This year, the extent of grime’s cross-pollination with other genres, styles and cultures has been center of the spotlight for many. We’ve heard it take on things as near as its similarly-youthful London sibling dubstep, reach as far out to Jersey club and stretch to abstract experimentalism. Curiously, it shares a sonic hallmark with ballroom in the form of Dat Oven’s “Icy Lake”, as rediscovered and covered in a Night Slugs/Fade to Mind short film. A key point in flirtations between the two would be MikeQ’s involvement with Fade to Mind back in 2012 – one of the more tangible moments where grime and ballroom scenes were exposed to each other on a release that featured Kevin Jz Prodigy.

Considered a legendary vogue performer and commentator, Kevin JourdanZion Prodigy, also known as Kevin Deshields, isn’t someone we’d really expected to find on Crazylegs. The Bristolian clubnight/label/party institution celebrated its sixth birthday this year with a spate of takeover dates and various releases (a recent highlight would be Bloom’s Hydraulics). It also saw the debut for some – Gage is a music guy who surfaced with “Telo” in February on some stuttering pulsation grime tip, later featuring in our Functions of the Now series. His beat for “Bad Bitch” also channels the tonal aesthetic of a steel factory, this time with sirens whirring back and forth like backmasked blue shift. Squelchy zaps and airy claps are littered between kicks with complete disregard for regularity- Deshields’ vocal extravaganza carries the rhythm through in an explosive, galvanizing fashion that’s sure to stop anyone in their tracks. But for a single breakdown, “Bad Bitch” is a barrage of pure energy, some sort of forty-five hit ultimate combo of concussions and flourishes. Effects stemming from the ways in which cultures can spread through the filter of other genres (and their gatekeepers and fans) remains to be seen, though the interesting thing about “Bad Bitch” is the lack of compromise from both parties; despite being a collaboration, it seems like the vocal does its own thing as does the instrumental, both blazing onwards side-by-side. It’d be jarring if it wasn’t perfectly in-step, resonating to devastating effect.

“Bad Bitch”. One track release, verses only. It can speak for itself, let’s get it.

“Bad Bitch” is out today in digital format on Crazylegs.