In the initial run of The Streets, the project released five studio albums: Original Pirate Material (2002), A Grand Don't Come for Free (2004), The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living (2006), Everything Is Borrowed (2008) and Computers and Blues (2011).

[2] In 2020, Pitchfork described Original Pirate Material as "a landmark for UK rap",[3] while Dazed wrote in 2018 that the album "soundtracked the beginning of a decade – recovering from the Britpop hangover and comedown from New Labour euphoria – but also defined it.

"[4] Mike Skinner sent a demo tape to a record shop in north London, run by A&R Nick Worthington.

[8] Subsequent singles from Original Pirate Material include "Don't Mug Yourself", "Weak Become Heroes" and "Let's Push Things Forward".

In a posting on his Myspace blog, Skinner noted that the group's upcoming LP would contain "peaceful, positive vibes" in comparison with 2006's "weird guilt-ridden indulgence" that was The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living.

[citation needed] On 22 December 2017, The Streets released two new tracks: "Burn Bridges" and "Sometimes I Hate My Friends More Than My Enemies".

[24] On 1 April 2020, Skinner announced a new single featuring Australian music project Tame Impala, included on a mixtape titled None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive, released 10 July 2020.

In March 2021, following the UK Government's announced COVID-19 restriction easing timetable, The Streets released the single Who's Got the Bag (21st June).

Referencing the earliest possible date when nightclubs could reopen and the names of members of government[26] the single was described by Skinner as a "end of lockdown celebratory track".