Skepta
Chief Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr.[1] (born 19 September 1982), known professionally as Skepta, is a British-Nigerian grime MC, rapper and record producer. Alongside his younger brother Jme, he briefly joined Roll Deep before they became founding members of Boy Better Know in 2005.
Skepta | |
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Skepta performing in 2019 | |
| Born | Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr. 19 September 1982 |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
| Children | 1 |
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| Musical career | |
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| Labels | |
| Website | helloskepta |
With Boy Better Know, Skepta clashed with fellow MC Devilman for the video release Lord of the Mics 2, in what is remembered as one of the biggest clashes in grime history.[2][3] Skepta released his debut studio album Greatest Hits in 2007 and his second album, Microphone Champion in 2009, both independently; while his third studio album Doin' It Again was released in 2011 by AATW. He made his acting debut in the 2015 film Anti-Social. Skepta's fourth studio album, Konnichiwa (2016), featured the hit singles "That's Not Me" and "Shutdown". The album, which was widely acclaimed, won the Mercury Prize.
In 2018, he produced and was featured on American rapper ASAP Rocky's single "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)", which became both artists' highest-charting single and a global hit. In 2019, Skepta released Ignorance Is Bliss, which charted in fifteen countries. Insomnia (2020), a collaborative album with British rappers Chip and Young Adz, became Skepta's third album to reach the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart.
Skepta has been nominated for three Brit Awards, including the Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist. His influence on contemporary British popular culture as a key figure in the grime scene saw him appear on Debrett's 2017 list of the most influential people in the UK.[4] He received a Nigerian chieftaincy on 4 April 2018, with his title being "Amuludun of Odo-Aje".
Early life
Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr. was born on 19 September 1982,[5] to Nigerian parents,[6] of respective Yoruba (paternal) and Igbo (maternal) backgrounds, in Tottenham, North London.[7] He is the eldest of four children; fellow musician Jme, radio presenter Julie and graphic designer Jason.[8]
Career
2003–2006: Career beginnings and Greatest Hits
Skepta was originally a DJ from Tottenham-based grime collective Meridian Crew. The Meridian Crew performed 'sets' or sessions on pirate radio (most notably Heat FM 96.6) where fellow crew members sometimes referred to him as "Scoopa Daniels".[9][10][11] Early in his career, Skepta released instrumentals including "DTI (Pirate Station Anthem)" and "Private Caller".[12]
Skepta began MCing shortly before Meridian Crew disbanded in 2005, after which Skepta, alongside his brother Jme, joined Roll Deep for a short period of time before becoming founding members of Boy Better Know in 2006. Skepta was convinced to begin MCing by Wiley after his records were taken away from him by the police.[13] Following the formation of Boy Better Know, Skepta clashed with fellow MC Devilman for the DVD Lord of the Mics 2, in what is remembered as one of the biggest clashes in grime history.[2][3] Shortly after the clash, Skepta released a mixtape entitled "Joseph Junior Adenuga". Skepta publicly released his debut album Greatest Hits on 17 September 2007, on his label Boy Better Know.
2008–2011: Microphone Champion and Doin' It Again
Skepta self-released the first single "Rolex Sweep" in September 2008 and reached number 89 on the UK Singles Chart. Skepta then released the album Microphone Champion on 1 June 2009. He then also released single "Too Many Man" with Jme, Wiley, Frisco and Shorty, which went to chart at number 79. Skepta has released five singles off his third studio album Doin' It Again (first with a major label), titled "Bad Boy", "Rescue Me", "Cross My Heart" featuring Preeya Kalidas, "So Alive" and "Amnesia", as well as a video for the Hello Good Morning (Grime Remix). Three singles charted in the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, with "Rescue Me" being the most successful at number 14. "Cross My Heart" came in at number 31 and dropped out of the Top 40 a week later. Doin' It Again spent 3 weeks in the top 100 album charts and debuted and peaked at number 19 on its first week of release. In 2011, Skepta caused a controversy by releasing a hardcore music video of his single "All Over the House".[14]
2012–present: Blacklisted, Konnichiwa and Ignorance Is Bliss
In 2012, Skepta released two singles from his fourth forthcoming album. Both "Hold On" and "Make Peace Not War" were Top 40 charting singles in the UK but were a departure from Skepta's usual sound. Skepta's second major label album was intended to be released in the fourth quarter of 2011, entitled The Honeymoon but was delayed till 2012. After a disappointing response from the first two singles Skepta decided to release a purchasable mixtape, titled Blacklisted. It was released on 2 December 2012 along with music videos to support the release prior to the release.
In March 2014, Skepta provided a verse for the remix of "German Whip" by Meridian Dan, and in the same month, he released his new single, "That's Not Me", featuring his brother Jme, peaking at number 21 on the UK charts.[15] The single's music video won the award for Best Video at the 2014 MOBO Awards.[16] Upon receiving the award, Skepta stated that the video cost him £80.[17] In late 2014, Skepta released another single titled "It Ain't Safe" featuring ASAP Bari. This was followed in early 2015 with "Shutdown", as well as features on "Red Eye to Paris" by Flatbush Zombies and the remix of "Ojuelegba" by Wizkid, also featuring Drake. Skepta and others joined Kanye West at a surprise show in London, performing numerous songs together during a shared set.[18] He was also named one of GQ's 50 best dressed British men in 2015.[19]
In an interview it stated that Skepta's making his acting debut in 2015 film Anti-Social, released initially in May.[20] On 14 February 2016 Skepta released "Ladies Hit Squad" featuring grime artist D Double E and American rapper ASAP Nast, of the New York-based ASAP Mob. Through a post on Instagram, Skepta announced that his album, Konnichiwa was due to be released on 6 May 2016.[21] Konnichiwa became Grime's highest-charting album, peaking at number 2 in the UK music charts.[22] Konnichiwa features songs such as "That's Not Me", "Shutdown" and "Man". The release of Konnichiwa was celebrated with a launch party on 5 May 2016 held in Tokyo and live streamed on Boiler Room, featuring a live performance of the entire album by Skepta and supporting performances from Japanese trap artists Kohh, Dutch Montana, Loota, and DJ Riki.[23][24][25][26]
Skepta began his "Banned From America" two-part, 14-show tour on 16 April 2017 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which covered cities throughout the United States and Europe.[27][28] The tour was named as such in reference to Skepta's forced cancellation of his 2016 "No Fear" American tour in support of Konnichiwa, when his application for a visa to enter the United States was denied.[29]
Skepta released his Vicious EP on 31 October 2017, with songs featuring ASAP Rocky, Lil B, and Section Boyz. In the summer of 2017, rumours on the underground dance scene suggested an imminent collaboration between Skepta and drum'n'bass pioneer Goldie. This was confirmed in Goldie's 2017 memoir All Things Remembered, which refers to him having done a track with Skepta. It has not yet been released.[30]
Skepta featured on ASAP Rocky's "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)", which was released in May 2018. The single charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Also in May, Skepta released his single "Pure Water", which peaked at number 78 in the UK.[31] He followed this in June with "Energy (Stay Far Away)" with Wizkid, which reached number 59.[31] In December 2019 he appeared as himself in a Grand Theft Auto Online expansion as a radio host with Danny Brown. Brown also lent his voice to another fictional character in the game.[32] He also collaborated with Gorillaz and Tony Allen on the song "How Far?" in May 2020.[33][34]
On 30 July 2021, Skepta released his EP, All In.[35]
In 2022, Skepta signed with Wasserman Music for worldwide representation. [36]
Personal life
On 4 April 2018, he was installed as a chief in his Nigerian hometown in Ogun State, receiving the chieftaincy title of the Amuludun of Odo-Aje.[37] The title means "Chief Entertainer of Odo-Aje".[38]
Skepta has one child, a daughter.[39][40][41][42]
Skepta is also a visual artist, with his paintings made during the COVID lockdown being put on display by Sotheby's in September 2022 for the "Contemporary Curated" art series.[43]
Discography
Studio albums
- Greatest Hits (2007)
- Microphone Champion (2009)
- Doin' It Again (2011)
- Konnichiwa (2016)
- Ignorance Is Bliss (2019)
Collaborative albums
Mixtapes
- Joseph Junior Adenuga (2006)
- Been There Done That (2010)
- Community Payback (2011)
- Blacklisted (2012)
- The Tim Westwood Mix (2015)
- All In (2021)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | BET Awards | Best International Act: UK | Skepta | Nominated |
| 2014 | MOBO Awards[44] | Best Video | "That's Not Me" (feat. Jme) | Won |
| 2015 | MOBO Awards[44] | Best Song | "Shutdown" | Won |
| 2016 | Ivor Novello Awards[45] | Best Contemporary Song | Nominated | |
| Q Awards[46] | Best Track | "Man" | Nominated | |
| Best Solo Artist | Skepta | Nominated | ||
| Mercury Prize[47] | Album of the Year | Konnichiwa | Won | |
| MOBO Awards[48] | Best Album | Nominated | ||
| Best Grime Act | Skepta | Nominated | ||
| Best Male Act | Nominated | |||
| BET Awards[49] | Best International Act: UK | Won | ||
| 2017 | NME Awards[50] | Best British Male | Won | |
| Best Album supported | Konnichiwa | Nominated | ||
| Best Track | "Man" | Nominated | ||
| Music Moment Of The Year | Skepta wins Mercury Prize | Nominated | ||
| BRIT Awards | British Male Solo Artist | Skepta | Nominated | |
| British Breakthrough Act | Nominated | |||
| MasterCard British Album of the Year | Konnichiwa | Nominated | ||
| BET Awards[51] | Best International Act: Europe | Skepta | Nominated |
References
- ^ Ibile, Fagbo (5 April 2018). "Skepta Bags Chieftaincy Title In Ogun State". TheGuardian.ng. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Yates, Kieran (3 October 2014). "Jammer's top grime clashes: featuring Wiley, Kano, Skepta, Devilman and more". The Guardian. from the original on 9 May 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ a b Trammell, Matthew (4 May 2015). "Why Grime Beef Might Shake Rap Awake This Year". The FADER. from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "Debrett's 500 List: Music". The Daily Telegraph. 21 January 2017. from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "Thank you for all the birthday wishes, I appreciate it trust me. Love". Twitter. 19 September 2015.
- ^ O'Brien, Jon. "Skepta". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
- ^ Okoh, Lize (8 May 2018). "Skepta: Why This Rap Chief Is so Big in Nigeria". Culture Trip. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ^ "Skepta, JME, Julie ... are the Adenugas Britain's most creative family?". the Guardian. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ Old Meridian Crew Heat FM set Sept 2002 JME Skepta Big H Bossman on YouTube
- ^ MERIDIAN CREW ON HEAT FM, 2004 on YouTube
- ^ Dj skepta meridian crew ft wood green mobb heat fm 2001 on YouTube
- ^ Ward, Billy (26 June 2019). "The Dummy guide to Skepta". Dummy. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ Rinse:04 – Skepta - Rinse:04 – Skepta | Rinse FM, from the original on 27 October 2019, retrieved 27 October 2019
- ^ Moir, Sam (25 March 2011). . The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 15 June 2014 – 21 June 2014". OfficialCharts.com. from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ . What's Good?. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "Skepta ft. JME | Best Video Award acceptance speech at MOBO Awards | 2014". MOBO Awards / YouTube. 22 October 2014. from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ^ "Watch Kanye West perform with Raekwon, Skepta and more". FACT Magazine. 4 March 2015. from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- ^ Johnston, Robert (5 January 2015). "50 Best Dressed Men in Britain 2015". GQ. from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- ^ Jones, Wil (30 April 2015). "Interview: Skepta's Keeping It Strictly 'Anti-Social'". Complex UK. from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- ^ Skepta. . Instagram. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 21 May 2016.
- ^ O'Connor, Samantha (5 May 2016). . The 405. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ Moore, Sam (5 May 2016). "Skepta Just Launched His New Album With A Lively Live-Streamed Show In Tokyo – Here's What We Learned". NME.COM. from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ Myers, Owen (5 May 2016). "Stream Skepta's Konnichiwa Launch Party, Live From Tokyo". The FADER. from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ Barron, Michael Scott (7 May 2016). "Watch Japanese Rappers Spit Grime in the Video for Skepta's 'Konnichiwa' Album Launch". Thump. from the original on 10 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ Cheung, HP (29 March 2017). "Skepta Announces 'Banned From America' Tour Dates". HYPEBEAST. from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ Glenn, Ezra (19 March 2017). "Skepta Announced The Dates For His Banned From America Tour". The FADER. from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ "Skepta denied entry to America after being refused a visa". Newsbeat. 16 April 2016. from the original on 28 May 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ "All Things Remembered". Faber and Faber. from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
- ^ a b "Skepta". Official Charts Company. from the original on 1 November 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ "Introducing iFruit Radio". Rockstar Games Newswire. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ Yoo, Noah (2 May 2020). "Gorillaz Share New Song "How Far?" With Tony Allen and Skepta: Listen". Pitchfork. from the original on 2 May 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "Gorillaz – How Far? Ft. Tony Allen & Skepta". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
- ^ "Skepta returns with New EP, "All In"". Office Magazine. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ Garcia, Thania. "Music Industry Moves: Skepta Signs With Wasserman; Republic Ups Beau Benton to Senior VP". Variety Magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ Agbo, Njideka (5 April 2018). "Skepta Bags Chieftancy Title In Ogun State". The Guardian. from the original on 6 October 2018.
- ^ "Skepta has been made a chief in Nigeria". BBC News. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ Skepto (31 July 2018). "🌹". Instagram. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ "Skepta is on baby duty as he feeds newborn - months after sparking dad rumours". 11 December 2018. from the original on 12 December 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Skepta's Baby: Everything You Need To Know About The Child". Daily Feed. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ "Skepta's Baby Daughter Revealed in First Picture". Capital XTRA. from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "A Life Less Ordinary: Skepta". YouTube.
- ^ a b "MOBO Awards – Urban Music and Culture". MOBO Organisation. from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (19 April 2016). "Ivor Novellos give nod to grime artist Skepta as Adele overlooked". The Guardian. from the original on 24 June 2017.
- ^ "StubHub Q Awards 2016 Shortlist Announced! Vote Now To Decide This Year's Winners". Q. from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
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- ^ "BET Awards Announce 2016 Nominees". HotNewHipHop. 20 May 2016. from the original on 4 May 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ Nunes, Caian (15 February 2017). "Adele e Beyoncé ganham prêmios no NME Awards 2017" [Adele and Beyoncé win awards at NME Awards 2017]. POPline (in Portuguese). from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ "Beyoncé and Bruno Mars lead 2017 BET Awards nominations". Channel24. 15 May 2017. from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
External links
- Official website
- Skepta at IMDb