Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Too many skits but really good otherwise
Wasn't that familiar with Grime before hearing this, can't say I enjoy the genre a lot, but this album was pretty ok to me. The album gives away an impression of a fairly well produced piece of music, so it can be considered a step up from the original Grime, but the lyrics and the flow still match what the style is about. The point of art is to make you feel certain emotions when you hear/see it. This album captures the UK gheto atmosphere well, you feel british, you feel angry, you feel like a gangster. The beats hit hard and the flow and the vocals match them pretty well. All in all an ok piece of music which captures the atmosphere of the place it is coming from. Probably not a general listen, but can be included when you need to hype up for some training sessions for example. The skits are a bit longer and get in the way of the music.
Grime. There’s definitely a cultural difference between uk and us rap, but overall I didn’t hate it. Some of it is cringe, some of it bangs
Finally something not for old white men - Thoughts of an old white man
I don't hate this at all, and Skepta is obviously very talented, but I couldn't stop picturing Ali G when listening to this.
British rap, decent album
okay, rap is generally not my jam. Decent sound, but lyrics are not safe for work.
Skepta, takes us on a tour of North London Rap and a reflection of English society that’s not common. I actually kind of enjoyed this album. The song Crime Riddim was pretty hard hitting and gave inside into what his life is like in a way that actually felt credible. Usually British rap comes off fake. Skepta actually give it credibility. He’s kind of like the Tech N9ne of London. I could listen to this again.
Random thoughts: * Confession: I like British rapping. I think it sounds cool to have dudes sound posh on a genre that is supposed to sound hard, grimy, and tough. The dissonance is pleasing to my ears. * Go check out The Streets, my favorite British rapper. I'm going to be pissed if he isn't on 1001. Which is probably likely. But seriously, go check out "A Grand Don't Come for Free". * This was an enjoyable listen, I particularly liked "That's Not Me", "Shutdown", and "Numbers" * Pharrell shows up again!!! That dude is everywhere and everything he touches turns to gold. "Numbers" was my favorite song from this mainly because it had that fresh Pharrell sound. He's so fucking cool. * Never heard of Skepta before this. Nice discovery via 1001.
Not anything I ever would have listened to without it being a part of this. That said, not bad, legit beats.
British rappers are cool. Something about the accent makes it interesting, but - beyond that - this is a really good album. And he got some heavy hitters (Pharrell, ASAP), which lends him additional credibility. Good stuff. Almost a 4.
Lyrically this is good but the beats really don't do it for me. Deducting a star for still having stupid skits in 2016.
Some british chap tryna spit lines.
Didn't mind this, and good to hear some lyrics from a UK perspective, but it did feel a little repetitive after a while.
Favorite Track: It Ain't Safe
Pretty good overall, with some classic songs that really bring me back to the 10s like Shutdown and That's Not Me. It drags a bit in the middle - I wasn't a fan of It Ain't Safe or Numbers. God I hate Pharrell Williams, mainly for the crime that was Happy, though I didn't mind his production on this album too much. Apparently this beat Blackstar for the 2016 Mercury Prize. That's criminal. I enjoyed reading all the upset Yanks complaining about the "Bri'ish" in their reviews. Vine, Charlie Sheen Winning, Usain Bolt, X Factor. RETVRN.
I was Skepta-cal but it wasn't actually all that bad. Solid flow, grimey beats, Norf London rudeboy swagger.... until Pharrell Williams turns up?!?!
Grime isn't my favourite genre, but this wasn't bad at all.
I'm learning that I'm not the biggest fan of Grime and British rap, which is unfortunate, cause I can see the talent there, and enjoy the sound, it just hasn't clicked for me expect for Little SIMZ, and even then, I gave it a 2 (regretfully) and only came around to it after the 2nd or 3rd listen. I could see the same happening with this album, but it feels repetitive in the blueprint for the songs.
Decent rap album. Cool accent, got some decent songs 1001 album worthy: Yes - 24/42
I don’t really get grime, fam. But then it’s not targeted at me. Some of the beats are good and I really like the sub-bass. If it comes up randomly I won’t skip but unlikely to seek this out.
Hits hard, I liked it.
Non exceptional British rap
I was not expecting to enjoy this at all. But actually, it's pretty decent. It's got quite a laidback instrumentation behind it, and his vocal delivery is really crisp without being too aggressive. There are too many little skits for me, and maybe about a third of the songs are just annoying, but having dismissed grime fairly heavily, this was a pleasant surprise.
Another British rapper I’ve never heard of but was really into.
i don’t normally like guys that rap with an accent that is gratuitously bri ish, but this one wasn’t terrible.
was okay, don’t see why it’s here
Grime rap... dat is geen lichte kost. Goed gevarieerd album, zeker voor een genre waar ik normaal niet naar zou luisteren. Skepta heeft miljoenen luisteraars per maand, dat laat maar weer eens zien hoeveel populaire muziek mij niet bereikt. Sample van QOTSA in Man (Regular John) kwam wel onverwacht. Werkt goed op je zenuwen in elk geval.
A good trip through London angst
Not a grime fan. This is the second grime album I've ever listened to, and both because of this list. This is better than Dizzee Rascal at least. I'd give it a two but I'm gonna bump that up to three because of Americans. Do better Americans. The WHOLE world has to put up with your accents. Three Bri'ish stars.
Better than expected
A surprisingly deep, distinctly British rap album from a man who has been through a lot. Really cool to see someone earn the art they've fought for, especially as their own executive producer
My first thought: wow, this is really some interesting hip-hop that is different than what I'm used to! My second thought: oh, it was produced by Pharrell Williams, that makes sense! But in all seriousness, Pharrell is great at touching innovative projects! Between the Japanese album title of "Konnichiwa" and the grime hip-hop aspect of the album, this album really gives me cyberpunk vibes. Also the British accent of Skepta somehow just makes it more badass, don't even ask me how. I am just generally not a huge rap and hip-hop fan, but this album felt fresh and different and was really fun to listen to.
i like grime music. this is a good grime album. bass goes brrrrrr, keyboards like soft death bells, somethininnit, etc. listen dingus!
Great start to Konnichiwa, and strong finish! I was skeptical of Skepta before listening because I don’t really enjoy rap. It’s more tolerable with a Brit accent and xylophone or accordion. (2.8*s)
Grime really isn’t for me but I can respect that this is a pretty good example of it. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to read stunningly racist 1001 Album Generator user reviews, which is one of my favorite ways to while away an afternoon. Three stars.
Better than expected - probably give it another listen when I'm in the mood for hip hop.
Probably more relevant across the pond, but honestly pretty good. Not something I'd put on regularly though.
Bopping
I honestly enjoyed it. Nothing amazing but still. Interesting and different.
3.5
Bitta fun with a couple of bangers
fun but got repetitive. great production
Not really vibing with this one. It’s okay, but just not my thing.
Kinda sounds like a UK version of Run the Jewels. Or at least the best moment of the album are like that. But that's like 1/3 of the album, the rest is rather boring, sadly
For UK rap this isn't too bad.
My only frame of reference for this is Dizzee Rascal’s Boy in Da Corner, which gets referenced here. I love that album, this isn’t quite as good.
This is an album of its time I feel. Couple of huge tunes on it, but it’s nothing really exceptional! Grime is defo not going to be an all encompassing genre on this list, but as far as grime goes, this is good I guess?
3/5
Not my type of music
I wish British people were easier to take seriously but sometimes they say wanker and I chuckle
Not bad
Decent grimey heaters. Liked it
Not too bad, not too great either
I dug it. I don't listen to a lot of rap music, but Grime has always been an interesting genre, and I think the UK perspective is interesting. Don't know if I'll give it a relisten, but it was a fun learning experience.
So decent songs, but overall a miss.
Hm. I’m at a 3.5 that I think I’ll just barely bump down to a 3, even though I did like this. Really, the only reason I can’t bump it up to a 4 is because I just don’t think it’s a particularly cohesive album experience. It’s a really strong playlist album, and what’s here brought back those mythical “summer of 2016” vibes that people are still desperately trying to catch, and in that sense, I really liked it. However, as a cohesive album with a vision from start to finish, I think it sort of loses itself by the 8th track and just goes into “here’s the ones with the banger beats” mode, and while it does work extremely well, it gets kinda grating after a bit. It’s a good album, don’t get me wrong – there are great beats here, some good lyricism (though very slang-heavy for my Kansas brain), and some pretty strong flow (if a bit laggy or too disconnected from the beat at times). There’s a dud or two early on in the album, but after that, it goes into a really strong flow state, and there’s some good highlights here. It’s just not glued together enough as a 12-track album for me to be able to bump it up to a 4, but I do think it’s enjoyable as hell. A really strong 3. I had to deeply resist writing a Big Shaq joke, so here’s the obligatory mention. Sue me.
Not for me, but I can appreciate the skill involved
Not something I would enjoy repeatedly but definitely see the appeal 3.5*
I was totally unfamiliar with the whole genre of "grimes" music. I don't really know much about British rap except The Streets, which I like. By comparison this album didn't hook me as much.
When the songs land on this album, they are pretty great. But, only about half of them do, and the early part of the album feels lurchy with overlong skits.
I was first exposed to grime when I was living abroad, where British artists were much more pervasive on MTV and in clubs - and I remember it feeling like a revelation: this spin on rap that felt utterly original, backed by beats that sounded like video games crossed with horror movies - but reflecting the same marginalized experiences and bravado-laden machismo that's so specifically hip hop. I have fonder memories of those early albums (Dizzee Rascal and Wiley specifically) than this output by Skepta. Despite a few listens, only a few songs really hit. There's ultimately too much repetition in sound & choruses, meandering skits that should have been left in the 90s, and mediocre lyricism (rhyming 'tender' with 'contender') to rate this higher.
what a fuckin' intro. Atmospheric. too many skits. Feels solid but samey. Few bangers but could be a bit more varied. D double E! Not sure about transatlantic blend. Pharell can do one. 'Man' is still good. Shut Up is still good. 3.8 (?)
I mean, Drill innit… Is it a great example? I gather… Feeling the beats but overall doesn’t move me but how could it nothing really to compare it to. I’m almost as lost as if it were Baroque Choral. I can see the value but wholly under-qualified to judge. Did learn I learn a great new line? YES! "Are you stupid in the face?!?" OMK out...
Once again proving Britain has the best bars but the cheapest beats. Would love to hear Skepta over something better on the beat
This scooches wildly between really good and insufferable. I don't think it's possible to hear "fam" and "blud" quite so often. That said, where he's on form it's great.
Never heard of Skepta before, but apparently he's kind of a big deal, according to this album. I did enjoy most of the songs on here, maybe more for the production than Skepta's lyrics or flow though. The little excerpt that started out sounding like a 90's gangsta rap street-beef skit but ended up being just video game trash talk was pretty funny. Might not choose to put this on again, but wouldn't turn it off either. 3/5
Decent enough album with fun production. The backing stuff did pull me in, although I didn't really follow the lyrics. I don't think it was enough that I'm wanting to listen again though. 3.33/5
There is a lot to like here, Skepta is a charismatic rapper, if not the most technically gifted. The production support from Pharrell is subtle, it keeps things interesting without seeming overbearing. I feel like this album helped reignite the interest in UK rap in the US. Skepta seemed like he was everywhere after this album. This is also the rare rap album that has minimal filler, barely any skits, it’s just 12 straight up grime tracks for the mandem. Not a classic, but it’s notable.
Very articulate rapper. Gives an interesting perspective on London culture in a very well rounded modern rap album.
I hadn’t heard of Skepta before. While it was a bit repetitive (50%+of the beats had sirens) and the skits were grating at times, I thought it was a pretty decent rap album. 2.6
3.4 Pretty good. For a newish rap album it wasnt as formulaic as others. This guy really thinks he's pretty cool
Rather accessible for this white, Middle Aged woman. I think I listened to it three times as I have repeat on and it didn’t annoy me enough to watch it off. Also, love it when rappers sing about their mums.
67/100
Didn’t do much for me.
I even gave Konnichiwa a few listens in different circumstances because the first time just didn't grab me. One of those albums that isn't totally my taste but did enjoy the beats and the rapid fire lyrics. I found the spoken breaks over long, forced and with the exception of one, broke the momentum. It did grow on me and reminded me of hearing Wu-Tang for the first time.
I think this started off well enough, but I lost interest fairly quickly. Didn't hate it. Fave Songs: Konnichiwa, Lyrics
Rap Puh, mit Bässen wird da nicht gespart!
I’m happy to finally get a more recent album. And I enjoy grime and Skepta - definitely would listen again.
Grime. Remember when this came out
I thought this album was fine, but the longer it went on, the less I liked it. It definitely has style, and I like it better than a lot of the modern US stuff, but it just made me want to listen to Dizzee Rascal, who I find more interesting and quirky.
Energetic British hip hop that doesn’t make me want to stop listening. Nice collage of sounds and interesting lyrics.
This is the best BriTrap I've ever heard. 3 stars!
It’s ok
Tried to go in with an open mind on this one and not just roll my eyes through it, and I did actually enjoy bits of it, but I couldn't keep my sockets still when it came to tracks like "Numbers" with Pharrell.
Nice flow, some beats really slap, meh lyrics, but I like the attitude. 3,5/5. Also: Man's not hot.
Hard-hitting rap with great electronic-influenced beats. Skepta has a great voice (love the British accent) and a fun, bouncing flow. Solid all around. The Pharrell track “Numbers” was a fun one too.
3,5
I'm not a fan of rap, this was entertaining, as an American I liked the British accent. "I broke down barricades and got accolades."
Was a fun listen prob not something ill come back to though
There are a few good tracks here like Konnichiwa, Man, and That's Not Me - but the rest of the album really falls short for weak lyricism, and base themes.
This was everywhere in 2016. Don’t think I’ve ever listened to the whole album though. I’m not much of a grimey boy but this is good stuff. Can’t believe all these god damn yanks on this website complaining about this album. Complain about the grunge people!!
3/5. Great Hip-Hop, great flows and danceable beats, plus heavy bass grime. The main issues on the account though is that every song has a sketch, and they can get annoying quick. The middle of the album really slows down, I get they might be radio hits but they do not work. The first few songs are great and it also ends strong with the last 4 songs are excellent. Otherwise, an enjoyable listen. Best Song: Lyrics, Shutdown, That's Not Me
No idea why this album by a British rapper is called Konnichiwa, and when the title song began with the sound of a gong and what could be either knives or swords I was worried where this was going. Overall, I didn’t mind this.
Grime isn’t really my thing. That being said I didn’t hate it. Kinda liked the last track
I love the beats but the lyrics are messy.
My previous exposure to grime music was mostly parodies in Desus & Mero sketches. This isn't my favorite genre, but I found it compelling, especially the spoken word interludes
I like the cover. What's inside? It's not run of the mill, but it also could hold on to my attention. I wouldn't turn it off, but I'm not sure I'd seek it out, either.
Dark, prowling beats and a very London sensibility to the lyrics, both in terms of wordplay and delivery. Not really my thing but pretty good. 'Shutdown' is a banger.
I need to appreciate the American rappers more and how they put their skits as actual tracks on the album instead of being at the end, costing the stream a skip. God save the queen I guess! If there is one area I won't complain about, it's more hip hop and rap from anywhere on the planet. I know it has to be UK due to the list, but I can't complain. It was enjoyable. Part of me wishes I'd have given yesterdays album a 4 because this one is basically a three and yesterdays was way better.
Never heard of this. Not terrible but British rap isn't for me most of the time. Lost half a star because of all the skits at the end of the songs. Nice production value and decent rhymes though
Wagwan blud, UK tings w the mandem Of zoiets Hoe moet ik dit nou weer met de rest vergelijken hahah Wel nice hoor
Fine. Nothing really grabbed me.
This was pretty good, but I have to admit I wasn’t blown away. A solid three star affair.
This was fine. Not as good as some other British rap we’ve listened to for this project, and pretty indicative of the tastes/geographical location of the editor of this list.
He sounds like stormzy just a bit more scat. Overall enjoyed the sound of this album even if I’m not into rap that much. Had me moving my head.
Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.
Typicall hip-hop album.
This was not bad. It's not my favorite genre but this one has some good music.
Skepta is probably one of the best British rappers out there right now and this album is supposedly his best. If that’s the case he’s not even top 10 in the US. This album was good sure but it was also lacking. Skepta is best with a simple grimy beat that he can lyrically layer bars over. His catchy songs are not good and the songs with more complex beats makes things seem messy sometimes. Overall it’s good I’d listen to most of this again but there were some songs I didn’t care for and the skits were stupid. Especially that Xbox gamer skit. We’ve come a long way since the biggie skits. 6.7/10
Judging by the long gestation period and the number of producers, there is a case that this album may have suffered from being over-produced. It's a reasonably decent album but again, not really my bag
Rude boy! Bit misogynistic, but good sounds.
This one still hits hard, it's aged well. Skepta has some of the best production in the UK rap/grime world, along with some great bars. Personally I prefer his older, more grimey stuff like Microphone Champion but this is still a modern classic.
Achei daora
This album did not meet my expectations that were set by it's wikipedia entry (#1 on several lists for 2016 over Blackstar and A Moon Shaped Pool). For what it is, it is a fine hip-hop album from the UK. It's well made and there are some earworms in the tracklist. The album didn't flow in an interesting or cohesive way, it just sounded like an assembly of tracks. Skepta's voice and flows are alright. 3/5.
It's better than a lot of hip-hop out there. But I still can't put it at a 4. I see that as is often the case, this project has a British bias -- not that it includes a lot of British artists (that's deserved), but that artists that were big in Britain and nowhere else show up on this list a lot. This is one of those. Skepta had some success outside of Britain, but it was mostly there. Good, but not great.
Personally not into rap but it ok
This was an okay album. I liked the music overall, the lyrics were a bit much at times. It felt like he was trying way too hard.
I'm kinda surprised I never got into Grime. It fits in my interest of hip-hop and more industiral / distorted beats. Now this feels like it's been parodied more than it existed in my world. 2.5/5
After two listens, it's okay. It sounds very similar to Dizzy, whose cadence and attack in his lyrical delivery isn't something that I like a lot. 3/5
Big man ting yeah... serious Big Shaq vibes
Witty, aggressive Pop culture referencing UK Gangster rap
Yeah fine. I thought some of the bars were a bit cheesy - and that song where he had like a crisis of confidence in the middle and called up his friend for reassurance extra corny. Not really my genre though so fair enough. 2.5/5
I really like Grime. My Spotify superpower last year was The Hypnotist, which meant I listen to albums from start to finish. You'd think these two things would combine to mean I would have had a great experience with this. Not so much. Loved bits, got a bit saturated towards the end and hit skip a few times. It was alright, I guess.
Ok
Talented MC and DJ, plus his accent adds something a little extra special.
Sounds like Dizzee Rascal. cool. 3 stars.
Respect. Not the style for me but not bad. A little too "hard"
Not a bad listen despite the fact I don't like rap. The usual rap/hip hop subject matter and tough talk I really don't care for, but UK rap with his English accent at least is different and sort of interesting and intriguing. Still, either way you look at it it's still the rap genre, I don't have to love it, but at least it was listenable and kind of entertaining.
5/5: (None) 4/5: Numbers, That's Not Me, Ladies Hit Squad, Shutdown, Rating: 3.5
High-level start that just goes down and down to a mediocre standard 2000s hip-hop. It's far from unlistenable, but it does not stand too much time with me.
Not a big fan but some tunes were enjoyable
Not really my thing. But I did enjoy his flow and style.
I enjoyed most of this while I was cooking on a Sunday afternoon.
не впечатлилась) нормальный
This was just okay. His MLE accent is charming in an unintentional kind of way. I don’t really care for modern hip hop but this seemed pretty consistent and well done.
3.5 Love me some good Grime and Skepta’s one of the best
Aggressively British. He has some decent verses, but overall just a good album. 3/5 Might listen again
7/10
3.5 ? Weird lyrics but maybe I just can't take British people seriously
Like everyone, I was dismayed at the second grime album in two days. But I liked this much better even if I can’t say why. And I was liking it even before the drake knockoffs in the middle of the album. The grime itself was better. Better beats, more understandable. Still nothing in super into though. High 3.
nah
Un album assez peu commun dans lequel Skepta va enchaîner les attaques envers Dizzee Rascal sur des Dizzee Rascal Type Beats.
honestly, not bad for rap, i kind of enjoyed it also i think i just have a thing for obviously british men (specifically from london... *sideeyes stromzy*)
tunes for hitting the gym
That's a lot of 2010's British rap I'm this list. For some reason.
- nice Beats , aber die Gespräche am Ende einiger (zu vieler) Lieder nerven - Mittig kurz nachgelassen, zum Ende wieder stärker Rating: 3/5
Disco típico de hip-hop de un artista totalmente desconocido en el que no destaca nada especialmente. A veces desconozco el criterio para incluir ciertos discos
It sounds so weird when British people rap lol talking about "the tele" and stuff while trying to sound hard. This album specifically was kinda whack at first but the more I listened the more I found myself bumping along. So I guess it turned out to be a solid listen
I liked this a lot, the music really reminds me of the music of Good Kid mAAd City.
Konnichiwa- 3.8/5 Lyrics- 3.7/5 Corn on the Curb- 3.5/5 Crime Riddim- 4.1/5 It Ain't Safe- 3.9/5 Ladies Hit Squad- 4/5 Numbers- 3/5 Man- 3.5/5 Shutdown- 3.6/5 That's Not Me- 3.3/5 Detox- 3.4/5 Text Me Back- 3.6/5 Total- 3.6/5
I don't usually listen to rap but this is pretty good!
Another one I had never heard of, and didn’t know what to expect - it’s British rap (grime). I kind of liked it, but it dragged at the end. 2.5 - probably won’t revisit.
Dobar, znam ga zbog Janka 🤝
So very very Grime.
3.4
It was a British rap album. I was not familiar with it. It wasn't bad. I cannot really remember any of it but I didn't skip any of it. I will round up.
if you're gonna listen to uk rap there is so much better stuff out there. I don't know most of it but I'm sure there's better than this
Good wrapping
Better than I thought it would be.
meh
Sounds like every other British raper. The Pharrell Williams song was pretty good, though.
Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.
Yeah, this one didn’t really speak to me all that much. I guess it is the style of rap that didn’t match my groove today. Maybe I’ll try it again on a different day.
I still struggle with hip hop and was leaning towards dismissing this as a 2 after the first run through but it started to win me over on the second listen and I feel I could get more into it with more time. Fave track: It Ain't Safe
I really liked the production on this one, and thought the samples/beat were cool, but I guess I haven't gotten over my "British rap sounds cringy because of the accent" phase. The lyrics did not help with this.
Decent, decent
It's alright...
Unusually, an album that gets better towards the end. After a strong start, there’s a real sink in the middle as skits proliferate and guest stars abound. I can’t get a grasp of Skepta’s style or aesthetic - not when there’s Drake knock offs and Pharrell’s phoned-in production within. The album livens up with Shutdown and ends with the smart Text Me, both produced by Ragz Originale. Skepta clearly works hard and there’s some slick bars but for a British rapper look to Dave who 100% deserves a place on the list.
4 but British
Started out as a 4, dipped to a 2, rallied for a weak 3. Quite honestly, it all sounded a bit whiny, like a skinny little man/boy was whinging on about stuff. Didn't like the "skits" and all felt a bit flat.
prod et beat étaient pas mal nice. le flow un peu dull par moment. still enjoyable 6.5/10
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.
3.5 Pretty heavy rap / grime.
Not really my thing but I appreciated it
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.”
Started interesting and listenable. But wore out its welcome; by Ladies Hit Squad I had had enough. And lord spare me the skits...
Not my kind of music but this was decent.
it was him, though
Not bad
Cet album m'a plu et m'a permis d'en apprendre sur les différences entre les hip-hops américain et britannique
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.
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
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.
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.
Konnichiwa // Crime Riddim // It Ain’t Safe // Man // Shutdown // That’s Not Me //
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.
Ridin round in a rover if i see opps then its over
big man ting, grime isn't really my thing, but it was a good album
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.
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.
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.
Meh
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
This was cool but not my cup of tea. 6/10
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
I like it. All new to me and I was drawn in nicely by it.
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
Not my usual type of music, but not awful
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
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.
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.
This was good. Enjoyed it more than I usually do with this genre.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
I had this on low because work but some groovy brit hop
Paljon täytebiisejä, mutta hyvät biisit on tosi hyviä. Bileet!
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.
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.
Better than I expected but I don't see myself listening to this outside of Europe... which I have yet to visit
Had not heard of this but apparently it did well... I enjoyed some of it but had trouble taking it seriously.
Sounds great instrumentally and I dig British rap/grime flow, but lyrically it's just hollow braggadocio.
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.
It was all right. I didn't hate it, but didn't love it either. 2.5 rounded up
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.
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.
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).
Interesting, and got some good beats.
Grimey - good lyrics and production. Overall, just nothing out of the norm. Money, cars, hoes, blah blah... 3/5 for production
Dizzee better Strong 6/10
Fine
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.
Entertaining grime album that convinces with its fast beats and rapping style
not my style of music, but a lot of clever lyrics and ideas in the songs
Not really into English rap, but this was alright it’s defiantly a move tho.
Mmh
4/10 It's hard work, for sure. Lyrically it's tedious and aggressive (why wouldn't it be), but there is something about the thump of the bass that gives it at least something. Nice to never have to listen to again
Not as bad as expected, not so essential as should be.
De los peores albumes que he escuchado en mi vida, realmente podria no haber escuchado este je
A bit repetitive music wise, some good lyrics but not really my kind of music
Don’t care much for grime, but my main takeaway is that I am disagreeing with the Mercury Prize panel on just about every award they’ve given. Bleh
not my cup of tea,
Yikes
UK hip hop, not good.
My boy went to Europe and we’ve got nothing but slop since he left. It was written in the stars. #comehomezachary Nah but yet again I’m finding myself super bored with some generic ass hip hop. And leave it to the 1001 gods to take a break from Brit Pop only to land in Brit-Hop. The song “lyrics” is kind of cool. I can’t tell if the dub step, 808 electro ass beats are cool or not yet. Okay nah this is just so fucking cringe. This guy really reminds me of some dude I got free mixtapes from at the state fair when I was 14. I wonder if bro made it. This is another record I think would’ve sounded a lot cooler a decade ago.
This is a fun time go hard music grime the skit with the gamer lobby was awesome the only good skit poetic the whole is just so jumbled it tries to be set up like tpab it just doesn’t work. I like some songs but I think skepta is a better feature and this isn’t really that interesting and there has been better grime since from what I’ve heard idk I wish I liked it more
Pretty neat
Aaaand another Rap album with bad skits, passable lyrics, beats, and production. Don't need to listen to dozens of them before I die. One is more than enough.
I would actually enjoy this. The post-song skit things were incredibly cringey, even if they’re a part of grime culture. I have to downgrade.
Not revolutionary, but not bad eifer innit?
Not my favorite style of music. I'm much more into early 90s hip hop or rap, than I am with what I believe is called Grime? Clearly a good lyricists, but a few tracks were just meandering skits.
1.5
I'm not too hot on grime to begin with, so this album is a bit of a tough sell for me. There were a few decent tracks (the first two were pretty good), but as the album went on, it definitely wore on me. 2.5 stars.
Not familiar with Skepta and I'm going to keep it that way :p The beats were fine enough. My main problem is that I had a lot of moments where the album had me tuning in and then immediately tuning out. Some of the chorus moments had me enjoying the album but I'm just not **fully-there I guess. Maybe on a third listen I'll appreciate something else about it or maybe Grime isn't a genre meant for me. 'Lyrics' is genuinely a very fun listen. Most of the tracks had me getting "bun" and feeling happy when I was "dun" with it. I blame that guy who was doin up tennis and callin man dennis he's a mennis. Y'know? The guy who is bigger than bennis. I blame him. Riding around in his rover. I can recognize the skill in both the production and lyrical performance. It's just sadly not for me. Also, Numbers is funny. Got me emoting. "THAT'S A THREE" yeeeesss brooooooo! ALSO ALSO, 'That's Not Me' was almost like 'Lyrics' for me but then some goofy showed up and shoved sour patch kids in my mouf. ALSO ALSO ALSO, 'Text Me Back' is good :D All in all, this album was not for me but still had some fun at least listening to it. T3: Lyrics, Text Me Back, Numbers
British rap feels silly. I can’t take it seriously as a “hard” genre with that accent. This was not great
Look when I give a reading it's not necessarily a reflection on the album in terms of objective good or bad. It's just subjective, like this is something I enjoy and I can see myself enjoying in the future? and for this album answer is no not really.
Не самый худший образец современного рэпа, но всё же мне не понравилось
fashionista over here
Rap is absolutely not my thing. Some of this was alright but the interlude chat was skippable
Key words: man, fam First time listening to british rap. Some beats and vibes were really enjoyable but the lyrics and accent threw me off. Is not a style I would willingly listen to.
:/
Lyrically good but not my sort of thing.
I vibed with some of the beats but these bars are Drake-tier (derogatory) cornball shit. 2/5.
фортнайт болз, айм гэй, ай лайк бойз, ай киднап аутистик кидз.
When it's grimy it's decent, but leans a little to much into American hip-hop and does not pull it off.
I didn't like the production style of this one
buuuuuu! buuuuuuuuuuuuu!
Gir meg ingenting, fam.
I’m glad that’s over. Too much rhyming.
His redeeming quality was that he didn’t have an American accent, but overall this is too grimy for my liking.
It's pretty funny British hip hop. Cleanly produced. Not for me, though.
2.5
Is it Hip-Hop, Grime, or Rap? And what's the difference? British rather than American, but I'm still not a fan.
# Album Name: Konnichiwa # Artist: Skepta # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: To think the british once had some of the greatest music of all time and then we start producing this shit. God damn. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? No
Just awful. Aggressively bad. I get it by now, I'm like 175 albums deep into this thing and I understand the Brits need to be represented on here. I get it, I really do. But this is just one that doesn't need to be on this list. There's probably a truly great canonical rap album made by an American that's NOT on this list and could easily replace this one.
nah
I find British rap kind of corny.
Quit talking numbers, calculator Quit talking numbers Its a .... 2 This is something I was intrigued to hear. Grime, British hip hop. There are a few elements of it i like, but generally its fairly meh I get the idea of wanting to do skits, I really do, but they are always always always bad. A lot of phone calls, a lot of unnecessary parts I dont think its bad or anything like that, but id never want to listen to it again, but seems massively important to a genre that became big
Mas o menos, un rap medio raro
Some nice production can't save an album from a rapper with a one-gear flow who has nothing to say. Actually, I will give him credit or altering the rap around the beat, but Skepta sounds monotonous as the album goes on and there's nothing of substance lyrically, just the same aimless bravado you can hear from a thousand other MCs. Edit: I am made to understand the style of rapping here is something called "grime" and this album is one of it's exemplars. Okay, then.
No es mi género en concreto
#319/1001. i guess this is the first album here which talks about Instagram. And as often with rap (or I guess in this case Grime?) also other topics are also alien to me and my life, as a highly educated post 50-year white hetero male living in the happiest country in the world. Somehow it is even more relevant in this case since we are taking about a very British act, a very British social culture and atmosphere - the political situation of blacks in America as well as American rap, soul, funk and rnb is much more familiar to us who don't really follow the scene over here in Europe. So what can I talk about then? The music and the flow are good but also gets a bit repetitive. The visitors bring freshness in, but still they want nasty girls to twerk for them. That's about it for now.
This album has like one good song, otherwise it's ass. Complete Britslop, ban rapping in the UK
I just can't with all this rap or rap-like music.
Lots of Brit reviewers complaining about Americans here. Here's the thing: rap is American. We don't claim classical music, Afrikana, or a dozen other genres, but a few simply started in the U.S., and rap is one of them. Sorry, not sorry. So what we have here is a mid British rapper. There are good British rappers on this list, and at least one good French one I've heard, but this guy is mid at best. Also, this is not grime-rap. It's British grime, but for actual grime-rap see DMX, Onyx, et cetera. Influence 2. Hits 2. Intangibles 3. Quality 3. So tired of 2's 2.
Not my fave, I think the style is there but it’s not really for me. Has some decent tracks but won’t revisit likely. 2 stars
There are some great beats in this album, and some nice vocal flows, but otherwise it's not my cuppa. I'm not a fan of the skits, the subject matter, and find the tracks a bit samey.
I get it, but not for me
Not for me.
Two British rappers in a row has me feeling less than charitable. I’ll give it two stars, not because I liked it, but because it wasn’t quite as awful as The Streets.
Monotonous, machine gun-style rapping and boring, unimaginative beats full of ugly textures. Not as bad as the Travis Scott-ification of rap that would soon take over, but still emblematic of a genre lost in the wilderness.
So... the skits have now crossed the Atlantic, eh? Smashing! Seriously, that cringe needs to be chucked into the nearest rubbish bin, mate. On the plus side, there are a few catchy beats here, and I do find the videogame-sounding samples quite delightful. Is that enough to save this from failure? Maybe barely. I think grime just isn't my genre... though I did find this album more tolerable than M.I.A. and Dizzee Rascal (which were, admittedly, very low bars to clear).
A mixed bag. Listenable, but nothing I need to repeat.
Not really my thing. Heavy beat hip-hop which sounded cool enough but most of the actual rapping didn't really click for me.
Too many man so many man dems
Well there’s genres I don’t like, and then there’s Brit rap which is below that. I’ll give it a genuine chance, that’s why I’m doing this list. Post listen: still not my thing, but I recognize that there is something there people would grasp on to. 2/5 ⭐️ 73/1089
The beats and backing are kind of interesting. The lyrics are not. I did not need to listen to this before I die, fam.
4/10
Not a fan. I feel bad for British rappers.
It's ok. Not my fave genre, but I wasn't annoyed by it either. Well, a little too much gangsta crap in it. And the skits are atrocious. Usually you get sick of hearing them after a few times, but these were bad right out, Shrill or yelling. Know what I mean, fam? Unlike a lot of folks here, I really do like the British accent rapping. Brings a new dimension to it for me. There's some decent music behind most of the tracks. Some thumping bass. That's always a plus. I'd give it a 3 if it was a bit more experimental. This doesn't bring anything new to the table. The gangsta stuff is old/sad. Going with a 2 today!
I had no idea based on the cover what I was in for and I’m not sure I would have guessed rap. I enjoyed the lyrics and the beats but it was a bit too slow paced for me and I didn’t love his actual voice or enunciation.
Why is this hear? It was alright but wtf
Mad cringe fam
2 out of 5. Good flow.
Never heard of him/them. But a lot of other people have. No song has fewer than 12M listens, wow. There are tracks with 30M, 65M, 145M, 151M listens, that's impressive. Hit play... now I know why this was overlooked. British rap doesn't usually hit my radar, or anyone in the US really. What's going on with the government in England isn't typically a hot topic over here. I lost interest pretty quickly on this one. Not a huge rap fan, definitely not into thickly accented rap with average beats and staccato vocals. The songs had no hooks, no killer beats, no bottom end, just rapid spitting. The two big 'hits', "Shutdown" and "That's Not Me", didn't stand out from the other songs in anyway that I could tell. Again, we're seeing a heavily slanted Top 1001 list with albums popular on the island but didn't get airplay anywhere else. I didn't get anything from this other than a confirmation that Brit rap sucks.
Tu enlèves That’s not me, l’album est complètement anecdotique ? J’ai l’impression que c’est l’album de rap uk le plus basique possible désolé
I don't hate it, but normally the more I listen to an artist, the more I like them, but this has had the opposite effect. Loses points for skits.