Skepta

Skepta, born Joseph Junior Adenuga, is a British grime MC and producer of Nigerian descent from London, widely regarded as one of the genre’s defining figures. Alongside his brother JME, he co-founded the influential grime collective and label Boy Better Know, which became a central force in shaping the UK scene throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Skepta started out as a DJ and producer before moving to the mic, eventually building a reputation as one of grime’s most technically sharp and confident MCs.

His breakthrough came with tracks like «Shutdown» and «That’s Not Me», which combined stripped-back, bass-heavy grime production with blunt, quotable bars, helping push the genre back into the mainstream spotlight after years underground. Skepta’s sound draws on classic grime’s rawness while incorporating elements of rap, electronic music, and pop, and his work has crossed over into collaborations with major names in both UK and US hip-hop. His stripped-down, high-impact production style — often handled by Skepta himself — became something of a genre signature, favouring space and repetition over dense arrangements.

Beyond his own catalogue, Skepta’s influence runs through Boy Better Know’s broader roster and the wider resurgence of grime internationally. Tracks such as «Man», «Nasty», and «It Ain’t Safe» further cemented his standing as an artist who bridges grime’s underground roots with global rap and pop audiences, making him one of the most recognisable ambassadors of British urban music worldwide.