Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Some incredibly dope grime, but too many skits really takes it down for me, which is unfortunate
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?
- 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
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.
shutdown hype
moet meer grime luisteren. Mooi album mss iets teveel skits
Gritty, but ultimately catchy and infectious grime, Skepta repping for the UK.
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.
Gorgeous sound with nicely flowing raps.
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.
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.
523/1089 - To be honest this is kinda retarded but it's also somewhat fun music. Meme airhorns and "fuck me but not literally" in the first 5 minutes.
(64/100)
Strait british rap. In your face british. Not actually bad at all. Would I listen again? Nah. Am I upset that I listened? Not really.
This is some good rap music. Still not 100% mine but it’s well produced and has some awesome lyrics.
Enjoyable British rap - a few songs towards the beginning were meh but it finished strong
3/5. Probably the single most British album I’ve had on the generator so far. Highlight for me is the production, the beats across the album are genuinely great. As for Skepta’s rapping, it’s hit or miss for me. He goes hard on some songs like “It Ain’t Safe” but there’s other points that just feel kinda corny.
Great album to clean to!
Production: B Lyrics/Flow: D Interesting samples: C Skits: F Feels immature and obvious to include all the gongs and vaguely asian sounding samples on this album. Wu Tang did this better 2 decades earlier. More pac-man samples please. Try as they might, the UK doesn't really understand hip hop. Grime is interesting, but the rapping is pretty god awful. 2.5/5
Not bad but I can already tell that when I'm done with this challenge, I'll probably forget about this album
I've never quite worked out which hip-hop I like, and which I don't. I think this sheds some light on that. UK hip-hop from London is just better than the american variety. The LME dialect is excellent and I love the slang, but the announciation and bite just lend itself to more aggresive rapping and punchier beats. I think this is examplified on tracks like Ladies Hit Squad and Numbers where there are american features. Skepta's verses are excellent though. Some of the tracks are quite similiar stylistically, and the lyrics are generic, but they work. Even the skitting between tracks is enjoyable. Crime Riddin is probably my favourite, also That's Not Me. Man is also fun for the wordplay. Stuck between 3 and 4 stars on this, as I just don't know enough grime to compare. We'll say 3.5 for now; enjoyable listen but I don't feel the need to listen again.
Dude, I can fuck with this. It’s a fun listen. I also can’t listen to British rap without thinking about Druskis skit on drill rap, so the whole thing just made me grin. Reading the wiki, I’m kind of surprised how critically acclaimed it was but also not really, I can see how it would make some buzz. Definitely has a 2016 feel to it that helps with the listen a lot, a great time to be alive. Enjoyed, don’t know how much more I’d listen to but a pretty fun pick.
A decent UK Rap album, but there was nothing new or truly interesting here.
It was a pleasant surprise.
This music is never going to be my bag, but maybe because both it and I are British there feels like a better cultural connection for me with this than any random Snoopy Dog or Jason Zed. Ok, but not my thing.
Rating:★★★ A bit different than I am used to but that is the reason why I'm doing this whole One Album A Day thing. I liked a lot of the beats, and some very funny lyrics at points. Pharrell song made me laugh so that's probably the highlight of the album for me. Mid overall.
British rap is already a hard sell but calling it “grime” is just making it worse. This album ended up being better than expected. Still not the kind of rap that I enjoy but I see its merits
While Dizzee Rascal put grime on the map over a decade earlier, Skepta's Konnichiwa felt like the first time that it truly hit the mainstream. Skepta sounds full of bravado but he is likeable and you're left rooting for him. Some of the references feel dated already. Seeing as this record has only recently passed its 10 year anniversary, I imagine those references will continue to age this record. The beats are danceable enough. "Shutdown" and "That's Not Me" are catchy and anthemic and its easy to see why they were big hits. Not sure how often I'll put the full album on, but this was enjoyable and it is refreshing to hear a voice that is unapologetic British as a lot of rap on here always feels so US focused.
Very North London, I could almost hear the influence on the dialect of today's youth from this album.
I was a bit baffled seeing Skepta on the list tbh - I thought he was a one hit wonder? Anyway the album was better than I expected! Enjoyed a few songs but god did I hate the skits. FAM FAM FAM PUSSY'OLE FAM 3 ⭐️
*Konnichiwa* I'll admit I was skeptical about this (British hip-hop) for a while which is why I put off listening to it for other albums I was behind on. But I actually ended up kind of enjoying this one. I really do like his flow, and i think I really like the tracks behind it which is I think what pulled me in my two favorite songs actually came towards the end which just so happened to be the two biggest singles from it "That's Not Me" and "Shutdown", which I found out that fact after listening. I can't say it was all really my kind of style but it definitely had things that I liked, but I was actually surprised how much I actually did get into it. I almost want to check out a little bit of more of the grime genre and see if it's something up my alley. (7.1) ★★★½
Not my favourite style, but he has good flow. 3.5 stars
Cool. Not my style, but cool for what it is
Distracted listen, but really strong first impression. Properly dark and cryptic, just the way I like it. The flow can feel a bit mechanical at times, but I definitely want to come back to this one very soon.
First Listen: Not at all familiar with grime as a genre, but I'm loving how fun the beats have been two tracks in. Haven't caught on to much lyrically, but the wagwan song was funny. Corn On The Curb is darker than the first two. From what I've caught from the lyrics, it seems to be a bit more introspective. Not sure what I think of Crime Riddim just yet. The skits are maybe a bit too long, but the COD lobby reenactment was funny. "Quit talking numbers... Calculator" I really like the content of this song! Not sure I love the beat. Pharell's beats can be super stiff sometimes, and his 808s sound like ass. Maybe the first song I haven't enjoyed, everything's been pretty fun up to this point. That's Not Me was so good until the minecraft rapper jumped in. I like Text Me Back's exploration of Skepta's long-distance relationships, with his partner and his mother. There's a wierd instrumental at the end. Not quite sure what that was about. OVERALL: Will definitely be putting this into rotation. I think this album, similar to the Norah Jones, produces a vibe and sound that is executed perfectly. It doesn't push any crazy boundaries, nor does it ever feel super deep or personal, but every song is fun and bouncy, the production is crisp, and Skepta skates on the beats. That being said, unlike Norah Jones, I'll likely come back to this fairly frequently due to how fun this was. 7/10 T3: Konnichiwa, Lyrics, That's Not Me
Not terrible by any means, although not really my thing. Unmistakably British, which is nice to see in this sort of music
When I saw the description was British rap I was immediately reluctant but this was a pleasant surprise. Even more so that I recognized one of the songs.
I've only heard snippets of Skepta but from this album he seems pretty good. His voice is very punchy yk. Man and Text Me Back were my favorites. 6.3/10
Serious version of Mans Not Hot. Kind of a vibe. I like the Regular John sample on Man
Can't help but think of this video whenever I hear British rap: https://youtu.be/bayveo_Ujt4?si=ikk2f-Kjrm4HDdgU It IS decent though...I was never really bored, besides during those mini-skits, and maybe that last song. 3.5. Rounding down because of the aforementioned skits.
All I could think about while listening to this album.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk-Fum6YMOw
meh and 2 BANGERS
3/5 The beginning songs I really didn't like but it picked up later in the album. Favorite Song: Man
2.5
Skepta is the face of the Grime revival going on in the UK Rap scene as he manages to continue to put out some of the weirdest beats and cleanest flows I have heard in some time. His style and presence is even recognized as an album in the 1001 albums to hear before you die project, hence why I am checking this album out here today. This project isn't as sharp or consistent as I would have hoped for the Grime revival, but when this album snaps into place it goes insanely hard. Skepta may just have a very bold voice or some truly electrifying bars but he manages to be the shining star of this project as he really has a grasp on his listeners even if the song is mediocre at best. It also helps just how experimental the production is as he serves as an easy to digest baseline against some very strange sounds to most modern Pop Rap listeners. For as popular as Skepta is in today's landscape, this is still a hard project to digest and can very easily turn people off. I am glad I stuck it through though as it has some really great bangers in the back half of this album that really helped this finish off in a compelling way. I am not super impressed with this album, but I am once again impressed with Skepta's natural charisma and ability to put a spell on the listener. Konnichiwa may be a bit hit or miss but Skepta's ability to deliver sure as hell isn't.
More good songs sunk by atrocious skits
Houmous & Chutney wrote an album called Skeptical just for Skepta. He turned it down. They turned into one of the most lauded albums of all time for themselves. 2.5 10/12 That’s Not Me
Solid beats mate
I didnt listen to all of it but those that I listened were good 👍
3/5
Hip hop tipico
Some pretty cool electronic-y sound, it could push more and do more interesting things but it's good fun as it is, there's some safe variety He also dropped a "fam" at some point and it was so powerfully british it took the breath out of my lungs
Absolute banger. Solid flow, creative loops. Always impressed with a self produced album that sounds this good.
Not much to say - not bad, but not mind blowing either
3/4
Arrancó piola y me fue perdiendo en la monotonía. Una lástima, estaba para un buen álbum de hip hop hoy. Aún así, el comienzo me gustó. Y tengo que subirte un punto por agarrar Regular John de Queens Of The Stone Age y samplearla en la canción Man. Seguramente sea lo más cerca que esté de escuchar ese temón en este juego. 6/10
Aldri hørt om fyren. Plata ble satt på mens jeg jobba og plaga meg ikke nevneverdig. Ganske ok tenkte jeg tidvis. Sannsynligvis den beste plata jeg aldri blir å høre igjen.
Not bad
Solidan grime album ali nije mi među favoritima
1001 songs british people should hear before they die. Actually it was fine. But nothing seminal or important
Know of Grim, though due to my old white dude profile wouldn’t offer even the slightest view as no knowledge. London inner city is as far away from my life as any. Well this was interesting, yeah the skits are a one hear thing and probably get boring after a few listens. Like the darker, more sparse sound. Like an urban view that’s definitely not as bravado. Not going to be revisiting as a whole but maybe a few tracks, but did enjoy and glad I heard this. And yeah it gets a little boring, every time a Brit album is on here, someone has to “it’s not American” - I love U.S. music but the fucking book is British in origin, so it’s culturally British at heart, - produce your own if ya want. After couple of listens 3.5 Star
Not really my genre, but I enjoyed the video-game style beats. 3/5
Day 28 — Skepta — Konnichiwa (2016) Listened: April 18–19, 2026 Genre: Grime / UK Hip-Hop Vibe: Cold, confrontational, stripped-back UK street rap with heavy bass and sharp edges. Highlights: ★ Crime Riddim • It Ain't Safe (feat. Young Lord) • Numbers • Detox (feat. BBK) Impression: First UK rap album and I enjoyed it. Good beats and lyrics. Dug it as background music while I did chores and work. Rating: 3.1/5 Keep songs? Yes Revisit album? Yes
soo i know this style is called grime and it was highkey good, it’s not something i can listen to constantly cuz it’s too british for me but it was a good album, he did the production too & exported this style to the outside
I have never heard of Skepta, not bad
Thats some calm rhymes there.
I think grime is fun, but not so fun I want to listen to a full album of it. Shout out to the D-Double E feat. bidabapbap!
A telltale sign of just exactly how British this list is. Some of the beats are cool and i really enjoy Skeptas vocal tone and accent but still, i don’t really buy it? Like, people in the UK might think this is really hard but it’s honestly pretty boring to me? This is completely fine and i am completely unmoved. WAIT HOLD ON IT GETS A LOT MORE FUN AND A LOT BETTER IN THE SECOND HALF. Honestly holy hell once Numbers hit i was like “oh that one was kind of cool” then the momentum just kept going. I completely forgot about Shutdown, what a track. So yeah if this thing was like 7-8 tracks it would be absolutely fire. BUT-
An interesting first listen to the "grime" style, and there were some tracks that were kinetic and energetic in a way I really liked.
Had no idea what to expect then I saw all the rap collabs. This was better than I expected. I liked it. He reminded me of da Ali g character.
Grime music of electronic rap music, delayed two years.
Well this was a really mixed album for me. Shutdown and That's Not Me were big songs of my childhood, so obviously they rated high and are iconic. Yet, others such as Numbers and Ladies Hit Squad really did not hit with me. Half of this album was not really worth listening to me, which I was suprised with, the collaborative tracks were what dragged it down for me. Konnichiwa 7 Lyrics 5 Corn on the Curb 5 Crime Riddim 4 IT Ain't Safe 3 Ladies Hit Squad 2 Numbers 2 Man 6 Shutdown 9 That's Not Me 10 Detox 7 Text Me Back 6
Nice album. It’s got some tough imagery and the electro production fits Skepta’s cadence well. I enjoyed this one. 3.5/5.0
ok Not really my bag but it had a couple of nice tunes and if I managed to tune in better to what was being said I think it had an interesting story.
So cheesy ngl. But probs mid-high 3s. Ed Sheeran of London rap 2016
The rapping is pretty good. The production is very up and down on this record. When they go with just a hard beat and some synth/music elements, it's all good. When they start mixing in things I hear as "noise" for artistic effect, they lose me. It's not a bad record at all but it's not one I'd return to any time soon.
Strong start, getting lost from the mid point through a bit of repetitiveness. First side has lots of good tracks.
The British are rapping
MANS NOT MAN
Review - never delved into grime or UK hip hop at all so this was fun to give a go. Quite liked the album tbh, some of the songs were pretty good and the songs I was less into weren't too bad. Most of the songs were pretty short too which kept it varied. Rating - 7/10 Need to hear? YES
Weird to get two heavy brit rap albums within a week. This is better one of the two but I still just don’t really enjoy it. It’s better than most modern American rap but they really just rap about the same couple topics making it stagnant and boring. 5/10
Every time British rappers talk about cops, I just picture the old timey ones with the tall hats. Anyway, not bad. I liked Numbers and Man. Pharell makes a lot of music just better.
Patchy in places but good to have some grime on here, worthy on inclusion.
The grime beats were cool, that rap not so much.
Konnichiwa - 3 Lyrics - 3 Corn on the curb - 2 Crime riddim - 3 It ain't safe - 4 Ladies hit squad - 3 Numbers - 3 Man - 4 Shutdown - 3 That's not me - 3 Detox - 3 Text me back - 2
I liked the track with Pharrell Not a bad project but I just didn’t connect with it
This is not my type of music at all, so I couldn’t get into it. But for what it is it’s not so bad and had some enjoyable beats! I see why it’s highly rated for this genre.
I do have a slight soft spot for grime artists. It was a unique take on British hip hop and still sounds kinda cool to me. I never necessarily heard any real greats from the genre, but Skepta is still pretty good.
The album is good, but not much else past that. If you like Grime, then you'll love this, because it gives you exactly what you want from the genre. For me, though, while the production is pretty good my main problem is with Skepta himself. A lot of Grime artists lyrics tend to be bragadocious, presenting jusy how cool/dangerous they are and that they aren't too be messed with. Which is pretty standard for the genre, and I don't have a problem with that persey, but they're never really convincing in their presentation. The bravado here seems put on, false to a point of distraction. There are a couple of times on the album where it feels less like an act and more like reality, but it's unfortunately rare. As well, the rhyming schemes and punchline, while good, never blew me away at all. I can only really remember a couple. Also, a lot of the feature on this album don't really work that well (especially A$AP NAST on Ladies Hit Squad, who is trying to sound like a low rent Drake (who already jacked that sound from Jamaican artists)). That's not to say the whole album is bad, Skepta does create a mood with his lyrics that fit with the beats, and the production is very good. It's very listenable, and I wouldn't call it a bad album in any regard. It's good, but nothing else. If you like Grime, then you've already listened to it, and if you want to get into the genre this is a pretty good starting place.
I did so badly at keeping up with UK hip-hop at the time, before listening to this, I couldn’t have told you it was going to be Grime, and after listening to it, I still don’t know because I’m so ill-informed. Grime or not, I enjoyed it plenty. The beats were strong and felt well considered all the way through the album. I was also quickly won over by Skepta’s flow. I wasn’t annoyed by his delivery at all, nor his subject matter. Also after a full listen I was thinking, glad it wasn’t packed with featured guests; turns out there were actually plenty, but they managed to do it without gate crashing the boss’s party. I think I will come back to this and potentially upgrade once I get some more quality listening in but in the meantime it’s a strong ⭐️⭐️⭐️
it's quite alright
Clanging beats and sirens sound the alarm, ominous pulsating rhythms, high energy and off kilter. Unsettling and anxiety inducing, angry and insistent. The raps are similar: a staccato cadence, harsh and confrontational, direct, boastful. Some catchy choruses scattered throughout, but also annoying skits.
Way outside my comfort zone, which is a good thing.
3/5
Making it a new rule that I'll give an album 3 tracks before deciding if I continue - this one was just not my style, but I can recognize it sounds pretty good for what it is...hence the 3 score.
Day 186 A few gems amongst some excruciating skits. Highlights Crime Riddim Shutdown That’s not me
What I like about Skepta is the slight tongue in cheek approach he has lyrically - little throwaway references to British culture, like kid’s TV, cling film and a Ribena - whilst still demonstrably a serious grime artist. I didn’t like all of it, but the good bits (the singles particularly) are very good indeed
Better than Coldplay
Nice to see more Grime on here, I found Dizzee Rascal to be a pleasant surprise. This amps it up to 11 but with even stronger beats and harding punching deliveries. It's the angriest parts of N.W.A. and Public Enemy rolled in a 40 minute barrage. Don't really like the skits but they aren't intrusive here. I feel the album does get a bit repetitive at times and not everything hits quite as hard here.
I'm not a huge fan of grime, but this was a nice listen with a fair amount of song variety to keep things fresh. I thought I hadn't ever heard Skepta before, but then I recognized "Shutdown" from the remastered Tony Hawk Pro Skaters 1+2. The beats are HARD, and he flow, combined with the British accent allows for unexpected and interesting rhymes. I can't say I'm super into it, but I definitely bobbed my head for the majority and enjoyed listening to it.
Konnichiwa by Skepta mentions Fireman Sam :)
An interesting listen. I don't usually hear much non american hip hop or rap
Really enjoyed some of the songs. Skillful rhymes and flow (I thought). 3.5
6.0/10 Pretty interesting.. liked the British accent
Was fine. Good beats to groove to, but did not notice much past that.
It had interesting moments, but nothing I’ll come back to.
not my music taste but a british twist which was interesting
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would
I mean... I guess I'm happy I heard this before I died. There were some nice beats in here. A bit better than I was anticipating. 3/5
No special comments. It's an OK UK rap album.
This has a fairytale vibe. It's mystical, moody, and poetic. I visualize dark hues with bright strokes of color popping out. Big characters. Twists, turns, heroes, and villains.
20102 grime. Good but also kind of mid. Not my genre.
This is some incredibly British rap music. It reminds me a lot of BGMedia back in the mid-2010s. That was some quality, Afghan Dan especially had talent. He put out an album about a year or two ago called Relic that's pretty good. He also made a diss track against one of the features on this album, Wiley. Crazy how everything comes full circle. Anyways, the album definitely has some issues. That "Bang brrrang dang dang" bar was funny, but definitely in the top 5 whitest bars I've heard come out of a black guy. The whole album is sprinkled with random bars that require a double-take to make sure they're actually that bad, and they usually are. That and the skits throughout make the vocals a drag going into the latter half. The beats are awesome, though. Really driving with some good Drill and Garage influence in them. The guy's voice at least matches the beats pretty well, even if the lyrics don't.
Good rap album. Hate the skits. Congrats to Skepta for telling off that gamer on “Crime Riddim”. You really showed him!
I enjoyed this album listen from Skepta! I’d never heard of Skepta before so it was fun to check out a new artist to me. Overall, I thought this was a solid hip hop/rap album that I would revisit in the future!
It's solid, with a bunch of good tunes and really good production. I don't really know enough about grime as a genre to explain why it sounds good to me but it does. "It Ain't Safe" is the one that'll be stuck in my head.
Never heard of grime as a genre before, so I dig the beats associated with it.
Connaissais pas.
Vond het eigenlijk best grappig
Litt bra og litt rart
I was optimistic when the album started. Moments where I really liked it, but couldn’t maintain it.
Ehhhhh, ok
It’s alright. I’m not English so not really my thing. The regular john sample was cool though.
I usually have a tough time with UK rap, which is incredibly provincial of me, I know. This is particularly true when the topics are run-of-the-mill hip hop stuff (money, hoes, clothes; guns/gangs). Again, I realize it's just a bias, and there's no reason a UK rapper can't come by this stuff honestly (even assuming any rapper comes by it honestly, which may or may not be the case). The man has bars, I gotta give him that. I thought the features were almost all weak, particularly Pharrell's phoned-in hook on "Numbers." Production is mostly solid (a few of them are weaker, like "That's Not Me"), flow is good, big energy. Topics are tired, but whatever, I'm cool with this sort of thing from, like, Raekwon. Not a grime guy, usually, but maybe I need to get over the provincialism. Highlights: The title track; "Man" (LOVED the Queens of the Stone Age Sample); "Shutdown" Lowlights: "Numbers", "Ladies Hit Squad", all skits, although on a first listen the video game one was kinda clever.
Some cool beats and solid rapping. Didn't care for the hits ("Shutdown" and "That's Not Me") but there were some decent tracks including "Crime Riddim" and the title track.
A mix of fun drill songs that bring the energy and some stinkers. A good representation of how I feel about UK grime/drill as a genre.
I don't mind grime for a song or two at a time; it's a fresh and intense sound and has a great beat. But I think it is really a singles genre rather than an album format. A whole album wears a bit -- it's all swagger, all the time. I am also highly wary of Mercury Prize winners. But if you dropped 'Shutdown' into a set, I'd dance to it.
Relatively easy listening, for rap.
It’s one and done for me. I do like British rap though.
Pretty fun bops
I liked it, but it was repetitive
Grime är en väldigt distinkt stil ändå
Inte min grej överlag, men en del intressant produktion som väger upp. (
Coolt med SVÄRDLJUD i första låten. Resten var väl rätt trevlig också!
It's nice to hear some hip hop outside of the 90s. It's decent. Some interesting tracks. Didn't grab me with anything in particular though. But I can definitely see why some would really dig it.
UK Grime has never been a genre that I’ve enjoyed. I’ve tried over and over and it just doesn’t work.
I dont know what makes this album special. His rapping is not very interesting nor the music. Boring, change it for more original rap.
"Konnichiwa" is the fourth studio album by British rapper Septa (Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr.). Hip hop and grime are the Wiki-listed genres. It's my first foray, that I know of, into the grime genre (electronic dance music that emerged out of London the early 2000's). There are a number of guests appearances including Jme, Boy Better Know, D Double E, Novelist, Wiley, Chip, Pharrell Williams, ASAP Nast and Young Lord. Septa was executive producer and produced three of the songs on the album. A host of others produced the songs, among them Pharrell Williams. Commercially, the album reached #2 in the UK and #160 on the US Billboard 200. It was critically acclaimed for its resurging grime music and it also won the 2016 UK Mercury Prize. The album and song "Konnichiwa" open with the sounds of waves, birds, swords, a woman singing "come as you are" and finally sirens. A slow hip hop beat and chilling "Omen"-like synth keys. Skepta rapping quickly and he's killing it as he returns to the scene. "Ladies Hit Squad" continues the slow hip hop beat but there's a dreamy-synth melody. D Double E and ASAP Nast join Skepta on the rap and echoing vocals in a commentary on the sexualization of women in music videos. "Man" uses a killer, underlying sample of Queen of the Stone Age's "Regular John" which pervades throughout along with a chugging hip hop beat. "Shutdown" starts with a Drake vocal sample of "Shutdown. Truss Mi Daddy" which repeats. A deeper bass beat and a hypnotic synth melody. A song about empowerment in the face of prejudice. The first single "That's Not Me" has a bubbly synth sample of Wiley's "Jam Pie." Layered electronic beats. Here's the grime. The music combines hip hop and electronic beats with synth melodies. Some the eerie melodies reminded me of the Wu-Tang Clan. There's samples but but they're not excessively used. The lyrics are somewhat varied with a number of them personal dealing with his struggles of fame and identity. Septa is a quick and confident rapper. This is a solid album in which most hip hop fans should like.
Not terribly interesting lyrics, not terribly interesting beats.
Lyrically, it’s a little too much on the bravado side. I prefer my grim to come with a little more self-reflection, à la Dave but musically the beats here are top notch. Particularly enjoyed the QOTSA sample on _Man_.
Really liked some of these - Man, Numbers, and Text Me Back. Would not have heard this album but for this project.
Not a big grime fine, but this album is ok. I feel that there are probably better grime albums out there though. 3/5
I have a weakspot for grime. Minus 1 for the skits.
whole album is fine but shutdown is still a hit almost a decade later
Cool grooves and cool flow. Skits do nothing for me. Overall, this album was fine. Not one I'll bother returning to.
7/10 - some solid grime here, need more of this
Very fun energy. The beats, flow, and lyrics were all immaculate.
Okay good
as everybody knows, the panel of mercury award have always been edgelords, despite the sometimes clarity of giving the prize to peak albums like different class and stories from the city, stories from the sea. and in 2016, when you think a moon shaped pool or blackstar may win the prize, they gave it to this album. but still i listened to this for a bit and i like the beat and the bri'ish accent and this is not as bad as they think! でもね…さようなら。もう二度と来ないで。ア・ムーン・シェイプト・プールの方がいいわ。 (im bad at japanese so i translated using google and this is what i imputted: but anyway... sayonara. don't bring this to me again. a moon shaped pool is clearly better.) 3/5
I'm not too familiar with British rap, including grime. This album was very mid-2010s sounding. Despite that I thought it was decent. Pretty average.
É um álbum legal, mas não é muito minha praia. Tem umas músicas legais, como Lyrics, It Ain't Safe, Numbers, Text Me Back e um bom uso do sample de Regular John do QOTSA em Man (Gang)
shit was narsty. drill is fun, but it's never something that i would intentionally throw on. i had a good time though
I’m a sucker for British rap, I think that British rappers have some of the coolest deliveries. Grime is a dope subgenre, and their spin on the drill sound is really unique, too. I also love how it feels like a parallel universe to the US rap scene, with their own beef and their own "king of Brit rap" conversations. This isn’t my favorite Skepta album, (I love ‘Ignorance is Bliss,’ it's sadly too recent for this list), but there are some great tracks on this one. I always get a little bit of lead foot when "Crime Riddim" comes on in my car. Production across the board is fantastic stuff and also undeniably 2016-sounding. Rap was simpler back then (for better and worse). One gripe I have with Skepta (and sometimes Brit rap in general) is all the Drake influence -- the way the chorus is sung on "Ladies Hit Squad" sounds almost identical to the melody on "Hotling Bling." Drake is on the intro and outro of "Shutdown" on this album. It cheapens British rap for me to know they're cannibalizing a style that has cannibalized US rap/hip-hop. I always appreciate the more authentic sounds of artists like Dave and Stormzy who carve their own lanes, and I think it stops me from completely appreciating Skepta. If you're a fan of this one, check out Jme's 'Integrity>' or Giggs's 'Wamp 2 Dem.' Not the same caliber of rapper as Skepta, but still a lot of fun.
Don’t listen to as much rap these days as my younger years. Wasn’t particularly enthused about this one going in, hence my Northern Boys comparison. But I liked this quite a bit.
Driving through foggy farmland and misty city streets to this album made it feel like I was in the outskirts of London — even though I was on the right side of the road. Bumping a UK rapper at a reckless two volume levels higher than usual in my 2015 Honda Civic en route to peck away at my laptop at Martine’s pastry shop was less immersive, but still fun. I feel like hip hop can range from profound+poetic to vacuous+hedonistic. Skepta finds himself somewhere in the middle here. That’s definitely not a bad place to be, and he explores either side of that scale throughout. But I think my take is somewhere in the middle too, I enjoyed quite a bit of this album but some of the tracks and skits were lackluster. I think br*tish rappers with pronounced accents sound cool (sue me) which boosts this for me. Liked giving this a listen, but not sure I’ll revisit it when many American rappers feel more substantial.
Kinda funny how much the American reviewers complain that its not hard enough, given how much its poking fun at their poser culture, but ultimately while I enjoyed it I dunno if I'd listen again
Fav: Konnichiwa Least Fav: Crime Riddim You could say I was… skeptacle… about this album, but I think it’s a fairly competent album in a genre I’m not really a fan of. It’s impressive for sure
Hotly awaited, and critically acclaimed upon release, Konnichiwa seems to be a commercial and cultural resurgence for grime. Grime is admittedly not a sub-genre of hip-hop I'm especially well-versed in, but I have enjoyed some. While I'm sure someone more immersed in UK hip hop may get more out of this, I did think it was good. Skepta is charismatic, the beats are good, the features are cool, it's a great formula for an enjoyable rap album with catchy, memorable songs, and that's what I get out of it. Although I don't see the genre centerpiece that a lot of people claim this is. Some of the highlights here are Lyrics, Crime Riddim, Numbers, Man, That's Not Me and Shutdown. In particular, Man may have the best beat on the album, and Numbers' Pharrell Williams verse may be the best feature here. It's competing with JME's verse on That's Not Me. There a couple of tracks here that don't do it for me as much though. But there's enough good that I did enjoy the experience at large. This is pretty good, and I'd be interested in hearing more from Grime as a genre.
Better album than I was expecting. I heard a couple of songs of his before this. I will have to go back and listen to this again since there were a few I really liked
Not my thing
British hip hop always hits different. Not something I’d listen to too often but not bad.
Some songs are bangers and others sound so flat to me that I almost skipped them instinctually
I don't know if it's worthy of this list, but it was fun. I didn't think it was the greatest thing ever, especially compared to all the other rap I've listened too. However, "Numbers" is the goofiest song I've ever heard, but in the best possible way. This album is worth listening to just for that song alone.
The saving grace on this is that it's British and zi can understand the words. But it's still rap music.
I had to listen to this twice, because I had a feeling I was under the spell of the kickass beats the first time, and I was right. On my second listen I was a lot more annoyed by the skits and bored by the repetition of various hooks and a similar mood/tone throughout. Still, this is probably one of the better UK grime-derived rap albums that I’ve heard. As a piece of art, doesn’t hold a candle to the Little Simz record I had earlier this week.
Didn't know who this was or what to expect, but I enjoyed it a lot. Some of it is still stuck in my head. Not a fan of the skits, but most everything else I liked.
7.96 - seems like it should be a hit lower avg. very on-the-nose lyrics. Some nice beats. Not exactly my style. Best were Crime Ridding and Numbers (8.3). Worst was Konnichiwa (7.6)
Good lyrics, well synced beats with catchy samples
I generally prefer European hip hop to American. To me, non-native English speaker, British English sounds more musical than American English. More specific for this album: I didn't hate it and although I think lots of albums are too long, this one isn't. Favorite song: that's not me.
I'd rate it higher but it was very hit and miss
Expecting the worst when I saw “Bristish grime rap” but it was ok. The skits were dumb as shit fam
Really not my thing but there’s real skill and lyricism here and the Americans are underrating it severely for their own dumb reasons so giving it an extra star
I'm not the target audience from UK grime, I guess (mid-60s, white, middle class), but I remember playing this on release. I liked it then, and I like it now, but I don't think it's a great album.
I really love the grime sound, some of the skits were a bit overstayed. I laughed the first time at "calculator" but then it got increasingly corny. Definitely some tracks that I would return to on here.
Not bad, I wish there wasn't the talking interludes but oh well.
интересно, удивило, качает, но не слушала бы много
Konichiwa - 8.5/10 really solid intro Lyrics - 7/10, a very ok song with repetitive lines and beat Corn on the Curb - quite the switch-up from the previous song, it's actually very solid as a track. 8/10 Crime Riddim - very interesting instrumental, but other than that, I think it was decent 7.5/10 It Ain't Safe - very bland chorus, but the verses were nice 7/10 Ladies Hit Squad - sounds like a british drake left over 6/10 Numbers - quit talking numbers CALCULATOR 6/10 Man - 9/10 absolute banger after a tad bit of a snooze fest of a middle section Shutdown - 8/10 good rapping performance from Skepta and a simple yet effective instrumental That's Not Me - holy did the album pick up at the back part of it 9/10 Detox - nvm why does one of the dudes sound like hey down 2 tons of helium and then tried to do the deepest voice possible 6/10 Text Me Back - decent song, however, it does remind me of the video of that black guy with the acoustic guitar who was like "I love you bitch. I'm never gonna stop loving you... bitch"
Something is off. This was just fine, even though rap usually ranks well for me. Just no consistency, couldn't carry the good stuff for even an entire song. Budget RTJ, beats don't bounce as well and lyrics don't hit like RTJ does. I get British pride, this sounds distinctly London but maybe it misses my ears because of that. It's a strong 3 stars, but never really got close to earning the 4th star, especially for a rap album - This is... interesting. Brit rap, never heard of it - Flow is fine, just feels a little off. We'll see - Okay 2nd song bangs. RTJ vibes - Skits are more annoying than they should be - Idk if it's the genre or the lyrics or what, but I just don't love this. Pretty tired of it after a few songs - "Numbers" is a fun song but wtf is it about
Genkidesu ka?
Good but not for me
This is "hype" in best meaning possible
I generally like rap and hip hop, but this was just kind of meh.
I was really excited to listen to this one top to bottom, but I honestly wasn't as impressed as I was expecting. Shutdown is still an elite song and there are some other bangers on this one but there are some duds as well. A 3 but definitely a high 3.
It was good, but not groundbreaking.
Konnichiwa - Beginning sounds shit, like it after that 3,5/5 Lyrics - found it difficult to really get into it, but its alright 3/5 Corn on the Curb - quite long but i really like it 3,5/5 Crime Riddim - has a really easy beat to listen to 4/5 It Ain't Safe - 3/5 Ladies Hit Squad - reminds me of sabrina carpenters nonsense outros 3,5/5 Numbers - catchy but annoying 2,5/5 Man - didnt stick out to me 3/5 Shutdown - banger 4/5 (close 2nd fav) That's Not Me - 4/5 (fav) Detox - 3/5 Text Me Back - least fav 2/5
The beats and production sound great. Quite liked the US hip hop influence on some songs.
15 million listeners on Spotify and I have never heard of this guy. His name made me think that I would be listening to some African drum beat album, then the album title had me thinking I’d be hearing some advant garde (spelling?) Asian band. Nope, it’s a British rap artist. And I feel like the Brits have the same feel and delivery. It’s angry and all a very similar delivery. I think of Tricky when I hear this. I love the bass hanging around in the background. I know it would hit hard with the right sound system. Musically this is better than its complete presentation. This is nothing compared to NWA but I’d listen to this before a Notorious BIG album. Whatever that means to you. Choice cut: It Ain’t Safe
Probably the highest I will rate any Brit-hop. It’s just incredible difficult to take seriously.
It was interesting to see American rap moved into a different cultural. This was a little less hard and had an electronic background feel.
Leading British Grime star releases his album that obviously had an eye on breaking the US but it's just too British and that's how I like it. Electronic booms and baps, bass rattling, speaker shredding beats and great flow and rhymes. Best Tracks: Lyrics; Man; Shutdown
not bad, not a huge fan of uk rap, but pretty good
Great storytelling and probably an influential album for grime. The cover is excellent. It has some good highlights like Ladies hit squad & Corn on the Curb but it also has some lows like That's not me. I like that this list highlights less popular genres too. I don’t think this deserves anything under 3 stars, though my personal taste leans more toward melodic and more instrumental rappers. Factoring that in, 3 stars feels right. Solid 7/10.
Just some Grime. Nothing I'm dying to hear again but parts were fun, and parts didn't know how to read the room & just end. A bizarre pick for the list again it's not awful or anything but I don't think there is a single person in the universe that needs to hear this album before they die. I imagine by the end of the day likely by lunch I won't remember a single thing about today's album.
Fine. 3.5
A surprise to be sure but a welcome one. Good quality London rap with heavy Jamaican influences. Best tract is “That’s not me”. 3.5 stars.
It's fine. A lot of the beats feel pretty sterile, and I'm not a huge fan of the flatulent synth bass sounds. Skepta's flow is pretty cool. I'm sure this had some profound influence on some hip-hop sub-genre, but it doesn't come across as vital as many other contemporary records.
I hadn't listened to much of Skepta before but this was great - fast-paced, relentless rhyming that manages to stay top-quality throughout.
Never really listened to drill before, but this is pretty good. Definitely some awesome beats and it’s amazing to listen to an album from someone I’ve never heard of that has 15 million monthly listeners.
Fresh sound, great beats, comprehensible lyrics. If I didn't understand the lyrics I might make this a favorite album, but the singers show grown men unable to handle basic emotion, and I see enough of that in my daily life.
I don’t like rap. But I think this is a 3, perhaps even a 4. A solid 3 it is.
Some fairly entertaining British rap. Not much to actually care about here, but the arrangements are good.
Solid album. A few standout tracks that I'd revisit, and a few duds that would keep me from listening to it in full again. Don't understand how this made the list but Danny Brown's Atrocity Exhibition didn't
Listening to it once through was enough with me. His flow is beautiful, and the timbre of his voice is beautiful. Some of the beats were obnoxious and I didn't catch all the lyrics. It's amazing that I've never heard of someone with 14M monthly listeners
Solid from front to back, good beats and good flows. Doesn't feel essential though.
Bri'ish
The positives: I really like the atmosphere & beats and the power/clarity of Skepta's delivery. The negatives - the skits are awful and I really struggle with whole roadman patois - I find it alienating and makes me feel old and so removed from the music. Lyrically its a bit of a mixed bag also.
I enjoyed parts of this, but after the first four tracks it feels like it's trying to actively crossover to the States. Overall, man quite enjoyed it. Some bangers. It's all a bit confused between Japan, London, the US, but feels like a fine example of grime.
Doesn't completely suck seems about the best that can be said by non-fans, which one very much is. Despite a few interesting cuts ("Numbers" and "Ladies Hit Squad"), grime does test one's patience. Plus, it's hard to see how this will remain some critical landmark/milestone in hip-hop history, especially since this has more skits than it needs (which would be zero, actually). That's why one's more in the sayanaro camp when it comes to Konnichiwa.
I liked this project. The beats were interesting (especially on the last two tracks) and the flows were impressive. I thought the pacing was perfect, tracks jumped from one to the other very smoothly.
Favorites: It Ain't Safe (feat. Young Lord), Man, That's Not Me (feat. JME) The highs on this album are immaculate, but the lows, which range from excessively long skits to whatever the hell Numbers was, really hold it back from being a great project in my eyes. That being said, I still enjoyed it, and I can definitely see this growing on me in the future. 6.5/10
It was a very cool ride to work.
This isn't a genre I really connect with, but it's well executed.
אלבום סביר + יש איזה 3 שירים טובים אבל אניממש לא אוהב שרוב השירים שלו יש ביטים חופרים שלא משתנים כמעט לאורך כל השיר 6.5/10
It's a funny one, this. I normally stay far clear of this style, associating it with chavs cruising around in pimped Corsas. But I have to admit that this album does not get on my nerves as I initially feared. Yes there is still the chav thing but many songs could just as well work as the soundtrack for a well made crime series. The deep drone on most songs work well, and the album is generally well produced sound-wise. Can't explain why, but I don't mind this one!
I don't really listen to grime. I really liked the music, though found it harder to embrace the lyrics. I think that would soften over multiple listens.
Some tracks were fun, some I could imagine on a night out, some were... lacking in maturity. Music made up for some of the weaker lyrics 3 overall
Probably going high 3, Ladies Hit Squad and some of the skits stop this short of a 4/5. Would prefer socially conscious lyrics of Dave. But that says more about my personal taste than this album and the genre. This album is crucial to defining modern sound of grime. That’s not me and Man are both bangers
For many Skepta is the absolute top Grime artist out there. So, while I have definitely preferred Wiley (and my ears pricked up when he started rapping on this!) I might have to accept I’m just not that into the genre. I like the production. I quite like rapping. But I’m not particularly into the lyrics which don’t really go anywhere. We all like a bit of hype, but I think it lyrically he needs to pack a bit more than just that. Everything lines up really nicely on Man and That’s Not Me - the best tracks on this LP.
Grime is still yet to hit me properly like some rap and hip hop but this is fun and the vibe is good.
couple good songs. shocked this was one of the albums, but agree it is very unique
Really enjoyed the sampling & instrumentation but I've never been a fan of yapping in between songs. He's got a good flow and I'd listen to him again but I'm not sure I'd add anything to my playlist
This is one of those almost-4 albums for me. I think the main thing standing in the way is I struggle to pick out any song in particular I'd feel like listening to on its own, or the skits included on them interfere with what I'd choose. That said, good beats and flow! I enjoyed the music.
Definitely a fun album with great beats and extremely slick production. Needed a second listen from me because I was not prepared for the accent and it was extremely jarring. I was disappointed in his lyricism as I felt like he always went for the easy rhyme. There were no lines that stuck out to me as particularly creative or interesting. I enjoyed it, but I can't imagine picking this album up again.
This was a really fun surprise. I like the modern British rap representation. That said, a lot of the rhymes feel lazy and unsophisticated.
I've never liked Skepta, or the Boy Better Know crew as a whole, but this was solid. The beats were great, but the lyrics were very one-dimensional. When you compare this to something like Little Simz, the gulf is way more apparent.
💂
Skepta is such a random pick for this list. I guess he's british so it makes some sense. Not the biggest Skepta fan but his music is still fun to listen to because of how damn angry he always sounds
It has the energy of a generation other than my own ie I’m not best placed to evaluate this.
This is where people write me off as an American elitist or whatever else you want to call me but British rap all sucks. I try listen to everything that comes up with an open mind but no British rappers have been better than 2 stars to me. Congrats Skepta you've exceeded expectations and I rounded up my 2.5 star review to 3 stars as it was clearly better than the other British rappers on this list but nowhere near the level of Public Enemy, Wu-Tang or the other American heavyweights on this list.
1st time of a rap album, and I like it.
British rap
Not a big grime guy (find the British accent incredibly grating on rap, and I’m British but yeah, always sounds corny) but this is one of the few grime albums that has really spoken to me. Still one of the best examples the genre has to offer I reckon. It’s been a while since I’ve heard these songs but they still hit as hard as they did when this album dropped - the Queens Of The Stone Age sample on Man is still a genius inclusion. You can feel Drake’s influence on the hooks which give the songs a bit of a poppier sensibility which honestly I think was needed for Skepta to break into the mainstream like he did with this album. The skits still suck ass though - painfully embarassing.
J'écoute presque jamais de hip hop et j'ai l'impression d'avoir entendu ça 300 fois, c'est con.
Giving this three stars as it seems to be an important album in the sub genre of London grime rap music… so it’s important if you’re getting deeper into rap, hip hop and EDM. But it isn’t broadly seminal. For me personally it got a little long and repetitive but that’s more style driven than this album specifically.
It's sometimes hard to know how classic or important albums will feel when they're still within 10 years of release. For listeners outside the UK or Europe, grime isn't usually on the radar. So when the "long-awaited and much-lauded" Konnichiwa from Skepta shows up for review, maybe there's a "so what?" moment. I had one. I didn't even know its reputation until later. I can hear resonances with other records I've enjoyed, even if I hadn't connected them to grime before. The singles off the record certainly draw me in and are rewarding, but after listening and hoping to be moved more, I still find it hard to connect to the record overall. It might be the signature samey-same staccato delivery across all the tracks, or it might just be that 45 minutes is too much for a first introduction. I felt weary around "Corn on the Curb" and "Crime Riddim," but then things pick up again as the album is weighted toward the 2/3 mark. It's hard when your first encounter with an artist is a record like this — one that paradoxically feels like an album expecting you to already be thrilled by it in order for your listening enjoyment to rise to that level. There's a word for this I'm sure, but it's as elusive as the feeling itself.
solidly entertaining. first few tracks are great
Sounds like the soundtrack to hotboxing, roadman reece probably be listening to this while he chefs someone up. 3/5 cuz of its not bad for what it is, just not for me
I had no idea who Skepta was before, so I went in with no expectations. 'Twas pretty good.
There's better grime artists/albums. Had a few good tracks and a few forgettable ones.
Quite liked bits of it but not sure why this album and not any other grime album?
Not bad for modern music, but the energy is off and there's too many skit bits.
music is alright… don’t like the uk too much…
Liked it overall, some of the tunes, less of the lyrics. My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to whole songs. 1 - No.
Midt 10er grime var fed! Glat for at den her meget britiske plade er på listen! Man/Gang kæmpe banger
Grimey! Share yo location
Ever since I learned this was on the list I've been excitedly waiting for it to be generated. I would not classify myself as a fan of UK rap, but it's gonna be really refreshing to hear something so different from other albums on here. Grime in particular is a genre I know next to nothing about. I am genuinely excited to hear what this thing has to offer. It doesn't even have to be good, it'll be interesting regardless. Konnichiwa That's a terribly stereotypical sound effect to start off with. Great vocal feature. Great beat, love the hard electronic bass. Interesting flow. Fun references. Decent. 3.5/5 Lyrics Interesting beat. Strange background sample. The UK slang is hard to not appreciate. Fun verses, average hook. Fine. 3/5 Corn on the Curb Dumb bars. The constellation lyric is especially funny. Same with the Santa bar. Fun feature. Love the loop in the beat. I get the idea of the interlude at the end, but it goes on for a bit too long. Fine. 3/5 Crime Riddim Powerful beat. Mediocre lyrics. Decent delivery. Kinda forgetable. Average. 2.5/5 It Ain't Safe Annoying hook. I like the deep and heavy beat. Uninspired flow. Not too memorable really. Average. 2.5/5 Ladies Hit The Squad Horrible hook. Decent first verse, has some decent deliveries there. More corny bars, but it's okay for this style I guess. Okay beat. Average. 2.5/5 Numbers Decently fun I suppose. Such a stupid hook. Kinda cliche. Interesting feature, cool delivery. Decent. 3.5/5 Man Energetic beat, love how powerful and hard hitting it is. Fun performance. Great sample. Is that a diss? Good. 4/5 Shutdown Great beat. Catchy and hard hitting hook. Fantastic delivery on the verses. Just really fun. Good. 4/5 That's Not Me Amazing beat. Catchy and charismatic hook. Fun references. Terrible bars, but it works. Dumb but really fun. 4/5 Detox Love the dark and ominous beat. The high pitched synthline is a great contrast. Pretty decent lyrics at times. Fine. 3/5 Text Me Back Interesting complex beat. Alright attempt at something more sentimental. Interesting to hear a different side of him. It's tacky, it's dumb as hell, and it sounds just what you'd expect a UK rap album to sound like. Does this mean it's not fun? Absolutely not. If you're not taking it too seriously the bombastic production, the over the top hooks and the performative deliveries just kinda end up going pretty hard. There's nothing too deep here, but honestly the general construction of some of these tracks just make them a blast to listen to. The bravado and the theatrics along with the ever present UK slang and fun references genuinely makes for an entertaining experience. Sure it will not blow anyone's mind, but does a decent job for what it is. Skepta is a pretty believable UK gangster, and has just the right amount of charisma to not be too off-putting. Sure the lyrics are terrible and the skits drag, but the hooks and production along with Skepta's delivery sort of do enough to compensate for it. It's nothing exceptional, but ends up being an okay listen none the less. 3.5/5 rounded down to a 3/5
"Konnichiwa won the 2016 Mercury Prize.[6]" As I was saying, a couple of months ago: "... as I was saying, just three days ago: »[...] is this really a Best of All Music? An essential listen? Or another instance of the editors merely completing their assignment of counting up to 1001 by, say, shoveling copious amounts of - all British/Irish - Mercury Prize winners/nominees in here? Yes, it's the latter.«" But I will say this: some tracks on here? If some geezer drove past me, blasting them at window shattering volume, I'd approve of that.
Not my thing
I'd never heard of this artist before, and im still not sure I know what grime is or how this album pioneered it. But I didn't mind it. The sound was pretty different from American hip hop.
Pretty good, the beats go hard, but are British guys really this hard? Some of this sounds like he thinks he's as tough as the toughest American hoods but I have a hard time seeing that. Overall, I'd listen to most of this again.
I feel like this is just the British version of 2000s era Lil Wayne: loud banger beats that play great in your car while you smoke, and you can tune out the lyrics and vibe out, but if you do pay attention, there’s a great lyricist with an amazing flow to appreciate, though it’s never truly perfect. Like Lil Wayne, though, context is important. To understand Wayne’s peak, you need to understand Southern hip-hop and its history up to that point, and New Orlean’s place in American society at the time. Even when it’s not obvious, it’s crucial to the context of Wayne’s music. I get the same impression with Skepta, particularly on Konnichiwa. While I haven’t heard a ton of Grime music, I know enough to understand that he’s taking the innovation the genre’s made up to this point and really pushing it into the mainstream and on to pop radio while still sticking to the rough tradition of the genre in his lyrics. And for the most part, he succeeds, as there are some really great songs on this record, particularly on the bookends. But also….I think I lack a lot of the natural/national context to appreciate this as a Grime classic. Like, it’s good, but some of it really just feels like it’s not sticking because my ears just aren’t used to Grime’s bleep boops wonky production and very specific flow. And while an album like Boy In Da Corner can overcome that due to its obvious innovations, Konnichiwa’s pop sensibilities are almost a double-edged sword. By making Grime mainstream, Skepta’s taken away all the beautiful weirdness that would appeal to anyone outside the UK, making strange feel predictable, and just leaving me with a very British flow talking about very British subject matters. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, but most of it feels a bit audience-specific, and I’m not the audience. The irony is that the Western crossover tracks on Konnichiwa are also the worst tracks here, not only because they’re so incredibly datable to 2016, but because they’re also just bad songs. They rot this albums already weak mid-section until holes start to form. In many ways, the best way to digest Skepta to anyone outside the UK is through his singles and features. That way, either his beats are hits you might recognize, or he’s able to showcase his abilities in a new, not-Grime setting. And after hearing some examples of that after this album finished, that seems to be the best way for me to digest Skepta personally. Once again, Lil Wayne in the late 2000s. So, just like how I will swear up and down that Wayne is a Top 5 Dead or Alive rapper and has multiple classics, but would understand why a non-American hip-hop head would be confused how I could think that, I can see how a Brit reveres Skepta as a GOAT, but without context, it’s only okay, and not really my thing.
Opening track sample is great. Good music to listen to while working considering the genre. Excellent gateway to grime.
- i am not the target audience for this album! the production is really well done, sounds really “big” - high synth & keys, w low staticky bass. but i’m just. not interesting in hearing men singing about the g-spot. spectacular to hear him speak from the heart about life though
Not exactly my taste but overall I liked it. The beats were a hi light for me
Solid rap album, not my thing personally though
Had never heard of this. It has some cool bits, but it’s a lot to get through the whole album.
Grimey
Still like a lot of this one. But, boy, was I ever overly optimistic about the future of UK hip hop when this one first dropped. (See also: the first big Stormzy album.) Favourite: “Numbers”
Pretty good in a genre I don't spend time in Rating: 3.4
Cool accent
Grime classic. I remember hearing "Shutdown" after hearing Kanye shoutout Skepta at the BRITs and my mind exploded with hearing grime for the first time. Skepta looked cool, sounded cool and he made London look cool, but menacing at the same time. This album was the first introduction for me. "Numbers" is my favorite, that Pharrell beat and verse was the first "Skateboard P" verse we'd received since "KEEP DA O'S" from Tyler, The Creator's Cherry Bomb. On every single song, Skepta is flowing and reminding you at every turn that he is waaaay more talented than you and his life is way more sicker than yours. It's awesome. 3.5/5.
Skeptiskeptiskepta! Zum glück hani min weg zu hiphop ide letzte mönet gebnet und findi Superrr und troptzdem isch mer de skepta mengisch zu I’m-in-the-middle-hiphopig woni anderi künstler*inne meh bevorzuge. Und wenn er mir scho seit mer seged kei cousins nimmi das au biz persönlich. S ganz album aber trotzdem sehr gfühlt. “Bisch du hiphoper oder skater?” Chani langsam mit 3 vo 5 antworte ehner hiphoper. En Olly chani trotzdem
Not bad.
This cover looks like a forgotten late-90s screamo album that your friend is inexplicably obsessed with.
3.5
Rap
So I don’t like grime but I did like this well enough
I really enjoyed this as a casual fan of Grime. I still have the same issue I do with most recent albums on here though, that I think it's far too early to
Numbers, Man, That's not Me
Not my thing
Very cool UK rap. Great beats and very viby! Never heard of Skepta before. Will def listen to more.
drei plus
In the midst of a brief surge of interest in the grime genre in the U.S. (a resurgence was also going on in the U.K., the birthplace of the genre), Skepta cobbled together a tale of two cities in the form of Konnichiwa. The first half features familiar faces and opportunistic collaborators dipping their toes in the grimy water, being on both measures successful and grating. The second half sounds of a Skepta not encumbered by such frivolous endeavors, leading and lending the album some of its highest points that sounds worthy of the album it's housed in. Overall, a decent showing from a big fish from a big pond planting his flag (however briefly) in uncharted waters. Favorites: Konnichiwa, Corn on the Curb, It Ain't Safe, Man, Shutdown, That's Not Me, Text Me Back.
While I enjoyed this not made me feel equally young and old. Things held in such a specific time rarely stand the test of it.
I didn't mind this album at all - love hearing new sounds...
Pleasant surprise.
erste track slappt jo heeeert. er isch chli links und rechts am usteile. beats gönd dumm. lyrics for lyrics checki nöd aber de chindergschrei und fette bass geeeil. corn on the curb chunter mit de fireman sam line hinefüre. crime riddim au siiiiick. fiuick. jo fiuick. ladies hit squad definitiv nöd de best liedtitel hä. britschr rap scho witzig sie reded so über d premier league haha. man isch jo huuuere geeil de beat mann holy moly
I don’t know what it is about British rappers that just hits better with me. Maybe they sound smarter than American rappers.
UK Rap ist eh besser als US Rap und fand das ganz gut, nur halt nicht mein Genre
Meh. Nothing that compelled me to listen again
I heard Man from the song generator (R.I.P.) a couple of years ago and found it pretty good. Was hoping this would be up to snuff, but sadly it's just okay, and I'm wondering if I only like Man because of the Queens of the Stone Age sample. Still, not horrendous, but this certainly isn't winning me over to U.K. hip hop.
Really enjoyed this!
As rap goes, I don’t mind a bit of grime. Some good beats here and rich production, but I can’t help but find the lyrics so cliche and cringe (the standard sex, drugs, money, fame) that it puts me off somewhat. Hard one to rate so going down the middle.
Some annoying bits, some okay parts.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this, considering I would have never given this album even a second glance after seeing the tag "grime" on it. Very catchy and creative beats, great rapping that doesn't try to sound american and so it keeps a distinct britishness. Guess this should teach me not to judge a book by its cover, or rather an album by its music genres. Key tracks: It Ain't Safe That's Not Me
It's hard to take British Rap seriously, but Konnichiwa is as close as I think you can come.
The other primary example of grime on the 1001 is Dizzie Rascal, after which I declared that grime was just not for me. But Skepta took my skepticism and challenged it. I don’t love “Konnichiwa,” but it’s definitely a step up from “Boy in Da Corner.” There are a lot of features on “Konnichiwa,” but they kind of get in the way of Skepta fully defining his style. I preferred his rapping to almost all of his guests, but particularly A$AP Nast. Nast copies my least favorite style of rapping of all time - overprocessed and incredibly ubiquitous obnoxious flow shared by dozens of wanna-bes - that almost completely killed my interest in rap music in the 2010s.
Rating: 7/10 Very good hip-hop album. Great production and decent rhymes but pretty pedantic lyrically.
not totally my thing but i fw it
Great rhythms and flow. Good beats. Interludes which I always love as a conceit. Maybe some tracks get lost in a sea of same?
in the fast-moving world of hip-hop, few things sound as dated as music from 10 years ago. it's ok.
I'd never heard of this guy, but glad to finally get another rap album. The album starts off strong, hard funky type beat on title track. Ladies hit squad pretty good. Not sure I love the rest of the album, but it's not bad for sure. Better than much of what's out there in rap these days, at least. Perhaps worth another listen. Base lines hit pretty hard in some tracks, but for others the beat is just more irritating than anything. Some tracks the lyricism sounds a little on the lazy side, like delivery on chorus on Numbers, for example. Shutdown is a pretty solid track, and That's Not me. Last trackis pretty tight as well. 3.5 stars.
I kinda like it
A tale between two halves; the first half was good, but the second half was weak. If nothing else, it's something different. Favorite Track: "Konnichiwa".
Never been fully into grime personally but I do enjoy how it mixes traditional gangster rap braggadocio with very unglamorous British colloquialisms and frequent references to people's mums. There’s quite a lot of to like here (the run of Man -> Shutdown -> That’s Not Me is pretty great), along with some more ordinary stuff and unnecessary skits. Not sure if this album is exceptional in itself but I remember it being at the forefront of the grime revival which was pretty big for a while a few years back, along with Stormzy. As a layman I’d say it represents the genre reasonably well?
Never heard of the "UK grime scene." I guess that's what this is. Cool, dark sounding grooves, harsh lyrics, rap with a british accent, pretty repetitious. Next.
Perhaps its just a lack of exposure to the genre that had me feeling a bit refreshed with this album, but I quite enjoyed a majority of it. A bit of a tough album to rate, I was thinking about which side of 3 or 4 I would land on but I think some of the weaker tracks towards the middle let it down for me.
This album fluctuates between being extremely original, unique, boundary pushing yadayada whilst also being genre defining to having one of the worse songs I've literally ever heard on it (ladies hit squad) 7/10
Guter Hip-Hop, mehr nicht.
Some certified bangers on here. The bass and production go hard on this grime record. But sorry Skepta, it's tough to sound gangsta with a British accent and the lyrics/subject matter isn’t among the best.