Print editor Richard Ainslie reviews Skepta’s latest album.
skepta
Feature: A Reaction to the Brits
It’s fair to say that the Brits can hardly be accused of failing to provide us with a good stock of unforgettable moments over the years (let’s not forget that cape incident, Madonna). Yet, following a recent spurt in political activism at awards, like the Grammys (mostly revolving around character defamations of Trump), the Brits […]
Exeposé Music’s Best Albums of 2016 | 30-21
[50-41] [40-31] [30-21] [Top 20] 30 Nicolas Jaar Sirens Chilean-American composer Nicolas Jaar’s second official (third, unofficially) offering to the masses is, once again, an electronic monster, with an affinity for reeds. Distorted saxophones elope with blipped drumming and fluffed bass to generate a sound that feels both immediately familiar and completely alien. Sampled vocals make […]
Skepta SHOULDN’T Have Won the Mercury Prize
H aving spent the first two years of my university life living with two Essex born-and-bred housemates, I’ve learnt that the phrase “shut up”, alongside its primary function to tell someone to be quiet, may also be used to express disbelief or shock. It was that same imperative uttered from my lips the moment I discovered Skepta […]
Skepta SHOULD have won the Mercury Prize
Urban music is no stranger to success at the Mercury Prize. R&B superstar Ms. Dynamite set the standard in 2002. Dizzee Rascal’s seminal debut album Boy In Da Corner bagged the award in ‘03. Now Skepta’s historic, unexpected win on 15 September means even more. Grime’s recovery from the commercial, trite mediocrity of the past […]
Bestival 2016: Everything you need to know
The word ‘eclectic’ is often banded around whilst describing festivals and their lineups, however when it comes to Bestival, it couldn’t be more fitting. Taking place within the grounds of Robin Hill Country Park on the Isle of Wight, this weird and wonderful shindig, as curated by ex-BBC Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank, sees […]
Album Review: Skepta – Konnichiwa
Konnichiwa has been the grime scene’s most anticipated album since Skepta returned to form back in 2014, putting the mainstream, materialism and his Gucci away with single ‘That’s Not Me’. After a period of uninspiring, commercial hits grime was alive again. Not since its 2002 East London origins has the genre been as culturally relevant […]
Music Genre of the Week: Grime
GRIME Background and Info With its origins in London’s pirate radio shows Grime is a genre that sticks its hands in a lot of musical cookie jars. Jungle, Drum & Bass, Garage, Reggae and Dancehall to name a few. It has also been labelled as ‘gritty’ hip hop and ‘deep’ rap. It’s certainly a […]
Preview: Bestival
[dropcap size=small]B[/dropcap]estival rounds up the summer this year on the 10th-13th September. Running since 2004 and established by Radio 1 DJ Rob da Bank, the Isle of Wight based festival was initially attended by just 10,000 festival goers. In recent years, that number has exponentially increased to 55,000 in 2010. Despite the growth in popularity, […]