Words: @sjriptweets
We’ve got the sickest of conspiracy theories for you.
As many of you will know, we have been waiting for Skepta’s ‘Konnichiwa’ for a long, long time. His last release was the ‘Blacklisted’ project back in 2012. Since then, he has invigorated the Grime scene with genre-defining bangers like “That’s Not Me” and “Shutdown”.
The formula normally goes that after the release of a couple of singles, particularly of that size, the album follows soon after. Skepta has in fact spoken about how he planned to drop the project on the back of the two hits.
So why didn’t he?
In the summer of last year, when the release seemed most probable, Skepta and Drake’s much-acknowledged bromance began.
That friendship has gone from level to level in the time since. It started with Skepta being brought out at Wireless, then came their collabo on Wiz Kid’s “Ojuelegba” on the back of time that Drake had spent with Skeppy and his boys, then came Skepta’s appearance at OVOFEST in Toronto, and then Drake got BBK tatted. Most recently, Skepta and Drake appeared at Section Boyz London show in late February, and then announced that he was the first Canadian to be signed to BBK.
The fact that Drake, particularly with his most recent act, has expressed an official relationship between the Tottenham MC and himself has made a lot of grime fans question what could come next for the two of them.
Well, Skepta only a couple of days ago announced that ‘Konnichiwa’ will be finished this week, and that he will begin his tour of it in May in Japan. This would indicate an April release. Earlier this week, Drake Instagrammed that his much-anticipated ‘Views From the 6’ will be dropping in April.
Is it a mere coincidence that the Skepta album we have waited so long for, that should have dropped last summer, is dropping at a similar time to the 6 God?
Maybe Skepta held the album so that he could get the Drizzy feature. Or maybe the releases are being synchronised to coincide with a joint tour. Drake has previously toured with Lil Wayne, so he has history on this. Maybe, just maybe, the two are sacking off their individual projects for a collabo, ‘Konnichiwa: Views from the Marquee’?! Probably not. But a tour, or at least some joint dates, and a Drake feature on the Skepta project, or even vice versa, seems a real possibility.
This is, clearly, all speculation. It could be mere coincidence. But the nature of the pair’s relationship suggests there could be something more in the pipeline. Here’s to hoping.