Skepta

Skepta is one of grime's defining figures: a rapper, producer and director from Tottenham, North London, whose work helped carry the sound from pirate-radio roots into a wider public view. He first came through as a DJ with Meridian Crew, moved into MCing, and later founded Boy Better Know with his brother Jme.

Born in 1982 and of Nigerian heritage, Skepta has balanced sharp, club-ready minimalism with a cool, unmistakably London sense of timing and voice. Konnichiwa remains a key release in that story, winning the Mercury Prize in 2016, while records such as Ignorance Is Bliss show how he kept refining his sound without losing the directness that made his name.