Grime is a particularly complicated genre in which to mature, not least for an MC whose gravelly delivery and fierce intelligence have long given him the aura of an elder statesman. Having won the Mercury prize with his last full-length, 2016’s Konnichiwa, and crossed over to US hip-hop audiences, the bar for Skepta’s long-awaited fifth album is set high.
Ignorance Is Bliss handles the MC’s next steps with authority and, crucially, popping production. “Yeah, we did young and stupid,” the north London MC declares, “Now I do grown and sexy.” Fatherhood is addressed with matter-of-fact swagger and a buggy that co-stars in the video for this album’s fiery lead track, Bullet from a Gun. There are flute loops and garage tracks, weird noises and ear-candy beats.
Last year’s Vicious EP found Skepta flexing his transatlantic hip-hop cachet. Here the spotlight lights up the UK scene. The standout What Do You Mean features a smoother-than-ever hook from J Hus. A questionable reference to Ike Turner aside, Skepta retains his dry wit throughout: “Must have been talking about sex if I ever said I was gonna come second,” he smirks on the old-school You Wish.
