London grime icon Skepta prepares “The Fork And Knife,” his first solo album in seven years, built around identity.
It is his sixth studio album, and it lands through Big Smoke and Epic Records. The last solo full-length was “Ignorance Is Bliss” in 2019, so the gap is long. He has not disappeared since, but a proper album from him still carries weight. Skepta raps, writes, and produces across the project, which puts him at the centre of everything.
The sound moves freely between grime, garage, house, jungle, and electronic music. That range comes from decades spent in sound systems, clubs, and rave spaces. The lead single “Innocent Smile” teamed him with Suggs and Chase & Status, and he previewed songs from the album during his Reading Festival set in August. Retail listings already show titles like “Aloe Vera,” “Alpha Omega,” “Back 2 Back,” “Cold Outside,” “Deadlines,” and “Gas Me Up (Diligent),” while Apple Music lists 15 songs in total.
Identity is the core theme. The visuals draw on 1980s Nigerian-British imagery, football culture, and documentary realism, and they link the Windrush generation to modern London.
For Nigerian and British music fans alike, that story hits close. It is a bold return from an artist who helped shape grime’s global reach.
Keep an eye on “The Fork And Knife” and tell us – which Skepta era do you want back most?
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