Like all of the artists that have become really successful have Skepta a good story. The trettiosexårige Tottenhamrapparen was a respected undergroundfigur in the first grimevågen in the beginning of the 00’s. He began to be successful just when grime were drained of their original power and turned into lightweight pop, with singles such as ”Sunglasses at night”.
But after a few years he became disgusted by what he had become and took greatly away from all the glitz and glam with the brilliant single ”That’s not me” 2014. It struck down like a bomb and resulted in a comeback not only for Skepta, but also for the grime.
enthusiasts are usually snort to grime certainly never disappeared, just temporarily ended up in medieskugga. May be so, but the fact is that today’s grimescen sounds different than the original, has a different self-confidence and is more integrated with both american rap and nigerian afrobeat.
”That’s not me” and the even bigger single ”Shutdown” released Skepta album ”Konnichiwa” which was a success and was rewarded with the Mercurypriset 2016. He is now playing in Bern, complete with a luxurious Instagramvänlig light show, says something about how popular and wide grime has become.
Skepta thus has, ironically, become a mainstreamstjärna again, but he has become the without compromising. He has baxat its grime all the way into the goal. But today, in 2018, he creates no longer the future of music. Rather, he is a traditionalist, with well written lyrics and a straight, clear beats.
It becomes evident at the concert, where the joint LD – a young English rapper with the scary mask for the face and t-shirt on the outside of the long sleeve t-shirt as a grungetonåring in the 90’s – creates at least as much enthusiasm among the audience as the evening’s feature.
and wits, but he has brutal bass and exude utter decadence. He represents the same thing as the wave of young nihilistic hip-hop artists in the united states. Next to him appears to be Skepta as Jeff Lynne next to Johnny Rotten in the late 70’s.
A satisfactory concert is it anyway. Skepta is a pro, raps, but playback (not a certainty these days), bouncing around on the stage and create a volcanic atmosphere of the crowd, especially in the ”Crime riddim”, ”Man” and – of course – ”Shutdown”.
When he in front of the ”Neighbourhood watch” he invites the LD on the stage, to the audience great jubilation. A sad and humble resignation in the face of the fact that the baton is now being handed over to the younger generation.
Read the more music reviews Nicholas Ringskog Ferrada-Noli, for example, how gangsterrapparen YG most give the impression of being a happy and relaxed guy.