London, UK · grime

Skepta

2 upcoming festivals

Grime's global ambassador — Konnichiwa-era bars and a DJ's instincts, London energy at any scale, 'Shutdown' still a detonation.

Skepta, born Joseph Junior Adenuga in Tottenham, north London, is a rapper, producer and DJ who came up through the pirate radio scene of the 2000s as part of the Meridian and Boy Better Know crews. He began as a producer and DJ before moving to the microphone, and BBK, co-founded with his brother JME, became one of grime's central independent operations.

His album Konnichiwa arrived in 2016 and won the Mercury Prize, and singles including "Shutdown" and "That's Not Me" are among the genre's most recognisable records. His delivery is clipped and conversational over stripped-down, high-tempo production, and he has continued to record and DJ alongside his work as an artist.

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