Skepta

Skepta, born Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr., was born on September 19, 1982, and raised in Tottenham, North London; his parents are Nigerian and emigrated to London.⁠[1][1][2]

In the early 2000s he gained recognition as a DJ with the Tottenham grime collective Meridian Crew, and he began MCing shortly before the group disbanded in 2005.⁠[1][1]

After Meridian Crew disbanded, Skepta and his brother JME briefly joined Roll Deep, and in 2006 they became founding members of the grime collective and brand Boy Better Know. His clash with MC Devilman on Lord of the Mics 2 established his reputation in the grime scene.⁠[1][1][1]

In 2007 Skepta released his debut studio album, Greatest Hits; he followed it with the single Rolex Sweep (September 2008) and the albums Microphone Champion (2009) and Doin’ It Again (2011), the latter featuring songs including Bad Boy and Rescue Me. In 2012 he released the singles Hold On and Make Peace Not War, as well as the mixtape Blacklisted.⁠[1][1][1][1][1]

In May 2016 Skepta released the album Konnichiwa through the independent label Boy Better Know Records; it includes singles such as That’s Not Me and Shutdown.⁠[3][1]

On September 15, 2016, Konnichiwa won the 2016 Mercury Prize; the other albums on the final shortlist were by David Bowie, Radiohead, Michael Kiwanuka, Laura Mvula, and The 1975. He was the first grime artist to win the prize since Dizzee Rascal in 2003, and received £25,000 in prize money.⁠[4][3][4][3]

The judges described the album as “Confident, funny, clever, scary, personal and political.” Accepting the award with his parents onstage, Skepta said: “No record label, nothing, and we just traveled the world. We just did this for us.”⁠[3][4][4]

In 2017 Skepta was named by Debrett’s as one of the most influential people in the UK. He has received three Brit Awards nominations, including British Male Solo Artist.⁠[1][1]

On April 4, 2018, Skepta received the chieftaincy title “Amuludun of Odo-Aje” (meaning “Chief entertainer”) at Odo-Aje in Ogun State, Nigeria. He wrote on Instagram that he would continue to put time and love into Nigeria, especially the community of Odo-Aje.⁠[2][2][2]

In 2019 Skepta released the solo album Ignorance Is Bliss. In 2020 Insomnia, his collaborative album with Chip and Young Adz, peaked at number 3 on the UK Official Albums Chart. In 2021 he released the EP All In.⁠[5][6][1]

On January 9, 2024, Skepta posted the artwork for his new single Gas Me Up (Diligent) on social media; it showed a group of people with shaved heads in matching shirts and was criticized by many social media users as alluding to Jewish prisoners in Nazi concentration camps. He then removed the artwork and apologized, saying the imagery was inspired by 1980s skinhead and football culture and vowing to be more mindful going forward.⁠[7][7][7][7][7][7]

On January 26, 2024, the single, produced by Cardo, was released through Big Smoke/Epic Records UK.⁠[8]

On January 24, 2024, the short film Tribal Mark, which Skepta starred in, co-directed, and executive produced, premiered, followed by a nationwide UK release at Everyman Cinemas from January 26. The film tells the story of a Nigerian immigrant in London; it was produced by his company 1PLUS1 Production, with a cast and production team that was 90 percent minority ethnic.⁠[8][8][8]

Skepta co-directed the film with his longtime collaborator Dwight Okechukwu. He said it was a story many immigrants would understand, and that the team planned to expand it into TV shows and films.⁠[9][9][9]

The Venture Room released a video filmed at the Tribal Mark premiere that included a brief interview of about half a minute with Skepta. He said the premiere left him so excited he could not speak, that the team had been working on the character for two and a half years, and that he hoped the film would be a new beginning for Black actors in the future.⁠[10][10][10][10]

On August 28, 2026, while performing at Reading Festival, Skepta debuted three songs from his new album, including Aloe Vera and Innocent Smile. On September 18 he released the single Innocent Smile, a collaboration with Chase & Status and Madness frontman Suggs.⁠[5][5][11]

On October 2, 2026, Skepta announced that his sixth studio album, The Fork and Knife, would be released on November 6, 2026, through Big Smoke Records and Epic Records, his first solo album since Ignorance Is Bliss in 2019. He also received a nomination at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards for Victory Lap, his collaboration with PlaqueBoyMax and Fred again..⁠[12][12]

Skepta has attended the Met Gala and fashion shows by brands such as Louis Vuitton and Givenchy, and his fashion brand Mains has appeared at London Fashion Week. He also co-founded the house music brand Más Tiempo with Boy Better Know member Jammer, and in 2026 launched a DJ residency of the same name at Hï Ibiza.⁠[1][1][1][11]

Asked what someone should do to become as successful as he is, Skepta answered: “one day at a time,” and don’t put too much pressure on yourself (at 02:39 in the video).⁠[10]

Big Smoke Corporation: Official website: https://bigsmokecorporation.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[1]

X: Public account: https://x.com/Skepta (opens in a new window)⁠[1]

YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: Public channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SKEPTAOFFICIAL (opens in a new window)⁠[1]