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play_arrowItch Radio – Dedicated to Hip Hop
Listen up, because this story right here is essential knowledge for anyone who claims to love UK Hip Hop. The Ruthless Rap Assassins didn’t just put Manchester on the Hip Hop map; they redrew the entire map. Coming straight out of Hulme, one of Manchester’s toughest neighbourhoods, this crew delivered a sound that was politically charged, musically innovative, and absolutely fearless.
The Ruthless Rap Assassins — Hulme, Manchester’s finest Hip Hop export.
The Origins: Hulme, Moss Side, and the Birth of Manchester Hip Hop
To understand the Ruthless Rap Assassins, you need to understand where they came from. Hulme and Moss Side in the late 1980s were communities defined by resilience. These were areas that mainstream media loved to demonise, but beneath the headlines were vibrant, creative communities where Black British culture was thriving.
The group was formed by MC Kermit La Freak, born Paul Leveridge, alongside brothers Dangerous Hinds (Anderson Hinds) and Dangerous C (Carson Hinds).
Kermit’s background was anything but one-dimensional. Growing up in Moss Side, he learned to play violin at age six. He later studied psychology at Manchester Polytechnic, where he also picked up DJing. That combination, classical training, academic rigour, and street-level authenticity, would define the Ruthless Rap Assassins’ unique approach.
We Don’t Kare: The First Shot Fired (1987)
The crew’s debut single, “We Don’t Kare”, dropped in 1987 on Murdertone Records. And dig this, the B-side featured a track by Kiss AMC, an all-female Manchester rap group that included Christine “Kiss” Leveridge, Kermit’s own sister. Family affair, baby. The Leveridge household was clearly a hotbed of Hip Hop creativity.
“We Don’t Kare” was a statement of intent. At a time when most UK Hip Hop acts were concentrated in London, here was a crew from the North of England declaring that Hip Hop had no geographical boundaries. Manchester had something to say, and the Ruthless Rap Assassins were going to say it, whether you were ready or not.
Ruthless Rap Assassin’s Building Momentum: The Meltdown and Drone Sessions
Following their debut, the group continued to release material on Murdertone, building a catalogue that showcased their growing confidence and musical ambition:
- “The Meltdown Session” (Murdertone, 1988) — a deeper exploration of their sonic palette
- “The Drone Session EP” (Murdertone, 1989) — an extended play that pushed their sound into new territory
Each release demonstrated progression. The Ruthless Rap Assassins weren’t content to repeat themselves. They were constantly evolving, constantly pushing, constantly searching for new ways to express the realities of life in Manchester’s inner city.
Killer Album: The Masterpiece (1990)
Then came the big one. “Killer Album”, released in 1990 through Murdertone/EMI, was the Ruthless Rap Assassins’ magnum opus. This record was a brilliant balancing act — socially conscious tracks like “Justice (Just Us)” sat comfortably alongside more playful, humorous material. It proved that Hip Hop could be both intellectually rigorous and genuinely entertaining.
The single “And It Wasn’t A Dream” even managed to secure terrestrial television airplay, a rare achievement for any UK Hip Hop act in 1990. In an era when British Hip Hop was almost entirely ignored by mainstream media, the Ruthless Rap Assassins broke through on sheer quality alone.
Th!nk, It Ain’t Illegal Yet: The Second Chapter
The group’s second album, “Th!nk, It Ain’t Illegal Yet”, took things further. The title itself was a provocation, a challenge to listeners to engage their minds in a culture that increasingly favoured spectacle over substance. The album introduced live percussion from Ged Lynch, adding an organic, dynamic quality to their production.
This wasn’t just Hip Hop anymore; it was something bigger. The fusion of live instrumentation with sample-based production was ahead of its time, predating similar experiments by groups like The Roots by several years. The Ruthless Rap Assassins were innovating in ways that wouldn’t be fully appreciated until much later.
The Split and Black Grape: From Hip Hop to Madchester
As is often the way with pioneering groups, the Ruthless Rap Assassins eventually went their separate ways. But the story doesn’t end there, not by a long shot.
After the split, Kermit and percussionist Ged Lynch linked up with Manchester’s most notorious musical maverick, Shaun Ryder (formerly of the Happy Mondays), to form Black Grape. The group’s debut album, “It’s Great When You’re Straight…Yeah,” went straight to number one in the UK charts. Kermit had made the leap from underground Hip Hop pioneer to mainstream chart success, but he never forgot where he came from.
The Legacy: Why Ruthless Rap Assassins Still Matter
The impact of the Ruthless Rap Assassins on UK Hip Hop cannot be overstated. As Roots Manuva himself declared: “After 20 years the Assassins are as relevant as any Hip-Hop. They put a UK black tilt on soundscape and dialogue.”
That quote says it all. The Ruthless Rap Assassins didn’t try to be American. They didn’t try to fit into someone else’s mould. They created music that was authentically British, authentically Mancunian, and authentically Black, and in doing so, they gave permission to every UK Hip Hop artist who came after them to do the same.
They proved that meaningful, powerful Hip Hop could come from Manchester, from Hulme, from Moss Side, from communities that the rest of the country had written off. They proved that you could be political without being preachy, intelligent without being boring, and British without being apologetic.
Manchester’s Hip Hop Foundation
Today, Manchester has a thriving Hip Hop and grime scene. Artists like Aitch, Bugzy Malone, and countless others carry the torch. But every single one of them, whether they know it or not, owes a debt to the Ruthless Rap Assassins. Kermit, Dangerous Hinds, and Dangerous C were among the first to prove that Manchester had bars. They were the ones who showed that UK Hip Hop didn’t begin and end at the M25.
So raise a glass to the Ruthless Rap Assassins. Hulme’s finest. Manchester’s original Hip Hop heroes. The crew that proved, once and for all, that this culture belongs to everyone, and to every city.
They came, they saw, they assassinated every beat in sight. Respect is due, always.