Get acquainted with the British rapper.
It’s OK if you’ve never heard of Skepta. In the U.S., Skepta’s popularity is largely less than it is in his home country, England. After beginning his career as a DJ, Skepta began rapping in 2005, and has since released three albums through the label Boy Better Know. Most notably, Skepta is recognized as a pioneer of Grime, a genre of music developed in London that draws influence from hip-hop, drum ‘n’ bass, and other sounds.
Recently, Skepta has been looked at more closely by American eyes, thanks to co-signs from two of the industry’s biggest rappers: Kanye West and Drake. For his performance of “All Day” at the BRIT Awards, West was joined on stage by an entourage of grime artists, including Skepta and his Boy Better Know affiliate Jammer. Skepta also attended West’s Adidas fashion show in NYC.
Preceding the “All Day” debut was a pair of Instagram photos by Drake, both of which praised Skepta for his talents as an emcee. Then, earlier this morning, Drake posted another photo regarding the grime legend, this time a screenshot of Skepta’s newest song “SHUTDOWN”.
Listen to “SHUTDOWN” below, which features a short intro and outro from Drizzy. The song will likely appear on Skepta’s upcoming album Konnichiwa, which will surely make noise in both the United States and England.
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– Matt Aceto @RRprez
