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Skepta, born Chief Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr. on September 19, 1982, is a British-Nigerian rapper, record producer, and grime MC. He briefly joined Roll Deep with his younger brother Jme before assisting in the formation of Boy Better Know in 2005.
Skepta was nominated for three Brit Awards, including British Male Solo Artist. He was named to Debrett’s 2017 list of the most influential people in the UK for his role as a major player in the grime scene’s influence on modern British popular culture. He was given the Nigerian chieftaincy title “Amuludun of Odo-Aje” on April 4, 2018.
Early Life and Education
Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr. was born in Tottenham, North London, on September 19, 1982, to Nigerian parents of Yoruba (paternal) and Igbo (maternal) ancestry. He is the oldest of four children, the others being graphic designer Jason, radio host Julie, and musician Jme.
He received his secondary education at the Winchmore Council School in London, England.
Career
Skepta began his singing career by listening to American and UK hip-hop music. By competing in regional events and appearing on privately owned radio stations, he began to influence people. In order to advance his career, he began working as a DJ for The Meridian Group, a grime crew based in Tottenham. He used the opportunity to release several instrumentals, including “DTI (Pirate Station)” and “Private Caller.”
Skepta joined Roll Deep, another grime crew, after The Meridian Gang disbanded in 2005, along with his brother Jme and another rapper named Joseph Bamber. Skepta and his brother collaborated the following year to launch “Boy Better Know” as an independent record label in London.
For the “Lord Of Mics 2” DVD, Skepta engaged MC Devilman in a competitive fight. Many people still consider the competition to be the largest in grime history.
Skepta’s debut studio mixtape, “Joseph Junior Adenuga,” was released a few months after the competition. On September 17, 2007, he also released his first studio album, “Greatest Hits.” Other songs from the album were released in 2009, including Bad Boy, Rescue Me, Cross My Heart, Doin’ It Again, and Lush, along with another album, Microphone Champion.
On May 6, 2016, his biggest hit album, Konnichiwa, was released. The album received overwhelmingly positive reviews. It threw a party outside of Tokyo, Japan, and booked Skepta for a number of events. Skepta decided to embark on his “Banned From America” music tour, which included 14 shows across the United States and a few European countries. He dubbed the trip “Banned From America” because he had previously had to cancel due to visa restrictions.
Skepta has collaborated with a number of notable musicians since then, including Wizkid and Rema on the smash hit Dimension, which was produced by Jae5 and released in 2021. He recently returned to Nigeria to collaborate on the song Mamacita with Energy with Wizkid.
Personal Life
River, Skepta’s daughter, is his only child. He is the oldest of four children, the others being graphic designer Jason, radio host Julie, and musician Jme. He is a very private person, and information about his romantic life is scarce in the media.
On April 4, 2018, he was sworn in as chief of Ogun State, Nigeria, and was given the title of Amuludun of Odo-Aje. He is the “Chief Entertainer of Odo-Aje,” according to his title. He also intends to build his parents’ dream home in Nigeria.
Discography
Albums
- Greatest Hits (2007)
- Microphone Champion (2009)
- Doin’ It Again (2011)
- Konnichiwa (2016)
- Ignorance Is Bliss (2019)
Collaboration Albums
- Insomnia (with Chip and Young Adz) (2020)
Mixtapes
- Joseph Junior Adenuga (2006)
- Been There Done That (2010)
- Community Payback (2011)
- Blacklisted (2012)
- The Tim Westwood Mix (2015)
- All In (2021)
Awards and Nominations
- At the Kanye West show in London, he was named as one of GQ’s 50 best-dressed British men in 2015.
- The music video for Skepta’s single “That’s Not Me” won the Best Video award at the 2014 MOBO Awards.
- In 2015, his song “Shutdown” won the Best Song award at the MOBO Awards.
- His album ‘Konnichiwa’ received the Mercury Prize in 2016 for Album of the Year.
The full list of his awards and nominations is below.
| Year | Award | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | BET Awards | Best International Act: UK | Skepta | Nominated |
| 2014 | MOBO Awards | Best Video | “That’s Not Me” (feat. Jme) | Won |
| 2015 | MOBO Awards | Best Song | “Shutdown” | Won |
| 2016 | Ivor Novello Awards | Best Contemporary Song | Nominated | |
| Q Awards | Best Track | “Man” | Nominated | |
| Best Solo Artist | Skepta | Nominated | ||
| Mercury Prize | Album of the Year | Konnichiwa | Won | |
| MOBO Awards | Best Album | Nominated | ||
| Best Grime Act | Skepta | Nominated | ||
| Best Male Act | Nominated | |||
| BET Awards | Best International Act: UK | Won | ||
| 2017 | NME Awards | Best British Male | Won | |
| Best Album supported | Konnichiwa | Nominated | ||
| Best Track | “Man” | Nominated | ||
| Music Moment Of The Year | Skepta wins Mercury Prize | Nominated | ||
| BRIT Awards | British Male Solo Artist | Skepta | Nominated | |
| British Breakthrough Act | Nominated | |||
| MasterCard British Album of the Year | Konnichiwa | Nominated | ||
| BET Awards | Best International Act: Europe | Skepta | Nominated |
Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of $5 million. His earnings are gotten from his numerous albums and music sales, alongside musical tours.
