Robinson |first=John}}</ref>
| rev6       = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev6score  = 7.9/10<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/7531-original-pirate-material/ |title=The Streets: Original Pirate Material |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=22 August 2002 |access-date=18 August 2012 |last=Mitchum |first=Rob}}</ref>
| rev7       = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev7score  = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thestreets/albums/album/255671/review/5942375/original_pirate_material |title=The Streets: ''Original Pirate Material'' |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |location=New York |issue=908 |date=31 October 2002 |access-date=15 September 2015 |last=Edwards |first=Gavin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529152400/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thestreets/albums/album/255671/review/5942375/original_pirate_material |archive-date=29 May 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev8       = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev8score  = 8/10<ref name="SpinNov2002">{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H54z_qZN4pMC&pg=PA128 |title=The Streets: ''Original Pirate Material'' |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |location=New York |volume=18 |issue=11 |page=128 |date=November 2002 |access-date=10 July 2014 |last=Caramanica |first=Jon |author-link=Jon Caramanica}}</ref>
| rev9       = ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]''
| rev9score  = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Streets: ''Original Pirate Material'' |magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |location=London |issue=59 |date=April 2002 |page=92}}</ref>
| rev10      = ''[[The Village Voice]]''
| rev10score = A−<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv103-03.php |title=Consumer Guide: Escape Claus |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] |location=New York |date=21 January 2003 |access-date=15 September 2015 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau}}</ref>
}}

''Original Pirate Material'' was hailed by the British music press upon its release. ''[[NME]]'' said that the album "represents a brilliant break with cliché ... [Skinner is] one of the most original pop voices for years... By turns dark, funny and heartbreaking, the songs on ''Original Pirate Material'' are snapshots of ordinary life as a young [[The Midlands|Midlands]] resident, set to innovative [[two-step garage|two-step]] production: tales of love, going out, being skint, getting drunk, and eating [[french fries|chips]]. It's Streets by name, and streets by nature, and it's great."<ref name="NME20020316" /> ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' called Skinner a "vital new voice" and described ''Original Pirate Material'' as "starkly observed vignettes ... this debut wittily and wisely documents young lives spent in piss-poor pubs, estate bedrooms and kebab shops... It could easily, but somehow never does, degenerate into the kind of 'street poet' blather TV news editors think spices up election coverage."<ref name="QMar2002">{{cite magazine |title=Kid Rocks |journal=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |location=London |issue=188 |page=115 |date=March 2002 |last=Lowe |first=Steve}}</ref> ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' said that Skinner "favours a winningly downbeat brand of urban realism, set to minimal, pounding drums ... A lot of his urban vignettes fall somewhere between "[[The Message (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five song)|The Message]]" and [[the Specials]]' "[[Ghost Town (The Specials song)|Ghost Town]]". But their very ordinariness and the brutish, unadorned simplicity of the music is part of their appeal, evoking the everyday tedium of ''real'' 'youth culture' ... A uniquely British voice."<ref name="MojoApr2002">{{cite magazine |title=The Streets – ''Original Pirate Material'' |magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |location=London |issue=101 |page=115 |date=April 2002 |last=Collin |first=Matthew}}</ref> ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' said, "Mike Skinner ... could be the most gifted rapper London has ever produced, except that he doesn't really rap – he pontificates, spins spoken-word yarns, and kicks running commentary. Hip-hop – and Britain's equally bling-fixated 2-step-garage scene – has shaped Skinner's sound, but he's too earnest to reproduce their bluster. He's an observant, asphalt-level 'geezer' – Brit slang for everyman – set apart by the sharpness of his lens, not the force of his flow. On ''Original Pirate Material'', Skinner nails the quiet desperation of the white working class like a pub-hooligan [[Eminem|Marshall Mathers]], with all of Slim Shady's good humor and none of his insanity."<ref name="SpinNov2002" />

Contemporary reviews for the album commented on its DIY aesthetic and lyricism. ''Stylus Magazine'' said that the album "combines the boy-next-door DIY of US [[garage rock]] with the sound of [[UK garage]] and displays an alchemic ability to turn the humdrum of everyday life into a record that is at times empowering, hilarious, melancholy, awkward, and charming."<ref name="stylus">{{cite web |url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/the-streets/original-pirate-material.htm |title=The Streets – Original Pirate Material – Review |work=[[Stylus Magazine (magazine)|Stylus Magazine]] |date=1 September 2003 |access-date=4 March 2012 |last=Plagenhoef |first=Scott |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204194224/http://stylusmagazine.com/reviews/the-streets/original-pirate-material.htm |archive-date=4 February 2010}}</ref>

===Accolades===
Since its release in 2002, ''Original Pirate Material'' has received several accolades. In March 2003, ''NME'' placed ''Original Pirate Material'' at number 46 on their list of the "100 Best Albums of All Time".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://timepieces.nl/chart/18863/2003-nme-writers-all-time-top-100-albums |title=2003 NME's Writers - All Time Top 100 Albums |publisher=Timepieces.nl |access-date=2012-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140917003950/http://timepieces.nl/chart/18863/2003-nme-writers-all-time-top-100-albums |archive-date=17 September 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> They subsequently placed the album at number nine in their list of the "100 Best Albums of the Decade".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/the-strokes/48412 |title=The Strokes' 'Is This It' tops NME albums of the decade list|work=NME|date=2009-11-17 |access-date=2012-03-04}}</ref> ''[[The Observer|Observer Music Monthly]]'' ranked it as the best album of the 2000s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2009/nov/29/streets-original-pirate-material|title=Albums of the decade No 1: The Streets – Original Pirate Material|date=29 November 2009|work=Observer Music Monthly|access-date=29 November 2009 | location=London | first=Ben | last=Thompson}}</ref> Journalist Simon Reynolds also placed the album at the top of his list of his favourite albums of the 2000s, with a "special 'in a class of its own' award".<ref>{{cite web|author=Simon Reynolds |url=http://blissout.blogspot.com/2010/01/stylus-decade-was-jolly-good-read-but.html |title=blissblog |publisher=Blissout.blogspot.com |date=2010-01-13 |access-date=2012-03-04}}</ref> ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' placed the album at number ten on their list of the top 100 albums of 2000–2004;<ref>{{cite web |title=The Top 100 Albums of 2000-04, Part Two |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/40568 |website=Pitchfork |date=2005-02-07 |access-date=2008-08-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080813110122/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/40568 |archive-date=13 August 2008}}</ref> they later placed it at number 36 on their list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7709-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-50-21/ |title=Staff Lists: The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 50-21 &#124; Features |work=Pitchfork |date=2009-10-01 |access-date=2012-03-04}}</ref> In 2022, [[Rolling Stone]] ranked the album 139th in their list of ''The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time.''<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--not stated--> |date=June 7, 2022 |title=The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-hip-hop-albums-1323916/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=June 26, 2022}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{Tracklist
| all_writing = [[Mike Skinner (musician)|Mike Skinner]]
| title1           = Turn the Page
| length1          = 3:15
| title2           = [[Has It Come to This?]]
| length2          = 4:04
| title3           = [[Let's Push Things Forward]]
| note3            = featuring [[Kevin Mark Trail]]
| length3          = 3:51
| title4           = Sharp Darts
| length4          = 1:33
| title5           = Same Old Thing
| note5            = featuring Kevin Mark Trail
| length5          = 3:22
| title6           = Geezers Need Excitement
| length6          = 3:46
| title7           = It's Too Late
| length7          = 4:10
| title8           = Too Much Brandy
| length8          = 3:02
| title9           = [[Don't Mug Yourself]]
| length9          = 2:39
| title10          = Who Got the Funk?
| length10         = 1:50
| title11          = The Irony of It All
| length11         = 3:29
| title12          = [[Weak Become Heroes]]
| length12         = 5:33
| title13          = Who Dares Wins
| length13         = 0:34
| title14          = Stay Positive
| length14         = 6:16
}}

==Charts==
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2002 weekly chart performance for ''Original Pirate Material''
! scope="col"| Chart (2002)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref>{{cite Ryan|page=269}}</ref>
| 57
|-
{{album chart|France|97|artist=The Streets|album=Original Pirate Material|rowheader=true|access-date=10 July 2014}}
|-
{{album chart|Norway|10|artist=The Streets|album=Original Pirate Material|rowheader=true|access-date=10 July 2014}}
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|36|artist=The Streets|album=Original Pirate Material|rowheader=true|access-date=10 July 2014}}
|-
{{album chart|Sweden|43|artist=The Streets|album=Original Pirate Material|rowheader=true|access-date=10 July 2014}}
|-
{{album chart|UK2|12|date=20020406|rowheader=true|refname="UK2002"}}
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2004 weekly chart performance for ''Original Pirate Material''
! scope="col"| Chart (2004)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
{{album chart|UK2|10|artist=The Streets|date=20040710|rowheader=true|refname="UK2004"}}
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2022 weekly chart performance for ''Original Pirate Material''
! scope="col"| Chart (2022)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|93|id=6591|artist=The Streets|album=Original Pirate Material|rowheader=true|access-date=29 April 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Scotland|15|date=20220429|rowheader=true|access-date=30 April 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|UKIndependent|5|date=20220429|rowheader=true|access-date=30 April 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|UKR&B|1|date=20220429|rowheader=true|access-date=29 April 2022}}
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable"
! Chart (2002)
! Position
|-
|UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-artist-albums-chart/20020106/37502/|title=End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2002|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=2 April 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|75
|-
! Chart (2003)
! Position
|-
|UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2003.pdf|title=The Official UK Albums Chart 2003|work=[[UKChartsPlus]]|access-date=2 April 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|113
|-
! Chart (2004)
! Position
|-
|UK Albums (OCC)<ref name="uk yearend">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2004.pdf|title=The Official UK Albums Chart 2004|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=2 April 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|142
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Australia|artist=Streets|title=Original Pirate Material|award=Gold|relyear=2002|certyear=2004}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Streets|title=Original Pirate Material|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2002|certyear=2013|id=4929-2025-2}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

==Release history==
{|class="wikitable"
! Region
! Date
! Label
! Format
! Catalog
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[United Kingdom]] & [[Europe]]
| rowspan="2" | 25 March 2002
| rowspan="2" | [[Locked On Records]]/[[679 Artists|679 Recordings]]
| double [[LP record|LP]]
| 679003TLP 
|-
| [[compact disc|CD]]
| 679003CDLP
|-
| [[Japan]]
| 3 July 2002
| [[Warner Music Japan]]([[:ja:ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン|ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン]]) 
| CD
| WPCR-11232
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[United States]]
| rowspan="2" | 22 October 2002
| rowspan="2" | [[Vice (magazine)#VICE Music|VICE Music]]/[[Atlantic Records]]
| double LP
| 93181-1
|-
| CD
| 93181-2
|}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{Cite book |first=Mike |last=Skinner |author-link=Mike Skinner (musician) |title=The Story of The Streets |publisher=[[Bantam Press]] |location=London, England |date=2012 |isbn=978-0-5930-6807-6}}

==External links==
*[http://www.placenotes.org/mediawiki/index.php/Kestrel_House,_City_Road,_Islington,_London,_England Information on Kestrel House, the London tower block depicted on the album's cover]

{{The Streets}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2002 debut albums]]
[[Category:679 Artists albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Mike Skinner (musician)]]
[[Category:The Streets albums]]