10 Reasons We Can't Wait for Skepta's 'Konnichiwa'

What's the best way to get people excited for your album? Well, making good music is a start, and Skepta hasn't put a foot wrong in the run-up to Konnichiwa. It all started in April 2014 with "That's Not Me," and since then we've heard "It Ain't Safe," "Shutdown," "Ladies Hit Squad," and "Man" from the album.

That collection of songs shows the variety we can expect, with icy, old school grime sitting alongside the more U.S. influenced "It Ain't Safe," and the smoother, A$AP Nast featuring "Ladies Hit Squad." Skepta has never been the type to stay in just one lane, and his artistic evolution is set to be on full display on Konnichiwa.—Constant Gardner

Skepta had a tour planned to accompany the release of Konnichiwa, but visa issues put a hold on that, as well as his Coachella performances. No matter, because the issue is being sorted out, and Skepta is sure to be back with news of a rescheduled tour sometime soon. As anyone who has seen him live knows, his shows are high-energy, no holds barred affairs, and fans all over America, not just in New York and L.A. need to experience grime in a live setting.

Just check out the footage from last year's set at MoMA PS1 if you're unsure what to expect.—Constant Gardner

Look, we're not saying that American hip-hop isn't in a great place. It is. We've got tons of innovation, a steady influx of exciting new talent, and diversity that stretches from Kendrick Lamar to Lil Yachty.

But every few years, something new or untapped gets hot and bubbles up, and the entire industry feeds off that energy. In the past few years, much of that energy has been about style, charisma, and melodic flows à la Future and Young Thug. One of the biggest complaints we see from rap fans is that everything is starting to sound the same, and while we don't fully subscribe to that sentiment, we can understand where it's coming from.

If American hip-hop embraces Skepta, he's got the potential to shake things up. Unlike the hot ATL sound of the moment, Skepta boasts fast-paced deliveries, melody-free bars, and sharp, urgent grime production. He's the farthest thing from the typical trends inundating rap in America right now, and if he breaks through in a major way, we could start to see some shifts in popular U.S. hip-hop.–Jacob Moore

It's not quite Lemonade, but Skepta has put out a video to accompany each of the released songs from his album. Just like the songs themselves, the videos are always creative and totally varied. "That's Not Me" is pure grime nostalgia, while "It Ain't Safe" and "Man" are lo-fi, anarchic clips that match the songs' aggression and energy.

On the other end of the spectrum, "Ladies Hit Squad" seems to nod to stereotypical champagne and girls rap videos, but with a totally English twist and lush coloring. "Shutdown" is part fashion show, part typical grime video with Skepta chilling on the block with the gang, and does well to not take itself to seriously.

The question now is, where will Skepta take his visuals next?—Constant Gardner

Any Skepta fan who's been following the BBK spitter has gone a good four years since the release of Blacklisted.

With so many MCs emerging in the last four years, that can feel like a lifetime (especially if you're working on internet time). Add the fact that "It Ain't Safe" first dropped in 2014 (see Skepta talk about that and more in our video below), and "Shutdown" made its splash in April of 2015, and there's been enough time to properly build up to the release of Konnichiwa. Heads are eager to finally get this project in their hands.—khal

Pharrell ability to get artists out of their comfort zones is well-documented. He's successfully guided established artists like Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar into new territory, and he's able to balance major accessibility with unpredictable, left-field twists. That might be exactly what Skepta needs for Konichiwa. He's been making music for over a decade, but this album will serve as a proper introduction for a huge number of new listeners.

The new Skepta and Pharrell collaboration is called "Numbers," and fans got their first listen this morning when Skepta played it at his album launch party in Tokyo. It was livestreamed by Boiler Room TV, and the initial reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Pharrell did it again, and he's not just on hook and production duties; there's an entire new verse on here. Rare.

Skepta spoke on the collab on Beats 1: “Pharrell loves music. I don’t know how much money he has, or how much he’s trying to make. But I know whatever financial situation he’s in his music is always going to be sick. When I’m in the studio with him it’s like I’m working with someone I’ve known all my life... Pharrell’s blessed me. People respect him. I don’t think grime has ever been respected, it’s not seen as a nice sound. But having Pharrell bless my album, maybe you can see that the freeness of his music; that’s what we’re doing as well.”—Jacob Moore

While Konnichiwa is hardly the first time American shores will be able to digest a pure UK grime album, 2016 could be the best time for the grime floodgates to open up.

We loved JME's 2015 LP Integrity>, but that album didn't have anywhere near the hits or momentum to make the American audience swoon. Skepta is backing this release with well-received singles like "Shutdown" and a feature from Pharrell, so it certainly seems like there's enough for fans to join the wave, especially with the likes of Novelist, Wiley, and D Double E (all well-respected grime lyricists) featured on the project. One would hope that interested parties would do their Googles on the other artists on the project, opening themselves up to a massive world of sound.—khal

It's a little uncomfortable to hear Drake use words like "ting" during interviews, but if that means we can finally put overused words like "lit" and "turnt" to rest, we're all for it. With "Shutdown," Skepta has already established his way with words and the ability to effectively coin a catchphrase, and it will be fun to see what other UK language seeps into American pop culture (and future Drake interviews) thanks to a Skepta chorus.—Jacob Moore

Skepta has played his cards perfectly. He could have tried to capitalize on the success of "That's Not Me," or Kanye bringing him on stage and shouting him out at the BRITs, or Drake's heavy cosigns, and dropped his album last year. But he waited, he toured, he dropped tracks on SoundCloud, a mixtape with Tim Westwood, and saw his stock rise further.

With American listeners becoming more open-minded, and his years of experience in the game informing his actions, the timing is right for Skepta to make a bigger impact with this album than he has at any point in his career so far. As his fanbase continues growing organically, it feels as if a new stage of Skepta's career is just getting going, and it all starts with the release of Konnichiwa tomorrow.—Constant Gardner

Buy the album here.