Skepta Album Review
Skepta’s career, in a lot of ways, mirrors that of the genre he so proudly represents, and when Grime eventually emerged from the streets of London town and arrived on the global stage, it was Skepta who was charged with making the all-important introductions. So in May 2016, Skepta’s fourth album Konnichiwa was finally released after three years of recording and had a whole culture’s expectations on its shoulders. The sound was unmistakably Grime and laid a lasting impression on sceptics and open-minded future advocates alike. As it was a time where the novelty of the Grime scene was infectious for artists like Drake who were culturally appropriating the London sound, and so naturally ‘Konnichiwa’ had to showcase Grime, more so that showcase Skepta.
Fast-forward three years and Grime is no longer a dirty word in the music industry, and instead, its global success has put artists like Stormzy top of the charts and sent others like AJ Tracey over the pond to collaborate. So naturally, with the genre’s acceptance now confirmed in popular culture, Skepta is now free to bring us an album that best represents him, rather than one that best represents Grime. ‘Ignorance is Bliss’, is that album and released in May 2019 precisely three years after the album that changed everything Skepta is touting this as his best work to date. When asked about the messaging for the record, and the title itself, Skepta expressed the need to do his own thing with this project. After a hiatus from the world of social media and internet exposure, he said: “I needed some time away, to just work on my stuff”. Going onto say “I learn a lot of stuff, and I put it towards how I live, and I think a lot of people see how that works for me and asking me how (it works) and I’m telling them how, and they’re not listening”. Which sort of formed how he puts it as the inspiration behind the title.
Ignorance is Bliss
The London-based MC for this album appears to present himself much more as an intellectual entity than perhaps was previously portrayed in his work. With this album coinciding with his plunge into fatherhood and with his scene turning from underground to seemingly mainstream in comparison, he no longer has to be an outlaw or an activist but instead now is free to create an album that tells the story he wants to tell, the way he wants to tell it. ‘Ignorance is Bliss’ handles Skeppy’s new chapter with authority and, crucially, popping production. Where Skepta previously was critical of himself for “making the same tune” for earlier projects, Skepta seemed when asked about his new album appeared very proud to tell us how different each track is on the record. From Sophie Ellis-Bextor Sampled ‘Love Me Not’ channelling upbeat garage vibes to a Dre Dre reminiscent ‘What Do You Mean?’ featuring J Hus, and a perhaps all more familiar sound in the form of the Boy Better Know posse cut ‘Gangsta’. This album isn’t a Grime album, it is a Skepta album, and Skeppy has picked up a lot of influence on his travels.
Skepta retains his dry British wit throughout with lines like “Must have been talking about sex if I ever said I was gonna come second,” dropping on the old school ‘You Wish’ track, and his top tier status as both an MC and a Producer is never in question. On the whole ‘Ignorance is Bliss’ is a grown-up Grime album, one with depth, maturity, and an appropriately diverse pool of tracks, so much so that I would almost guarantee that there is someone for everyone to enjoy. As a Grime fan, I can definitely tell you this album has evolved from his last album just as the genre has, the expectation of rebellion is not one that is overtly apparent in the fans of the artist’s music anymore. So Skepta’s more reflective, poignant lyricism and track composition is one that is in line with new format Grime in 2019. As I said at the start of this article, Skepta has mirrored Grime, or Grime has reflected Skepta, what came first the chicken or the egg? All we know for sure is that it’s heading in a better direction, whoever is leading it.
