FROM BASEMENTS TO BILLBOARDS: SKEPTA

Photography By Olivia Rose

Where do we even begin when speaking about the King of North London? Perhaps we take him for granted due to the fact he has been around for as long as most of us can remember.

Whether your first Skepta moment was seeing him and Devilman clash on Lord of the Mics 2, or when Skepta had fake Rolex purchases at an all-time high with ‘Rolex Sweep’, there’s no doubting that Skepta has been one of the most monumental forces in bringing the UK music scene to the place it is today.

We could be here all day singing praises of Skepta. There are so many songs that have had the party scene at his mercy, and to name all of his hits would take a while. Special mentions to ‘So Alive’, I remember that video being the first I ever watched in 1080p. Wheel Up Galore. I can probably still recite the whole song word for word.

There’s been a monumental and undeniable growth of ‘Skepta’. ‘Konnichiwa’, his fourth studio album, was the point where Skepta transitioned from one of the top rappers in the UK to a real life worldwide rockstar.

When speaking to anybody outside of the UK about music, If they knew one name, it was Skepta’s. He became the flag carrier for our country, and was pivotal in bringing our sound across the Atlantic. His own interlude on Drake’s 2017 album, More Life, A memorable feature on Playboi Carti’s ‘Die Lit’ and an absolute bodying of A$AP Rocky’s Testing with his unforgettable verse on ‘Praise the Lord (Da Shine)’ are just 3 moments where Skepta has presented the UK scene as a force to be reckoned with. 

Very few will argue when I say Skepta’s verse on ‘Da Shine’ was the best verse on the whole album by a very healthy margin. If him spinning the track, which has amassed over a quarter of a billion views on Youtube, wasn’t enough, the fact that the hit song is also a Skepta production just encapsulates how multi-faceted ‘Big Smoke’ really is.

In a recent instagram live, he clashed against Jae 5, one of the UK’s most prominent producers, and it was only then I, amongst many others, realised the importance of Skepta’s presence beyond the mic. ‘It Ain’t Safe’, ‘Shut Down’, ‘Greaze Mode’: just a few hits that are on the discography of Skepta the producer. From ‘Doin’ it Again’ to ‘Mains’, his career as a producer would be one to be proud of, even unaccompanied by everything else he has done. His genre-fluidity means that he’s able to produce a range of beats, ‘What Do you Mean’ is worlds apart from ‘Animal Instinct’ but Skepta is able to boast production credit behind both, whilst also lyrically shelling both tracks. It’d be criminal to label Skepta just a rapper, dismissing all the great things he’s done beyond that.

As well as being a magician in the studio, his magic extends into his wardrobe: Starting right from the beginning, it was clear that Skepta was going to be the multi faceted force to take the UK scene to new heights. Sporting a ushanka, even in the furnace that Jammer’s basement would’ve been, Lord of the Mics II was perhaps Skepta’s first signal to us that he’d assume a position in the world of fashion, whilst continually strengthening his place as a world-renowned musician.

Skepta is no stranger at all to the lights, camera and action being a fashionista brings. There have been fits upon fits that have done the rounds on social media, most notably that Moncler fit. Say what you want about it, but it’s just a prime example of Skepta’s willingness to stand out and push the stylistic expectations of a black male rapper from inner London.

It’s why, 4 shoes deep into a one-of-a-kind collaboration with Nike, I’m still excited to see what he drops next. Each ‘Sk AIR’ tells a different story, and is why Skepta doesn’t look out of place on the table of designers. With the announcement that the 5th installment of the ‘Sk AIR’ will be delayed until 2021 due to the pandemic, there’s no doubt that the excitement will still be rife, with a sold out collection expected whenever it comes. 

The best part of Skepta’s collaboration with Nike is that it is permeated with authenticity. Rather than the feeling of something being attached to the name of Skepta in order to sell units, the shoe choices feel unique to Skepta, who would’ve grown up wearing all of these older silhouettes.

A personal favourite of mine? The Air Max Deluxe. The ‘static’ aesthetic, matched with the phrase ‘Never Sleep on Tour’, and the date June 8th 2014 are all featured in celebration of the release of one of Skepta’s biggest singles to date, ‘That’s not Me’. Details like the red midsole and the Sk Air bubble on the outsole are a nostalgic salutation to times of old, all coming together to create a shoe that is one of my favourites in my pretty sleek rotation.

Whilst the trainers are always the centrepiece of each installment, clothing pieces are made available alongside. This is not Skepta’s only rodeo within the clothing world, his very own brand Mains, described as ‘A premium contemporary unisex brand’, is a regular feature on the streets of London.

Other than their underwear which they’re most famed for, they stock outerwear, accessories and much more. Launched back in 2017 and still going strong, it certainly seems to be a project that is true to Skepta and his everyday dress sense.

An unforgettable moment is Skepta on the cover of the GQ Magazine, with none other than everybody's WCE, Naomi Campbell. Posing body to body with the UK’s most famous supermodel, he’s seen sporting an Ambush chain, showcasing his multiple tattoos and pictured, like Naomi, in ‘Mains’ underwear.

If you ever doubted the magnitude of his rockstar status, I’d love to take you back to April 2018, where he assumed his position as a real Oga at the top. Being granted chieftaincy in his parents hometown of Ogun State in Nigeria, it was ever so apt that he was given the title of ‘Amuludun’, translating as ‘Chief Entertainer’, as that is what he has been for so many of us growing up in the past 15-20 years.

Skepta is a testament to us all. He certainly wasn’t an overnight success, but dedicated his entire purpose to become the pillar he is today. He’s the embodiment of everything it means to be successful - he has grown, followed his passions and also uplifted others, whilst still remaining the talk of the town for the past 15+ years. It’s only a matter of time before a statue for Joseph Junior Adenuga is erected right in the heart of Meridian Estate.