Skepta

Joseph Junior Adenuga, widely known as Skepta, is a prominent English Grime MC hailing from Tottenham, North London. Born in London to Nigerian parents, he moved to the city at the age of three from Lagos. His ancestry can be traced further back to the Falash Mura community in Ethiopia. Skepta is also recognized as a producer and DJ, closely associated with the North London Grime scene and groups such as Roll Deep and Boy Better Know.

The stage name "Skepta" is derived from the word "sceptre." Dissatisfied with the spelling and seeking a unique identity, he adopted the name to ensure he would be the sole result when searching for it on platforms like YouTube.

Skepta's musical journey began after winning an MC battle against over 300 contestants, notably defeating Tempa T in the final. He formed a creative partnership with his brother JME, and they gained significant recognition across Greater London for their hit single and self-produced track, "Private Caller," which featured several members of their Meridian Crew from Meridian Walk in Tottenham.

Boy Better Know Label and Early Releases

In late 2005, Skepta, serving as Managing Director, and his brother JME, as CEO, established their Grime label, Boy Better Know. The phrase "Boy Better Know" was originally coined by artist Big H before being adopted by Skepta and JME. Early 2006 saw the release of 'Shut Yuh Mut' - Boy Better Know Edition 1, featuring all three artists. Over the years, the label has supported numerous other artists, including Frisco and Wiley, in releasing mixtapes. JME released four mixtapes, and Skepta put out his 'Greatest Hits' compilation in September 2007, which received nationwide distribution.

Musical Evolution and Chart Success

While Wiley, a co-founder of Roll Deep, achieved mainstream chart success with the group, including two number-one singles on the UK Top 40 Chart, he later departed from Boy Better Know. Wiley and Skepta were involved in a public "beef," exchanging diss tracks uploaded to YouTube. However, Skepta has since clarified in interviews and on social media that this conflict was fabricated.

Skepta released three singles from his third studio album, Doin' It Again, his first with a major label. These singles were "Bad Boy," "Rescue Me," and "Cross My Heart," featuring Preeya Kalidas. A video for the Grime Remix of "Hello Good Morning" was also released. All three singles reached the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, with "Rescue Me" peaking at number 14. "Cross My Heart" charted at number 31 and dropped out of the Top 40 the following week, despite receiving significant promotion.

Following the success of his initial single "Bad Boy," Skepta's music videos were moved from his personal channel to be promoted through All Around The World, a division of Universal Records. His tracks were also premiered on the label's official website. Doin' It Again was scheduled for digital release on January 31, 2011, and CD release on February 7, 2011, in partnership with or through All Around The World Records.