Shutdown

Album: Konnichiwa (2015)
Charted: 39
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Produced by Skepta himself with Ragz Originale, this includes an audio clip of a TV viewer complaining about Kanye West's performance of "All Day" on The Brit Awards. (The UK grime artist was one of a number of rappers who joined 'Ye on stage.) Skepta told The Fader: "We made about seven different instrumentals to it but this one was the maddest."
  • This is bookended by a sample of Drake's "trusss mi daddi" vine at the beginning of the song and clip from the Toronto MC's short film, Jungle for the outro. It is a return of a favor as Drake borrowed a line from Skepta's "That's Not Me" for his verse on "Used To."
  • The video was directed by London-based photographer and filmmaker Grace Ladoja and shot around the English capital city's residential and cultural centre, The Barbican.
  • British actor Idris Elba jumped on a remix after tweeting a request to join the song. Upon release, the remixed track proved an instant smash with online audiences, racing to more than 200,000 plays during its first day on Souncloud.

    Elba drops in references to Stringer Bell, Nelson Mandela and John Luther during his rhymes, all roles that the actor has performed on either film or television.
  • The NME named this as their Track of the Year for 2015. They said the song affirms "Joseph Junior Adenuga's place as the reigning King of Grime."
  • The video features a cameo by R&B singer Mabel, two years before she broke through with her own hit single "Finders Keepers."

Comments: 1

  • Jaylen from BrixtonComfortable is my favourite Skepta song.. RIP to the legend. It's not the same without you ;(
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