Fri Jul 07 2023
1
Sayonara.
This is a Random Album Generator.
One album a day.
From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Konnichiwa
Skepta
2016
- Album Summary
Konnichiwa is the fourth studio album by British rapper Skepta. The title is the greeting "hello" in the Japanese language. After numerous delays, it was released on 6 May 2016 by Boy Better Know. Konnichiwa features guest appearances from Jme, Boy Better Know, D Double E, Novelist, Wiley, Chip, Pharrell Williams, ASAP Nast and Young Lord. Konnichiwa was executively produced by Skepta himself, who produced all but three songs on the album. Pharrell also worked on production with Skepta on the album. Konnichiwa was originally announced in early 2013, yet suffered from numerous delays and reworking. In November 2014, Skepta stated that Konnichiwa was to be released in March 2015, however this release date was delayed once again. In April 2016, Skepta restarted the album campaign by announcing the finalised release date. The album was launched with a party in Tokyo on 5 May 2016 arranged and broadcast globally by live streaming platform Boiler Room. Konnichiwa peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart. The album also charted in Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. It was supported by four singles, including the top 40 entries "That's Not Me", "Shutdown" and "Man". Konnichiwa is certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The album received acclaim from critics as well, who praised its role and success in the resurgence of grime music and its cultural identity. It was included in numerous end-of-year lists for best albums of 2016 by many publications, including NME, The Guardian and Apple Music, who named the album as the best of 2016. Konnichiwa also received numerous accolades, including the 2016 Mercury Prize, which beat the likes of David Bowie and Radiohead.
Reviews
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Sun Apr 23 2023
2
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.
Thu Apr 20 2023
2
Lyrics were meh, British accent - noice
Wed Apr 26 2023
1
Guess I don’t like this flavour of rap, either.
Sat Apr 29 2023
5
Fond memories of Chad putting this on at a veeeeeery deep point of the 2016 splendor session. TRUST ME DADDY
Mon Apr 03 2023
4
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.
Fri May 19 2023
3
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.
Mon Jun 19 2023
1
This style of music is just so uninteresting to me
Fri Apr 14 2023
5
I really forgot how amazing this album is. Soooo nostalgic for me. Bangers on bangers on bangers. Amaze!!!
Fri Apr 14 2023
5
This shit hit hard as fuck. Definitely going into the rotation.
Sat May 27 2023
5
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.
Wed Jun 07 2023
5
Damn, this was a vibe. Really dug this one
Thu Jun 15 2023
5
woooooooooooo
Tue Mar 14 2023
4
It was easy to listen to. Refreshing to hear different country rap music. Although British accents are hard to understand for me, a lot of time I had no clue what he was saying.
Thu Mar 16 2023
4
I guess I didn't realize this was its own genre (grime). I always associated this sound with "UK Hip Hop/Rap". I like it.
Sun Apr 23 2023
4
Gorgeous sound with nicely flowing raps.
Sun Apr 23 2023
4
I was set on giving this only 2 stars after the first listen, but I got into it a lot more in the second round. Toward the end the songs were less engaging, and then that grime rhythm that is all over this album got a little boring.
Mon May 01 2023
4
Gritty, but ultimately catchy and infectious grime, Skepta repping for the UK.
Tue May 02 2023
4
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
Wed May 03 2023
4
moet meer grime luisteren. Mooi album mss iets teveel skits
Wed May 03 2023
4
shutdown hype
Sat May 06 2023
4
If you were to show people what grime was, this is one of the best that the genre has to offer. It isn't saying much considering most of the genre (and anything coming from UK garage) is pretty trash, but this is really decent. Fast beats and dark bass lines make it danceable and take influence from contemporary genres like dubstep, but it has a very modern production and style that aligns it more with modern hip hop. I could see the influence it would have on trap. I admit it was a bit hard for me on my first listen, but I once started paying attention all the production techniques, from the industrial effects to his over dubbing to his hilarious lines and overly British accent, it really started to grow on me and I found something to like out of every track. Had a very strong start with two aggressive tracks, then we get some tracks mixing catchy lines with intricate melodies, then we get the major hits. There were a few skippable tracks, and the skits were hardly audible and boring of what I could hear.
Wed May 17 2023
4
- Pretty bangin British rap - Great production quality, the bass is nice - Skepta's voice is so cool to listen to - Ladies Hit Squad, It Ain't Safe, That's Not Me
Thu May 18 2023
4
A too-rare rap project which respects its runtime and manages to grow steadily better without a particular frame narrative. Konnichiwa is packed with hits, easy to listen to, and presents its sound in a slice where repetition is density. Hooks and features; Who needs more?
Wed May 24 2023
4
Some incredibly dope grime, but too many skits really takes it down for me, which is unfortunate
Wed May 24 2023
4
I've loved That's Not Me since it dropped, and I'm glad that the rest of the album holds up to it; I just wish the skits were shorter.
Mon Jun 05 2023
4
Actually enjoyed — wasn’t sure I’d like grime. The production is nice, and there are some catchy songs in there. I’d have to go through the lyrics again but overall I liked the music. I understand this is a fairly influential record in UK grime scenes so I’m gonna give this a 4.
Thu Jun 08 2023
4
In some ways (the skits + "turn up my headphones," for starters), this album sounds like it's 15 years older than it is. It still goes, though. This is the second London rapper I've really enjoyed, which makes me wonder if there's a Geordie rapper out there that should be on the list. I'll investigate. Best track: Shutdown
Wed Jul 05 2023
4
Cool grime record, cool samples.
Sat Jul 08 2023
4
You know what I really enjoyed this, much more than I thought it would. The beats and samples are great, much more tuneful than expected. His flow is great, and some niche shout outs including Hublot watches. Needs a relisten so giving this the benefit of the doubt.
Wed Aug 02 2023
4
J'aime le style. C'est aggressif et ca déménage. Le mélande de hiphop avec des beats vraiment intense. Ca s'écoute super bien. c'est vraiment un bon album. 4.5
Fri Aug 04 2023
4
I remember coming across Skepta’s name a good few years ago and disregarding it because I thought it was dubstep (which is silly because I did end up caving and enjoying dubstep later). Since then, I guess he hasn’t come up on my radar again so I never thought to listen. But today that will change! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Crime Riddim, Shutdown This was pretty great. Skepta has one of those voices in hip hop that makes it sound easy as he seems so natural with it. The lyrics are mostly fantastic, but I’ll be honest and say that a lot of the roadman talk went straight over my head. I can’t help but cringe when people call each other “fam”, just as much as people describe workplaces as a “little family”. It’s all the same level of ridiculous to me, but I could digress about that for longer than I’d necessary here. Anyway, this album is good. Give it a listen.
Wed Aug 09 2023
4
Solid
Mon Aug 14 2023
4
Finally a hip hop album with a bit darker beat and atmosphere. I like this style of music and additionally Skepta's style and flow was pretty inclusive for fans of different genres. A real positive surprise, I would be happy to check the rest of his discography.
Tue Aug 15 2023
4
My first grime album, what a place to start.
Mon Aug 21 2023
4
HE SAMPLED QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
Sun Sep 24 2023
4
8/10
Sat Mar 11 2023
3
Not really into English rap, but this was alright it’s defiantly a move tho.
Mon Mar 13 2023
3
not my style of music, but a lot of clever lyrics and ideas in the songs
Fri Mar 17 2023
3
Entertaining grime album that convinces with its fast beats and rapping style
Fri Mar 17 2023
3
Lyricism is always preferible to the trap that focused on over production, but some tunes here were painfully amateur in production and hook writing. What makes up for it, and keeps it at a 3, is that some of the up talking bars and cocky delivery were cool and effective.
Thu Mar 23 2023
3
Fine
Fri Mar 31 2023
3
Dizzee better Strong 6/10
Fri Apr 14 2023
3
Grimey - good lyrics and production. Overall, just nothing out of the norm. Money, cars, hoes, blah blah... 3/5 for production
Wed Apr 19 2023
3
Interesting, and got some good beats.
Thu Apr 20 2023
3
This was decent. For whatever reason some of the lyrics were filtering through to me on this one and some of it was odd stuff for rap, but definitely interesting. Maybe I was charmed by the british accent. Nothing to special on the music side of things but I found this one rather more accessible than a lot of hip hop (or Grime or whatever the genre apparently is).
Thu Apr 20 2023
3
He's definitely a good rapper - I didn't have a ton of time with this record. The music was pretty interesting - never heard of "grime" before.
Thu Apr 20 2023
3
First impression, the beats are pretty cool. The lyrics are a bit basic, like someone went on rhymezone and ran words through to exhaust the simplistic rhymes. Crime Riddem is like this and I TRIED to like it. I find some of the patterns in song writing is quite generic here… chippindale, male, cell, and got me biting all of my fingernails“ 💀 I have not heard of this artist. I personally think that Apple Music was ON ONE for saying this was the best album of 2016. I will not say who I thought was better. Not that this has any bearing on the quality of the music… but Skepta has all of these albums out and sadly he is not on my rapper’s vocabulary graph… https://pudding.cool/projects/vocabulary/index.html “I was in da club and a guy was mean mugging me. He made me spill my drink so we had an altercation”. The beat is lit, but he is not sure what to write the song about so he becomes British Freddie Gibbs. Personally tired of hearing more stories about adverse scenarios in the bar. I liked Man and It Ain’t Safe the best. I guess I am now a bit familiar with Skepta. Not sure if better or worse, but cool to be exposed to another British rap artist to join the likes of The Streets and Dizzee Rascal.
Thu Apr 20 2023
3
It was all right. I didn't hate it, but didn't love it either. 2.5 rounded up
Thu Apr 20 2023
3
Unique voice, cool accent, entertaining lyrics, some good beats. There is a lot to enjoy here. Some songs were a bit much and I had to skip over ( Numbers) but also a couple great ones I will come back to (Ladies Hit Squad, Man, Shutdown). I am glad they included this modern album.
Fri Apr 21 2023
3
Sounds great instrumentally and I dig British rap/grime flow, but lyrically it's just hollow braggadocio.
Fri Apr 21 2023
3
Had not heard of this but apparently it did well... I enjoyed some of it but had trouble taking it seriously.
Wed Apr 26 2023
3
Better than I expected but I don't see myself listening to this outside of Europe... which I have yet to visit
Wed Apr 26 2023
3
Some solid tracks on here... but I'm just struggling to understand why, out of all the great hip hop in the last 10 years, this album got picked for the list.
Sun Apr 30 2023
3
Hitaammista, "jumittavammista" täytebiiseistä huolimatta tämä on onnistuminen. Artisti todella osaa sanailla, enkä edes osaa selittää miksi: juttuja vain on hauska kuunnella. Päähän soimaan jäävä yksinkertainen rallatus (Shutdown): check.
Sun Apr 30 2023
3
Paljon täytebiisejä, mutta hyvät biisit on tosi hyviä. Bileet!
Tue May 02 2023
3
I had this on low because work but some groovy brit hop
Sun May 07 2023
3
Skepta hits hard on this Grime-reviving album. His flow is on point and the deep bass demands you to listen to this at high volumes. I was pleased to see that there were no interludes or skits on the track list - only to find out that Skepta cleverly hid them at the end of songs. Not cool. Not cool at all.
Sun May 14 2023
3
Not my favorite. I don't know what it is about the fame and swagger that doesn't hit me the same way as more obviously "socially conscious" rap. Good production, but not my thing.
Wed May 17 2023
3
To paraphrase an old cliche, I don't know rap, but I know what I like. With my admittedly limited knowledge, the stuff I've heard that I have gravitated towards has been generally labeled as UKG, Grime, or original Hip Hop. Even being from the US, I tend to enjoy the UK rap stuff more. As I said, I don't know enough about rap and it's sub-genres to really know what is good or not, but I found this mostly enjoyable.
Thu May 25 2023
3
I always find Brit-hop interesting. It's unquestionably a different beast than American hip-hop, most noticeably with regard to production. It's usually simpler, relying more heavily on synthesizers and 808s. Done well, there's an elegance to the simplicity (see Dizzee Rascal's "Fix Up, Look Sharp," which admittedly is more sample than drum machine, but the simplicity is there). Done poorly, the tracks can sound dated, as if someone borrowed the backing track from a late-'80s 8-bit video game (and not a cool one). The other aspect of Brit-hop that interests me is the slang. We and the Brits both speak English, but it's a different lexical world over there, and I find the resulting turns of phrase intriguing. Perhaps more than any other music genre, hip-hop is poetry, and what is poetry other than finding unique and unexpected ways of saying something? To my American ears, Brit-hop lyrics have value based on that novelty alone, even if *what* they're saying is essentially rehashed '90s gangsta rap. And that's what much of this album sounds like, unfortunately—well-trodden thematic ground with a British twist. To an American listener, the most familiar-sounding tracks are liable to be "Ladies Hit Squad" thanks to A$AP Nast's Drake-like delivery (which is overrated but very much American—despite Drake being Canadian) and "Numbers," which, unsurprisingly, is the track with the best production thanks to Pharrell's involvement (see previous comments about elegant simplicity). Sounding American shouldn't be the goal, so that's not an issue. But the production and thematic content needs work. All that said, I didn't hate this. Call it a 3.5.
Thu May 25 2023
3
Before today, I'd never heard of Skepta before. Given the album title, I was under the assumption that this was a Japanese band. Boy was I wrong. Skepta is a British rapper who is big on the "Grime" scene. If you're like me, you don't have a bakers fuck of an idea what Grime is. According to Wikipedia, Grime is a genre of electronic dance music that originated out of London in the early 00's. It developed out of the UK Garage style, and draws influence from Jungle, dancehall, and hip hop. It is fast (usually around 140bpm) and usually features aggressive electronic sounds. To Cole's Notes this a bit, it is like rap/hip hop that you can dance to. This is not really in my wheelhouse of "favourites", but I can see the appeal to certain folks. It has a very heavy bass section, and would sound good on a sound system. I didn't mind it, but it's just not something I would gravitate towards, or ever seek out again. It is pretty cool that this dude worked with Pharrell Williams quite a bit when producing this record. The one thing it features that I hate are the stupid fucking skits that so many in the hip hop game did in the 90's. I hate skits, and find that they distract from the overall flow of the record. I don't give a fuck if you had an altercation with a man on a phone and wanted to beat his ass, get on with the music! Favourite songs: That's Not Me, Man, Crime Riddim, Corn on the Curb, Lyrics, It Ain't Safe, Konnichiwa Least favourite songs: Ladies Hit Squad 3/5
Mon May 29 2023
3
This was good. Enjoyed it more than I usually do with this genre.
Tue Jun 06 2023
3
Good bit of grime innit. I do really like some of the tracks, but I really dislike all the cringey spoken interludes. This is a recurring thing that a lot of otherwise good albums do, I don't see the point of them.
Wed Jun 07 2023
3
I’ll admit, I don’t listen to modern hip hop that much, especially British hip hop. I listen to a lot of old school stuff, but not really modern stuff. I can truthfully say however, that this record is pretty okay. If it’s one thing I can say about the record, all of the beats have this fast edm-ish quality to them, some incorporating industrial music as well which is always nice in my opinion. The vocals from skepta are also pretty angry and fiery and there’s a certain something about that kind of works. That being said, some of the production choices like weird ass interludes and pointless skits in between songs is just not that good. And while I may have praised the beats, some of them kind of suck. And admittedly some of the bars are also pretty bad. That one about Muslims in Shutdown is pretty bad. My man also says sus unironically. The noises and euphemisms Skepta uses sometimes are also just kind of bad, although it is inherently a fault of being br*tish. Overall, I’d say a 6 is fair. Nice beats and performance but wordplay and production could be better in some areas.
Wed Jun 07 2023
3
Tot i l'excés de hip hop a la llista, cal reconèixer que al treball d'Skepta hi ha molts motius per a disfrutar de l'escolta. Un flow que enganxa, uns beats de primer nivell, i unes lletres que allà fins on he pogut entendre, dibuixen molt bé la realitat del Londres del 2016. Les col.laboracions acaben d'arrodonir un dels millors discos de hip hop dels '10s
Tue Jun 13 2023
3
This is only the second grime record I've listened to, after Dizzee Rascal's 'Boy in Da Corner'. I liked both. Having emerged from East London in the early 2000s, perhaps grime generally holds my interest better than hip-hop because the themes are closer to home and the sounds and accents more familiar. Having said that, I can't seem to find a way in to Stormzy's music. This record starts with a bang and maintains a high energy throughout. There are some striking and humorous lyrics amongst the rest. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Man Date listened: 12/06/23
Mon Jun 19 2023
3
I like it. All new to me and I was drawn in nicely by it.
Thu Jun 22 2023
3
why does this book have so many british rappers 💀 they’re all so mid production is really the only thing good here and even that is only okay 6/10
Tue Jul 11 2023
3
This was cool but not my cup of tea. 6/10
Tue Jul 11 2023
3
5/10. Like, I don't want to shit talk this too much, because there was good flow to the lyrics and such, but it's going to take more than that for me to accept British rap into my heart
Thu Jul 13 2023
3
Meh
Tue Jul 18 2023
3
The second half was much swifter and catchier than the first. I didn’t think I was gonna like the grime - I really liked the heartfelt outro.
Wed Jul 19 2023
3
As far as modern hip hop goes, grime isn't really for me. For one reason or another, the accent or the style of production just doesn't click. That being said, I don't have anything negative to say specifically either.
Wed Jul 19 2023
3
Mixed feelings on this one. It was more or less an enjoyable listen, but I don't relate to constantly having to state how hard one is, or how willing they are to use a gun or take a life, or how sexually prolific they are. I just can't relate to someone who's whole life is bragging about aggression.
Wed Jul 19 2023
3
big man ting, grime isn't really my thing, but it was a good album
Sun Jul 23 2023
3
Ridin round in a rover if i see opps then its over
Sun Jul 23 2023
3
This album was a nice change of pace. I enjoy UK hip hop and really liked the aggression and portrayal of urban life. The grime beats were enjoyable, but started to sound similar after a while. The skits also took away a bit as well and dated the album a bit. Overall, I liked this album, but I don't think it should've won the Mercury Prize for 2016.
Thu Jul 27 2023
3
Konnichiwa // Crime Riddim // It Ain’t Safe // Man // Shutdown // That’s Not Me //
Mon Jul 31 2023
3
I was skeptical of this so I decided to play the 3 hits in a row, looking for a reason to hit DID NOT LISTEN. However, even though they sounded like extensions of the same song I liked the sound well enough - it's different and I especially love it when the big fat bass kicks in.
Wed Aug 02 2023
3
after having Ms dynamite (ee hee) on the list last week i realised i had no idea who had won the mercury music prize in probably the last decade so went on a bit of a discovery mission which included this album. it's like i'm mystic meg and i predict the future. it's surprisingly listenable considering i am incredibly not urban and 100% not in to London as a thing or culture. the closest i get to being londonese is when i say peas and foooood like in Top boy.
Sat Aug 05 2023
3
Je connaissais pas le style grimes mais semblerait que c'est une bonne introduction à ce son. Généralement j'ai bien apprécié, le gars a des très bons flows, ses paroles semblent avoir une certaine unicité. Vers le milieu de l'album il y a un peu de moments plus faibles, mais ça reprend très bien vers la fin. 7/10
Sun Aug 06 2023
3
Best Song: Lyrics. Perfect example of that harsh, bouncy rhythm that you don't hear as much outside UK rap. Stanky. Worst Song: Crime Riddim. Definitely feels the most like a character. The song isn't great and the skit/spoken audio is pretty shit. If you're going to include banter on your record, wouldn't you want it to be good banter? Overall: The album starts strong, carried by Skepta's flow and knack for hitting a good rhythm hard, but is bogged down by a set of features that are all significantly worse than the main event. I love the harshly staccato delivery of Skepta, so it's disappointing that we have to weave through weaker entries just to appreciate it.
Sun Aug 06 2023
3
Cet album m'a plu et m'a permis d'en apprendre sur les différences entre les hip-hops américain et britannique
Wed Aug 09 2023
3
Not bad
Thu Aug 17 2023
3
it was him, though
Fri Aug 25 2023
3
Not my kind of music but this was decent.
Sat Aug 26 2023
3
Started interesting and listenable. But wore out its welcome; by Ladies Hit Squad I had had enough. And lord spare me the skits...
Mon Aug 28 2023
3
3.6 - Grime seems like another one of those quixotic sub-genres that’s plagued by chronic in-fighting and artists bickering over who’s in and who’s out. All that noise aside, I enjoyed this record, especially the EDM beats that mix thumping bass with swirly/trippy elements. The MC’ing is certainly passable - clear and flowing though middling. From what I gather, Skepta enjoyed considerable influence for a short time, certainly within the grime scene, and to a lesser extent within the larger hip hop landscape. It’s unclear whether that influence has endured, or whether grime as a movement is still relevant. Standouts: “That’s Not Me”, “Shutdown.”
Thu Aug 31 2023
3
Not really my thing but I appreciated it
Fri Sep 01 2023
3
3.5 Pretty heavy rap / grime.
Tue Sep 05 2023
3
I liked this all right, though like a lot of UK hip hop it just doesn't quite connect for me. Some cultural divide: though I'm hardly of U.S. hip hop culture either, somehow I get it more fully. The stripped down drum and bass music was a little flat for me, I suspect it plays a lot better in the live environment that grime came out of.
Tue Mar 14 2023
2
Nicht so meins aber ist jz nicht schlecht
Wed Mar 15 2023
2
Its decent enough. Nothing special, though
Wed Mar 22 2023
2
Cool beats and vibes to this sound. But I can’t get behind lyrics talking about blasting someone’s face off. I just can’t.
Wed Mar 22 2023
2
It was fine. Sounded pretty juvenile with the talks about blasting in the face and swearing that adds nothing to the music.
Wed Mar 22 2023
2
While I love the accent, the rapping style lacked musicality and didn't really mesh with the music - that and the simplistic beats made it sound very amateurish
Wed Mar 22 2023
2
Not my cup of tea!
Thu Mar 23 2023
2
Very odd dynamic. Like someone not gansta trying to be gansta. Just ok for me.
Sun Mar 26 2023
2
Didn’t hate it but also not for me