If you woke up this morning, breathed in a fresh gulp of spring air, heard the birds chirruping in the trees outside and said to yourself (out loud) “something feels different about today”, that’s probably because your boy Skepta just dropped Konnichiwa, his very own grime magnum opus
Skeppy’s 12-track creation – which is the first he’s released since 2011’s Doin’ It Again – is full to the brim with features, from fellow OGs Wiley, JME and D Double E to Harlem’s Young Lord and musical polymath Pharrell Williams. He also teamed up with South London MC Novelist for “Lyrics” (below), which uses a sample from a Wiley clash from 2001 and acts as an ode to the UK grime tradition of diss tracks, war dubs and clashing. “I’m not gonna jack manaman, take your rings, and all of your bling, Lewisham king,” spits Novelist over a shuddering beat, before Skepta jumps in with “Yeah, hear me on the radio, wah gwan? See me on the TV, hi mum! Murk MCs when the mic’s in my palm, lyrics for lyrics calm.”
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Anyway, stop reading this and just listen for yourself below:
