Album review: Skepta, Konnichiwa

Joseph Junior Adenuga aka Skepta.

It's a rare artist who can wrap up the past, present and future in one unique package. But that's exactly what Skepta manages to do on his grimy-as-all-hell fourth album.

Yes, Konnichiwa is full of the genre's trademarks, with the album's cartoon computer squelches and glitchy bass wallops reminding of pioneers like Wiley and Dizzee Rascal.

And yes, Skepta - real name Joseph Junior Adenuga - has been plugging away for more than a decade now.

But on Konnichiwa he comes of age, commanding the microphone with such clarity and charisma you'll soon forget he's using a tried-and-true formula.

Check out Crime Riddim, his hard-as-a-concrete-block anti-authority anthem that rails against police.

Or Detox, a dystopian thriller that relies on the kind of deep, grinding grooves Massive Attack made an art form.

While much of Skepta's subject matter deals with street level violence and watch-your-back thuggery, he's got a sense of humour too, addressing his new-found fame on Man like this: "My mum don't know your mum, stop telling man you're my cousin."

Review: Skepta, Konnichiwa