Skepta has won this year’s Mercury Prize for his album Konnichiwa. In the ceremony last night at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, the grime MC beat off competition from other albums, including efforts from David Bowie, Radiohead, The 1975, Laura Mvula and Michael Kiwanuka, who all made it to the final six shortlist. He said “we just did this for us, but the love is very much appreciated” before thanking his own and friends’ parents for the achievement.
Mixing grime with flecks of Japanese influences, Konnichiwa presents a collection of tracks that have put Skepta at the vanguard of the sub-genre. It’s a testament to life in urban areas and hardship in 2016, and its win cements how grime has broken out of the underground to become a major force.
Listen to ‘Shutdown’ below.
