Each track on the album is real and pure. In an interview with the BBC, he said that “Every time I write a lyric, it’s important for me. It doesn't matter whose song, what feature, what track, I'm always taking time in writing my music because I want my lyrics to be able to stand the test of time”. This can be spotted immediately through the album title ‘The Fork and Knife’ - originating from one of his mother’s favourite sayings. The album cover also shows this: an old portrait of Skepta and his mother, which he said to 032c that he chose the image because “it’s real”.
As mentioned, immigrant identity is the thematic foundation of these tracks. The opener, ‘Secrets of Patriarchy’ explores all the expectations placed on him, including marriage, education and having a house. JME’s verse in ‘Belly’ is a key illustration of this. The two artists are siblings, and Skepta’s decision to include his younger brother on this song in particular reflects how far the Adenuga family has come in the industry. Skepta shows his listeners what it means to grow up as the child of Nigerian immigrants in Britain, balancing his dual identity of African heritage with his own British culture.
On the topic of features, across 15 tracks, Skepta worked alongside 18 different artists to create his masterpiece. For example, in ‘Aloe Vera’, he mixes British rap and Nigerian afrobeats by featuring Asake. French and African musical influences are added in ‘Chippie’ by Aya Nakamura. And different generations of British music work together in ‘Broken Hearts’ with Central Cee and Jorja Smith. Whilst this ultimately highlights how his album leads to a theme of celebrating cultural diversity, it also holds a deeper meaning of showing that Skepta’s own identity isn’t restricted to only one genre or culture.
A hard-hitting reality that Skepta speaks on is the contradiction of being British but still being treated as an outsider. In ‘Innocent Smile’, he challenges British politicians who blame immigrants for the country’s problems, as seen in the lyrics “MPs lie, they treat us like idiots. How you turn it around and blame it on the immigrants?’ and ‘Was it Brexit? Was it COVID? They point fingers, I feel hopeless.” Both suggest that anti-immigration attitudes have become part of a wider political climate, leaving those born and raised in Britain feeling unwelcome just because their parents did not grow up there.
Through exploring his heritage, British upbringing and experiences of growing up in an immigrant family, he manages to create a deeply personal account of identity and belonging.
Lily Howard
Image: ‘The Fork and Knife’ Official Album Cover