Out of Skepta's first few proper albums, Konnichiwa was easily the most successful. It reached number two in the grime MC's native U.K. Thanks in part to support from Drake, it even cracked the Billboard 200 in the U.S, an obvious target through the soft, slow, and melodic "Ladies Hit Squad" and a sparse and percussive Pharrell collaboration, "Numbers." When the album was released, three of its singles had already secured Top 40 U.K. placement. Each one of them -- "Man," "Shutdown," "That's Not Me" -- is a lyrically swaggering, rhythmically jagged affirmation of Skepta's grime roots. They're all de-emphasized somewhat by their consecutive second-half appearances. The first half is not without its share of highlights, including the lean, blaring "Crime Riddim," nervy "Corn on the Curb" (featuring Wiley), and taut "Lyrics" (featuring Novelist). Lines aimed at authority, competition, and bottom feeders all shoot clean through.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo