Konnichiwa

Sayonara.

Constantly amused by American adhering so closely to their stereotypes in these reviews! Absolutely deserves it's place on this list because: 1. It's fucking awesome 2. It's took grime to the next level commercially, creating space for the UK rap derivatives that are still dominating the UK charts to this day 3. The list is not an American list.

Grime is a fun genre and this is a good album. As with most rap, I really don't need the skits. I get it, it's a fundamental part of the genre. But really, I cannot imagine a single person on the planet earth who is like "oh yeah I loved that skit off that rap album" CUT EM OUT OF ALL RAP ALBUMS

The ting goes skrrrahh (Ah) Pap, pap, ka-ka-ka (Ka-ka) Skidiki-pap-pap (Pap) And a pu-pu-pudrrrr-boom (Boom) Skya (Ah) Du-du-ku-ku-dun-dun (Dun) Poom, poom You don' know

I'm glad that's over. At first I thought, ok, I can get through this, it's not too horrible, but as it went on I started hating it more and more. I don't enjoy rap to begin with but something about British rap just makes me cringe. 2 stars for the effort.

Konnichiwa. Well, alright, that's it. The final album. Maybe a more poetic end to the journey would have been a British psychedelic post-punk album from the 80s featuring cameos by Neil Young and Elvis Costello. But I guess some weird album I've never heard of, where the only review I can muster is the 500th new way of saying "Who fucking cares, 2/5", is the second best thing. See you all in the next life. Thanks for all the great albums I've discovered through this list, all the hilarious and interesting reviews I've had the pleasure to read, the fun Reddit discussions, and thank you to everybody who liked my dumb drivel enough to give it a thumbs up - especially for all the love that "Kollaps" review got (still the lowest rated album though 😞). I've now heard all of the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, but the most important thing, the thing I'm most glad I got to hear before I died, was the story about the boys in Dresden getting head from a fat goth lady. Who fucking cares, 2/5. Sayonara.

Absolute trash that this album is on here and many American hip-hop/rap albums are missing. I don’t need to listen to it just because it’s British. Such a biased author. It’s disgusting how biased this list it towards British albums that are average at best.

At first, I was like, "Hey, that's different and interesting" and then I was like, "hmmm, these are all starting to sound the same" and then I was like, "Skits? Really? I thought we were past this as a genre." Overall, it was exactly alright. The good balances the bad and averages out to a "meh" 3-star score.

Lyrics were meh, British accent - noice

I could not wait for this to be done. Not only bad. Intrusive. Obnoxious.

Made me feel like I was in a Guy Ritchie movie

This style of music is just so uninteresting to me

"Two plus two is four / Minus one that's three QUICK MATHS"

I really don't understand why this is on the list, it adds nothing that wouldn't be added by any other mid-10s trap album. The songs are average at best and downright cringey at worst. I don't usually agree that albums get added to the book purely because they're British, but I can't really disagree in regards to this album. I'm probably biased because I don't like the Roadman subculture which, to me, just seems to be British youths pretending to be what the American gangsta rappers of old actually were. "Trying to not get killed by police" bruh you live in London, not fucking LA.

Guess I don’t like this flavour of rap, either.

Classic grime, definite high points with Shutdown and That’s Not Me but every song slaps.

This shit hit hard as fuck. Definitely going into the rotation.

I really forgot how amazing this album is. Soooo nostalgic for me. Bangers on bangers on bangers. Amaze!!!

I'm rating it this low very begrudgingly. UK grime is so good, and this is such a poor representation of it. The highlights of this album are all songs that were originally released as one-off singles, and it shows. I think Skeptas brother JME is far more talented and releases much more interesting music than Skepta. Dizzee Rascal too. It's a shame because this album is a real nostalgia trip for me, and I don't hate it, but it should have been an EP and better albums could have taken it's place

Why do all Brit’s sound like wussies

Fond memories of Chad putting this on at a veeeeeery deep point of the 2016 splendor session. TRUST ME DADDY

A very fun, even if slightly dated, timestamp of 2010’s culture that will have you vibing the whole runtime. I enjoyed the singles here, even if the in between stuff was somewhat forgettable.

I listened before bed and didn't really care for it. Too much bass. But I listened again (and on a different speaker system) and liked it more. Gonna try it the next time I drive somewhere

HE SAMPLED QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE

This is one I’ll have to sit in and give another listen later. I’m not super up on my Brit rap, it’s a different style, different rap scheme. I never cared for some of the other Brit rappers, but I do like this guy. The American rap influences are present with talks of gangs, bitches, drugs and arrogance. Themes I think are week and cliche, but Skepta makes up with a lot of this with nuanced skill and expertly crafted beats. I really liked Numbers. I think others would grow on me.

Good fucking energy rangabangtingtang

the skit with every other word punctuated with “fam” zeros in precisely to the year 2016. sounds like my classroom that year. especially Liam in 2nd period. i don’t know whether he said “fam” or “on god” more, but i overdosed on those words within a week

I'm a casual rap/hip hop fan at best and still just barely familiar with the grime genre. That said, I don't know enough about the genre to really assess if this is top of the top or not, but I did enjoy this album all the same.

Hab aktuell keine Motivation, gute Sachen hier zu schreiben. Fand es langweilig und eintönig. Britischer Rap klingt aber oftmals cool. Hat mich leider nicht abgeholt.

It was interesting, not really my style. One song made me stop listening to it and go find Queens of the Stone Age.

Flunssahuuruissa meni enemmän kuin ohi. Pari kertaa yritin pyöräyttää uusiksi muttei vaan tarttunut. En tiedä kummassa oli vika lopulta.

Ihan laadukas setti, mut tyyli ei mitenkään erityisesti puhutellu

I mean… meh? I find it very confusing that the album title is Konnichiwa but then it’s full of very British rap. I like the album cover though.

lol I can’t take rappers with a British accent seriously, sorry it just sounds wrong to my American ear After all, we did invent the form so can you really blame me?

Rap with British accents will just never sound right to me.

Why is there so much of this on the list? This was crap.

I don’t know much about hip hop but this is stupid.

Have always liked this album, especially love the bass 9/10

Dang good stuff going on across the pond.

Red vinyl on the TT. Marvellous.

wagwan roadmen my mum don't know your mum stop telling man you're my cousin act like a wasteman and only rate this ting 4 stars? that's not me trusssss me daddy

Probably the most important album to the entire genre of grime next to Boy in Da Corner. Extremely biased review because I was 17 when this came out, where It Ain't Safe, Shutdown, and That's Not Me were a staple of every house party I went to for my late teens. If you didn't have the privilege of hearing songs from this album at house parties you went to, you either weren't cool enough, or didn't live in AU/UK. Suck shit. I have no ills with this album, this is grime perfection. I'm not surprised this album is rated so poorly on this site. Though it's mostly yanks winging., there are some valid criticisms, but those criticisms reflect on the genre itself rather than this record. Grime isn't for everyone. That's was the whole point until Stormzy ruined it by selling out and making music with that greasy ginger cunt Ed Sheeran. Now it's a household name and the genre is ruined forever. Much like mainstream hip-hop in the US, Grime is no different nowadays. You absolutely fucked it, Stormzy. Skepta's booming voice really stands out, but it's the production that really makes this album. The latter of the half has some of the filthiest production I'd ever heard on a hip-hop song. Man, Shutdown, and ESPECIALLY That's Not Me - one of the most sampled grime songs of all time. Which itself was a sample of another early grime song. That's Not Me is probably the song that defines this album, and probably is the biggest grime song of all time up to that point. In fact, I think it still is the biggest & most impactful grime song of all time. If you can't tell, I enjoy the fuck out of that song, and considering the amount of artists that sample or rap over the beat, I dare say I'm not wrong. Like I said, grime isn't for everyone - but if you like grime, you definitely recognise that this is probably one of the most important albums to come out of the genre, if not THE most. I don't think any Grime artist has been able to replicate an album like this, nor will they. This defined what grime is at the time, and will always be remembered as so. Well deserved 5. It's a shame this is probably one of two grime albums on here, but I understand, it's not everyone's cup of marmalade or whatever the fuck it is they say. /end biased review.

I don't know anything about grime, as a white 53yr old never been my thing, but after listening to this and looking up the prison population stats and stop and search I get the anger. We live in a country that promote British values, and as a teacher I do this but these only really apply to white people. This is a well made album and dwarves 4 stars.

Don’t know anything about grime, and I always think UK rappers sound goofy at first, but this was a great listen. I loved the beats and the lyrics started to get me hooked towards the end.

Very cool

Wow. I went into this fully expecting to hate every inch of it. Loved it. skits can do one, but this is absolute hype fam

This is the most fun I had since starting this project

Blown away easy 10/10 album no skip. and epic qotsa sample in Man.

along with dizzee rascal, this álbum helped me realise that i actually quite enjoy grime. was very impressed on my first listen.

I enjoy rap/hip-hop with at least some aggression and this strikes a good balance of being passionate and a bit angry without being just gangsta' rap. I enjoy the rhymes and some of them are reasonably intelligent. The beats are also nice and punchy. I also enjoy that the lyrics have a purpose, a meaning, other than just: fuck bitches, shoot snitches, get stacks, like some rap (that is sometimes enjoyable, but in a different way). It's not the biggest 5 I've given, but I would probably recommend this one to a friend if I knew they were into this kind of stuff Standouts Konnichiwa It Ain't Safe Man Shutdown That's Not Me 5/5

Måske det bedste grime-album der findes

Strong start, I was UP from the first set of sounds, amazing repertoire and just strong energy. Loved it

muito bom

Gewoon echt goed, dikke beats, vette raps en echt anders dan wat ze in de VS maken.

Dark, clever, refreshing.

Wagwan fam, can't lie man was loving the first half of this album fam, but some of the talking parts were proper cringe blud you get me? Man took a star off for it fam, but then Shutdown and That's Not Me came on and man couldn't not give 5 stars fam, see what I'm saying fam? Big man ting.

very cool

шаг в перед. нью-йорк, я работаю в закусочной, но танцую в команде, мы мечтали, хожу в джинсовых шортах, гавайской рубашке и катаюсь на скейте и у меня всегда проводные наушники. и мне хорошо.

Dope

Gosh this is so good. I just love the way that UK hip-hop went from being the most cringeworthy thing in the world to stuff like this, which is so raw and feisty and just such an insight into that world and culture. "Shutdown" is amazing. Scary that this is getting on for 10 years old now! I am so old.

Hard as hell, one of the greats of the grime scene, amazing guest spots, important and good (not just one or the other!), absolutely brilliant

Rating: 10/10

Heel dik album

Love grime!

So so good. Ended up listening to Skepta and other english rappers all night.

OK. I guess I like grime? I very much like the rhythm of the words and the backing tracks and definitely the dialect.

Кайфово было. Качало. Переслушал еще раз. Numbers заела в голове.

woooooooooooo

Damn, this was a vibe. Really dug this one

This album was awesome. I didn't know about grime, grateful to have the chance to learn about it. Really catchy hip hop, with the songs focused largely on social commentary and internal reflections. That's spot on my taste for hip hop. 4.5 I'd say, rounded up this time.

I have listened to this album before and really enjoy Skepta. I like it but consider it like a 7/10. Its great but it doesn’t pull me back for repeat listens.

This American really enjoyed this album. Can't say I've listed to much UK rap, let alone grime music, but the production is slick and the rap has excellent flow. A modern-ish album that goes hard and earns its spot on this list.

mandem british innit

I see the vision. Listening to it for the beats first and lyrics second, per this album's grime lineage, definitely helped me appreciate it more - and the lyrics, despite the occasional clunker and the overall British, were solid! Now if only the skits were separated out on the tracklist...

Don't expect any conscious rap here -- the focus is all on vibes, production, and the rapid-fire flow of UK Grime. Said style is easy to dunk on as a first-time listener, but very fun if you can get used to it. More importantly, Skepta pulled off something rare here: a full-on genre innovation, putting Grime on the global map, and defining a style for the UK in the greater rap landscape. It's a shift I didn't even notice consciously at the time, but looking at it now, it's clear Konnichiwa was the turning point. You don't often get to see genres evolve in real time like this. As for the album itself -- there's only one true stinker in the tracklist, and it's Ladies Hit Squad. It goes for a Hotline Bling-style hook that was all the rage in 2016, but has aged terribly. It's followed by one of many phone call skits that really should've been separated into their own track. But what I find ABSOLUTELY CRIMINAL is what comes after: the most beautiful beat on the whole album, completely buried after the skit....... and it lasts all of 30 seconds. What was Skepta thinking??! Standouts: Corn on the Curb • Numbers • Man • Shutdown • That's Not Me

I liked this more than I was expecting to. I have found British hip rop and rap a little silly but I think it works better on this album. Wasn't expecting references on back to back tracks about the same Dizzee Rascal song. Also why does he compare his relationship with his girlfriend to Mufasa and Simba

12/1089 i’ve already heard a couple of Skepta’s songs (love the one that samples sophie ellis bextor) maybe i like grime more than i thought?? Konnichiwa and Lyrics are great, Corn on the Curb too It Ain’t Safe is the first kinda miss for me it’s too repetitive imo Numbers is so catchy and so mid 2010s Pharrell That’s Not Me is a hit and JME is once again a great featured artist Konnichiwa, That’s Not Me and Numbers >>> It Ain’t Safe <<<< really enjoyed this listen and will probably return to a few tracks 4 stars or 78/100

So, I wasn't sure about this album on my first listen. I thought it was a little underwhelming, and frankly disappointing. But my listen was a bit disjointed, and split over two days, so I decided to listen to it a second time, and the second time through was *much* better! One thing I was able to do was skip the stupid skits, so that instantly raised my regard for the album. I still think it's a tough album to score, though. I like British rap, I think it's fun. That said, I kind of feel like this album tries really hard to be regular old American rap. Not a bad thing, per se, but I've heard dozens of artists do that better. I think it's a really catchy album and I like it. I'd probably give it a 3.5 if I could. I'm going to bump it to 4 stars because rap is generally pretty hated on this project, so I'm sure it'll be underhanded. As an aside, I just learned that this album beat Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool for the 2016 Mercury Award. That's so absurd that it made me feel a bit angry towards this album...until I learned that Radiohead has been nominated for five Mercury Awards and have NEVER won: 1997: OK Computer lost to Roni Size - Represent. A good album, but not even on the same PLANET as OK Computer. 2001: Amnesiac lost to PJ Harvey - Stories. This is a BANANAS decision. There are four nominated albums better than that album. 2003: Hail to the Thief lost to Dizzee Rascal - Boy in da Corner. Get fucked. 2008: In Rainbows lost to Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid. Now, I do not agree with this decision, but I will say that I think this album is genius and is criminally underrated. 2016: A Moon Shaped Pool lost to Skepta - Konnichiwa. A travesty, but probably the second best album to incorrectly win against Radiohead. So I'm not mad at this album anymore, but it's obvious that the Mercury Awards are a joke.

i mean it goes hard as fuck and thats all you need really

Fun British rap hip hop

I liked it

I like this album quite a bit. Skepta's performance has a snappiness to it that makes this album, if nothing else, a refreshing change of pace from the albums I have listened to the last few days. Favorite track: "Konnichiwa"

Real good rapping 2

Positiv overraskelse

I had a lot of fun listening to this one, I thought this was drill rap, but it is actually grime. Either way it's catchy, funny, and great to dance to.

Not my genre and nothing I heard before, but I liked it. Solid all the way through. Kind of a cross between hiphop and London rave music, ala Tricky.

Buen album de rap de uk me ha molado

The north London dialect just goes so hard in rap. The writing feels juvinile and the title track feels like a nonsequitor, but the production works well

Wagwan fam. Great energy, great flow.

It’s a go!

This album felt like the reason this exercise exists. More please.

I love British rappers! I bet I'll like this.

I'd never really given much UK hip hop or grime a chance for some reason, but wow, this is great. Propulsive beats, clever samples (queens of the stone age, nice), high energy delivery. Perfect soundtrack for my run. I even enjoyed some of the little skits which I rarely do on rap albums, the one with the American gamer edgelord was kinda funny. The two track run of Man into Shutdown made me a Skepta fan, goes hard. Wish it went a little deeper lyrically, a bit heavy on the bravado, and theres one or two flops, especially Ladies Hit Squad, but he's clearly a serious talent

British rap always has an odd sound to me for some reason. Sounds enough though.

Love the opener I think it sounds very good and skepta has some really good bars. It kind of sets the mood for the rest of the album. In my opinion the little skits at the end of songs like crime riddim bring the whole theme of the album together, that being showing the lifestyle of young people in London's streets. A very important album in the UK grime and rap scene. Only gripe I have with the album is that I feel that Ladies hit squad doesn't really appeal to me. Although I like the beat, asap nast's hook doesn't really do it for me. Overall, 8/10

Favorite Track: It Ain’t Safe

Maybe a 3

Some pretty good grime, could’ve been better liked the overall vibe. 4 stars

This goes pretty hard. I’d much prefer more British and international hip hop varieties than all the mid britpop here

I can leave the skits, as usual, but there's loads of energy and intelligence here. Really solid grime album.