Konnichiwa

Album: Konnichiwa (2016)
Charted: 41
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The title track of Skepta's fourth album finds him talking about the fame he has achieved as a grime artist and the haters he has encountered, especially on social media.
  • Konnichiwa is a Japanese greeting used in the daytime. Speaking to Hypetrack, Skepta explained the background to the album title. "It basically all started with my little brother, Jason, who's currently in Japan," he said. "His whole life, he's been obsessed with everything related to Japan. Whether it is computer games, the language, style, or lifestyle."

    "My brother and I, we have a good relationship, so we sat down together to come up with an idea for the title," Skepta continued. "Initially, we were going to make a whole 8-bit computer game-type of album, but as time went on, different things happened and different people came to collaborate. The sonic direction of the album has changed a bit, so it's even more amazing to see to what it has ultimately become."
  • The Konnichiwa album won the 2016 Mercury Prize. Skepta was the second grime artist to win the annual UK music honor following Dizzee Rascal, who won with his Boy In Da Corner set in 2003.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MG's, Blues Brothers)

Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MG's, Blues Brothers)Songwriter Interviews

Steve Cropper on the making of "In the Midnight Hour," the chicken-wire scene in The Blues Brothers, and his 2021 album, Fire It Up.

Classic Metal

Classic MetalFact or Fiction

Ozzy, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest and even Michael Bolton show up in this Classic Metal quiz.

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Millie Jackson

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.