Pay as U Go
| Company type | Collective |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Defunct | 2002 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | UK garage music |
Pay As U Go, also known as Pay As U Go Cartel, was a UK garage collective established around 1999–2000. They reached number 13 on the UK charts in 2002 with their track "Champagne Dance". Following their split, Wiley went on to create the grime collective Roll Deep alongside former Pay As U Go members. This group later featured notable artists such as Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder, and Skepta.
Alongside groups like So Solid Crew and Heartless Crew, this collective is recognized as a key innovator in the development of grime.
History
In 1998, Maxwell D, Carl, DJ Target, and Wiley performed on London's pirate radio station Rinse FM, initially forming 'The Ladies Hit Squad'. Concurrently, Major Ace, Plague, God's Gift, and DJ Slimzee hosted a Sunday program. During the summer of 2000, technical glitches on the Pay As You Go network allowed listeners to call in free of charge, prompting Plague to dub their broadcast the "pay as you go show". Under the suggestion of Rinse FM's owner, these two popular shows combined to officially establish the Pay As U Go crew. Subsequently, the lineup expanded to include Flowdan, Riko Dan, Dom P, Breeze, and Bubbles. Their first single "Know We" was released in 2000 following an initial dubplate version in late 1999.
In 2001, Wiley, Flowdan, Bubbles, and Breeze collaborated on "Terrible", which was originally intended as a Pay As U Go follow-up to "Know We". Wiley chose not to release it under the Pay As U Go name; Flowdan proposed the title Roll Deep, inspired by a phrase from dancehall culture. In 2003, Dogzilla and Lady J joined Pay As U Go. Flowdan has credited Dizzee Rascal's entry into Roll Deep and his subsequent success as factors contributing to Roll Deep's rise and Pay As U Go's eventual dissolution.
Albums
- Pay As U Go (mixed compilation) (2001), INCredible
Singles
- "Know We" (2000), Solid City
- "Be Real" (2000), Relentless
- "Champagne Dance" (2001), Sony Music/INCredible – UK #13