Skepta returns to set levels with a long-awaited sixth album and a message

A long-awaited return

The Fork and Knife is Skepta’s first album in seven years. The record was first teased more than two years ago, keeping fans waiting for his return. Skepta is among grime’s most prominent names. He drew crowds at Reading and Leeds this year, a decade after his Mercury Prize-winning album Konnichiwa, and has also performed at Glastonbury.

Music shaped by his roots

Born Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr, Skepta grew up in Tottenham, north London. His parents were Nigerian immigrants who had fled the country’s civil war, and he has often drawn on his early life in his music.

On “Innocent Smile,” featuring Chase and Status and Madness frontman Suggs, he raps about the experience of an immigrant child. Skepta said representing what can happen when an immigrant child is given a chance was important to him.

Care over artistic choices

Skepta has also considered how his work may be understood without its intended context. In 2024, he removed artwork for “Gas Me Up (Diligent)” after allegations that it referenced the Holocaust.

He said the image referred to skinhead culture, while acknowledging that people could find it offensive without that context. He promised to be more mindful in future.

Reviews and the rap scene

Early responses to The Fork and Knife differ. Complex called it “top-tier” and worth the wait, while The Observer described it as well-intentioned but questioned whether it was “over-egged.” Skepta said he did not think there had been a good grime album for a long time. With BBC Radio 1Xtra launching its first UK rap chart show, he said he hoped it would help newcomers and bedroom producers be seen and heard.