A look back on 10 years of Skepta's "Konnichiwa" album
- Victoria Hernandez
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
Today, the world is smaller than ever due to social media, international tours and Skepta. The British MC made a splash on Monday at the Met Gala wearing his tattoos embroidered on a white Thom Browne ensemble. He is living his best life with his Más Tiempo residency in Ibiza and he is now a Grammy-nominated artist thanks to the success of "Victory Lap."
But it all started with "Konnichiwa," his fourth studio album that celebrated its 10-year anniversary on Wednesday. Reflecting on the occasion on Instagram, Skepta called the project, which he crafted over a period of three years in New York, "life changing."
"Konnichiwa"won the 2016 Mercury Prize, awarded to Great Britain's best album of the year. This was a statement of independence and a declaration that grime has something to say. This was the moment that Skepta's mother, Ify Adenuga, knew her son made it.
I was brainstorming a write-up to pay tribute to such a significant album that doesn’t get enough credit for its impact. But life got busy and wrestled with the fact that, yes, I’m a fan of British rap and do have a decent amount of knowledge, but I am far from the expert that someone like Mimi The Music Blogger is. And honestly, I read this Instagram post by Da Metal Messiah honoring the anniversary and I thought it was incredible.
“Grime was moving like punk once did, building momentum without waiting for approval, pushing itself into the global spaces it wasn’t invited to,” the review said. “Skepta treated it like a restart, touching down in places like the US and performing in basketball courts like a newcomer, even as the world was starting to catch up.
“The title Konnichiwa had been in place since 2013, rooted in Skepta’s respect for Japanese culture. But by the time the album landed, it meant more. It played like both a greeting and a declaration to the rest of the world: UK music is here. The postage stamp on the artwork sealed it. He was packaging and posting the uncut sounds of the UK to every corner of the planet, positioning himself - and grime - as the real British royalty.”
Beautiful. I can’t top that…
But I still wanted to give my flowers to Skepta, who I view as one of the pioneers of the modern intersection of music and pop culture. He impresses me and so many others with his effortless swagger that translates across his music and his sense of style. So here is my personal reflection on “Konnichiwa” and the foundation that Big Smoke set for the current generation of creatives, including myself.
I honestly don’t even remember when I first heard of Skepta. It was probably about 10 years ago, around the time that “Konnichiwa” was released. I was working at a hip-hop blog and I vaguely remember writing about when, in 2015, Drake got a BBK tattoo, which was a bold show of support for Skepta’s Boy Better Know label. That blog recently deleted years of content, including the Drake story and one I wrote about Stormzy’s “Gang Signs & Prayer” album reaching the top of the charts… *sigh
Anyways...
"Konnichiwa" opens with a gong and soothing water as listeners are magically transported to a dojo. We receive an ethereal greeting from Fifi Rong, who sings, "Looking for me? Konnichiwa." The buildup is beautiful and a looming siren creates plenty of anticipation before sharp hi-hats interrupt and Skepta makes his grand debut.
"By now, you should know I hate waiting, I got no patience," he spits over a thumping bass and tinkling piano. He then rails against the politicians of the time and those who oppose him in the rap game.
This opening line is ironic because Skepta was actually incredibly patient getting to this point. He worked on the album for three years and reclaimed his identity after a stint with a more commercial sound while on Universal Music Group. But it does show his hunger to be the rap monarch that he was positioning himself as.
Drake is an important part of this journey because he supported Skepta's grittier sound and assisted him in bridging the Atlantic Ocean. Besides the ink, Drizzy brought Skepta out to perform at Wireless Festival in 2015. Kanye West having Skepta and several other British MCs on stage during the 2015 BRIT Awards had a similar impact of elevating Skepta's profile and welcoming him into the mainstream American music scene.
Skepta knew the importance of these moments and embraced how he was part of a shift of the broader culture in his home country. At the time, Black urban culture wasn't widely accepted in the mainstream. As he says on "Corn on the Curb," his home country was known for biscuits and tea and he and the mandem were flipping the idea of what it meant to be British on its head. Skepta released the single "Shutdown" just a few days after Ye's performance and later included it on "Konnichiwa." He used the track to comment on the pearl clutching that the show brought.
"A bunch of young men all dressed in black dancing extremely aggressively on stage, it made me feel so intimidated," a woman says, "and it's just not what I expect to see on primetime TV."
Another of Skepta's American affiliations, that with A$AP Mob, is definitely part of how I grew an appreciation for him. Skepta is an equal half of A$AP Rocky's 2018 hit "Praise The Lord" off the "Testing" album. He has a guest verse and produced the infectious flute-infused soundscape. It is one of my very favorite songs to this day.
A$AP Mob was represented on "Konnichiwa" not by the obvious star, but by A$AP Nast on the woozy “Ladies Hit Squad.” The track brought the United States and Great Britain together because D Double E was on there, too, and it's a tribute to Wiley's crew of the same name. Then, the bouncy “It Ain’t Safe” featured Young Lord aka A$AP Bari with an infectious, thought-provoking hook, "It ain't safe for the block, not even for the cops!"
Skepta even enlisted the one and only Pharrell for a touch of whimsy on "Numbers." What was interesting about “Konnichiwa” was how Skepta embraced a variety of collaborators and it all felt organic.
Skepta also stayed true to his roots and had grime vet Wiley on “Corn on the Curb” and Novelist on the mechanical “Lyrics." He collaborated with his brother, JME, on the 2014 single “That’s Not Me,” which made the tracklist for the album. The song, and groundbreaking low-budget video, planted a flag that Skepta wasn’t playing games.
Throughout the project, Skepta exhibits a fierceness and confidence that we’ve come to know and love him for. This line from “Lyrics,” “Santa Clause used to miss my house, so I decorated my own Christmas tree,” showcases how Skepta overcame an underprivileged background through his own hustle and grit.
But he's always made sure his family gets their credit. As previously mentioned, his brother, JME, is also a successful MC and their sister, Julie Adenuga, is a well-respected radio host and media personality. I appreciate how his mother encouraged creativity in her children. She said she supported Skepta’s music career from the start, driving him to his shows and even waiting for him until they were over.
"The sitting room is their playground," Adenuga said in an interview with BBC World Service, explaining how she went against Nigerian tradition in raising her kids. "They can do anything they like in the sitting room, as long as they tidy up. It give them that space to come up with ideas of whatever it is they want to do. And that's how their idea of music as well started."
“Konnichiwa” is a landmark project because Skepta showed that grime can be sensitive, too. He showcased this on the album closer, “Text Me Back,” a song dedicated to a love interest. He expresses gratitude for her support and a hope to be understood even as he can’t give her attention 24/7. He also flexes his fashion knowledge and compliments how she bridges streetwear and couture with Chanel and Supreme. The song is extra potent 10 years later as society leans more and more into instant gratification.
"Sometimes I don't text you back, but I never meant to disrespect you," Skepta raps on the hook. "I'm on the road trying to do this thing/I know you see where man's trying to get to/I've been around the world and back, I ain't met anybody I want to be with more than you/That's why when the sun goes down at night, man are calling you."
Skepta released “Konnichiwa” through his Boy Better Know label and he produced much of the album. This was a major statement of independence and taking ownership of his craft. This resonated with me as a creative and entrepreneur, especially in committing to Kick The Concrete. Skepta has continued to be a pioneer in music through BBK, his Big Smoke Festival and his Más Tiempo house imprint. He also steadily carves his own lane in fashion through his Mains brand and a landmark collaboration with Corteiz and he's become a sartorial icon with covers for Esquire and British GQ.
Watching how the bridge between Great Britain and the United States has strengthened since "Konnichiwa" is something that I’ve been fascinated by. Skepta truly paved the way for artists like Little Simz, Dave and Central Cee to make a splash across the pond. Central Cee released his debut album, “Can’t Rush Greatness” last year. I wrote about it for Urban Pitch and broke down how Cench is following in Skepta’s footsteps by uniting the sound and swagger of both countries. He even included Skepta on the braggadocious “Ten” in a perfect display of respect for the OG.
Perhaps what I appreciate most about "Konnichiwa" is Chip’s motivational message to Skepta on “Corn on the Curb” and how what it prophesied came true. The fellow British MC, who went on to make the "Insomnia" album with Skepta and Young Adz, spoke about Sketpa's unique calling, saying he offered something to touch the soul and put London on the map. This was prophetic of influential moments like the reflective "Bullet From a Gun" off his 2019 album "Ignorance is Bliss" and even "Praise the Lord.”
“You got the call from God to do something deeper, bro," Chip declared. "You got the call to go and make everyone look at everything else that is happening over here, fam. You get me? That’s a deeper calling, bro. Them calling’s there. It’s not everyone’s phone that gets that ring-ring there.”
It’s clear that Skepta answered the call and did it justice.
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