Konnichiwa Turns 10: Revisiting The Album That Changed Grime

Skepta’s critically acclaimed and Mercury Prize-winning album, Konnichiwa, turned 10 years old last month. It was the MC and producer’s fourth studio album, five years after Doin’ It Again. However, the story behind Konnichiwa started four years earlier. 

Image Credit to: Shayptr

In 2012, Skepta uploaded a 25-minute video to his YouTube channel titled ‘#UnderdogPsychosis no.1’. He appears manic, speaking with little coherence, jumping from one train of thought to another with each sentence. But at its core, the Nigerian-British rapper is trying to express a certain desire. A desire to break the cycle. Throughout the video, we can see the disappointment in the kind of artist he has become. He does not only have lashings for himself, but also the industry that pushed him down that path. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB8WPD4YDfM

Despite having five top 40 singles between 2010 and 2012, his music lacked the spirit of his earlier work. It was soulless, a symptom of the corporate washing that rinsed the Grime of its grit. It was this epiphany that led to the creation of Konnichiwa. Two years later, in 2014, Skepta released 'That’s Not Me', which would later feature on the album. The song served not only as a declaration of change but also as a promise to stay true to himself. 

'That’s Not Me' caught attention from across the Atlantic. Drake borrowed lines from the song for 'Used To', starting a musical bromance. A$AP Bari hopped on Skepta’s 'It Ain't Safe', released in November 2014, establishing a relationship with the A$AP Mob. The transatlantic engagements did not stop there. Skepta helped Kanye take over the stage at the 2015 Brit Awards alongside his infamous “30 goons,” clad in all-black, shaking the British music industry to its core. 

All this recognition did not faze Skepta. He decided if he was going to make America fall in love with Grime, he would do it on his own terms.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dziLJsZWGF4

Grime is groove with little elements. It was an avenue for second-generation immigrant children to tell their stories unapologetically, using the resources they had. The earliest Grime pioneers, including Skepta, were mainly self-taught and had almost no access to music production equipment. They used game consoles, cracked copies of music production software, and borrowed keyboards to make beats. These beats were sparse in their elements but very recognisable and deeply physical. 

'That’s Not Me' perfectly exemplifies Skepta’s reverence for these origins. He sampled three Wiley instrumentals (Jam Pie, Ice Rink, and Pies) to form the beat’s foundation. The beat is almost hollow, and its production is cold. It is also reminiscent of the beats Skepta used to make on game consoles. His bold delivery over this bare beat is exactly what makes this work.  

On 'Lyrics', Skepta also samples the iconic clash between Pay As U Go Cartel and Heartless Crew, back in 2001. At the start of the song, we can hear a young Wiley shouting “Lyrics for lyrics, calm!” in an attempt to quell the fiery energy on stage. Skepta repeats the same throughout the song, as if to say that although he is capable of violence with his fists, he would rather take his artistry into battle.  

‘Konnichiwa’ is boldly anti-authoritarian, a regular feature in Skepta’s music. He aggressively expresses his disdain for the industry, the press, the police and even other MCs. He uses the album to tell us he’s ready to catch smoke with anyone and everyone. No song probably illustrates this more than 'Man'. The song’s opening sequence is sharp and oscillating. It has a sense of eeriness, almost as if to warn you that something is coming. Skepta raps calmly over the beat, upping the ante with every word. The beat slowly intensifies, and then drops to devastating effect. 

Skepta fires more shots on 'Shutdown'. He samples the reactions to the controversial stage appearance with Kanye. He raps, “Me and my Gs ain't scared of police/We don't listen to no politician/Everybody on the same mission/We don't care about your ‘isms and schisms." Skepta organised an illegal release party for 'Shutdown' in the spring of 2015. The scenes of young Londoners hurdling over a 10-foot fence, according to him, perfectly captured what he was doing in the industry: “if you can’t get in, climb the fence.” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RD_ABk7TmjnVk&v=_ABk7TmjnVk

Konnichiwa was a resounding success upon its release. The album won him the Mercury Prize, outsold Beyonce’s Lemonade and Drake’s Views in the first week of its release. Pitchfork rated it a 7.8/10, while Metacritic gave it a strong 83/100. He achieved this as an independent artist with no major label backing.

This was not without its challenges. Skepta repeatedly delayed the album release. Its first release date was September/October 2013. Unfortunately, it was scrapped because Skepta decided to change his approach. He moved the date twice more before finally settling on May 6, 2016, a month earlier. In an interview with Ransome Note, Skepta said he “knew the pain that went into Konnichiwa” and the amount of time and effort it took to make the album.  

Konnichiwa is more than an album; it is a blueprint. Skepta showed that UK MCs can showcase their music to the world without losing their authenticity. There was a reason only two American artists appeared on the album: he wanted to prove he could go international with London’s sound. When he spoke to Annie Mac and DJ Target on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, he said, “Breaking America isn’t a thing anymore; people don’t want to just break America. People understand this world, and if you do this London thing, it goes everywhere.” 

Stormzy is the most visible example of what Konnichiwa made possible. He followed Skepta’s template of authenticity and staying true to his roots. His debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, garnered significant attention and further solidified grime as an international force to be reckoned with. Stormzy himself publicly declared that Skepta deserved a Brit Award, saying "he's killed it", a direct acknowledgement of the debt the next generation owed him.

Konnichiwa’s central message is clear: break those barriers while staying true to yourself. And 10 years on, that message remains relevant.