Album: All In EP by Skepta

UK Rapper, Skepta released new project, All In EP.

“I’ve always been about getting people to relate,” Skepta tells Apple Music. “In the sense that we're all together—even if we might think we’re not, or things make us feel like we're constantly competing with each other. I make music to show that we're going through the same things.” Embodying the bustling, communal ethos of the early grime scene, Skepta’s bold direction and belief earned him membership to “the four best crews in the game” (Meridian, Boy Better Know, Roll Deep and affiliation with Manchester’s Shadow Demon Coalition) as declared in the opening line of “I Spy” on 2007’s Greatest Hits. More than a decade on from that independently released debut, though, the pandemic enforced a new approach for the team player from Tottenham.

“I just felt weird about making music for people to download at 12:00 on a Thursday night in their houses,” he says. “And then debate about who's better than me, or who I'm better than. That's not really what I do it for. I like to give people moments they can remember, with friends, with music, and for that I also need to perform live.” Skepta found a willing audience on Instagram Live, in a thrilling producer battle against JAE5. After going track for track with each other, the pair launched a new, collaborative chapter that spearheads All In, the BBK frontman’s second EP. The rich, celebratory package of tracks returns Skepta to the fore in style. He floats on airy soul samples with Teezee and Kid Cudi (“Peace of Mind”), recruits Colombian superstar J Balvin for a multilingual anthem (“Nirvana”) and pays homage to classic grime aesthetics (“Eyes on Me”). Still grinding in the studio most days, nights on the road were replaced with a new pastime: poker. “It’s crazy how much of a metaphor the game is to life,” he says. “Starting out with just being lucky and getting good cards. And if you don't, you can bluff and still win. We were playing, and I had some good cards. Like, really good cards. And I said, ‘All in.’ Someone said, ‘That's the name!’ and the room stopped. It just felt right.” Read on for Skepta’s track-by-track guide to the EP.

Enjoy!

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