Skepta

Few figures have shaped British grime as directly as Skepta, a north London-raised MC whose path began as a DJ with Tottenham's Meridian Crew, performing sets on pirate radio. Born to Nigerian parents and raised in Winchmore Hill, he has since widened his reach well beyond the microphone, working as a rapper, record producer, fashion designer, film director and DJ, and his influence on contemporary British popular culture has been recognised beyond music circles.

Greatest Hits (2007) and Microphone Champion (2009) were both independent releases, and his clash with Devilman on the video Lord of the Mics 2 remains one of grime's biggest. Doin' It Again (2011) marked his first major-label album, with "Rescue Me" reaching number 14 in the UK singles chart. Konnichiwa (2016), carried by "That's Not Me" and "Shutdown", went on to win the Mercury Prize. In 2018 he produced and featured on ASAP Rocky's "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)", which became both artists' highest-charting single, and Insomnia (2020), made with Chip and Young Adz, was his third top 10 album in the UK.