This week’s throwback album of the week is a personal favourite of mine, released on his label Boy better Know, Skepta’s critically acclaimed Konnichiwa.
“Yeah, I used to wear Gucci I put I all in the bin cause that’s not me” The one line on the album I feel reflects Skepta’s thoughts most when recording, stripping away his designer image and going back to the all black tracksuit with Nike Air Max Skepta we all know and love. First announced to be released in 2013 Konnichiwa hit many bumps in the road being offered for release on two more occasions until finally the rumours i’d heard in the January of 2016 came true and the man himself released the final drop date….. May 6th!
From £80 music videos to features from Pharrell Williams, the album shows a new focus with it’s addicting beats and unreal flow showing the world exactly why grime should be given the respect it deserves. My personal favourite song from the album is Detox (featuring Frisco, Shorty & Jammer), four members of Boy Better Know came together to go in on a heavy beat that runs throughout. This wasn’t the case for quite a while though seeing as I was so obsessed with Corn On The Curb (featuring Wiley), another song that the beat drew me into as well as bringing together in my opinion the two biggest artists in Grime. Songs such as Numbers (featuring Pharrell Williams) and Ladies Hit Squad (featuring A$AP Nast) show the growth not only in the genre but how far Skepta has come, even being noticed by Drake and given his own song on Drake’s album More Life (Skepta’s Interlude). A huge surprise for me was the Queens of the Stone Age sample on Man, this highlighted how diverse Skepta’s music production is.
Overall I think it’s Skepta’s best project to date and in my opinion will always be a major factor in grime music becoming more popular in America, something that not many thought would happen. I believe the album has no weak areas and highlights what sets Skepta apart from everyone else not only in grime but in music in general. Having seen Skepta in London in December I can honestly say he is one of my favourite artists whether it be his music or fashion sense, his live vocals and flow are pretty much album quality and i’m interested to see what his next full project brings.
Konnichiwa brought back my love for grime music, i’ve never been more excited for an album drop as much as I was this, the build up drove me crazy. I’ve been a huge Skepta fan since I was 16 and even 8 years later i found myself more obsessed than ever, wondering how the now figurehead of grime could ever top his earlier work.
Overall Rating – 10/10 🔥
My Top 3
- Detox
- Corn On The Curb
- Shutdown
Music Reviews with Maxx 