Skepta has no plans to retire from music.
The 44-year-old grime legend – whose real name is Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr. – stunned fans when he appeared to suggest he was calling it quits back in 2021, writing on social media at the time: “This Jae5 song/video featuring Rema and myself was recorded and shot last year in Ghana.
“I have one more song with Bando and L’s that we also recorded in 2020, after we drop that, I’m out.”
However, as he prepares to drop his sixth studio album, The Fork and Knife, on Friday (06.11.26), the Boy Better Know star insists he’ll only take time out when it’s needed and won’t be hanging up his mic anytime soon.
He told Complex UK magazine: “I don’t think I’ll ever retire.
“I don’t do music as a hobby. Music is how I think. If my card declines right now, as I’m buying this bottle of water at the airport, a mad lyric will come into my head. That’s just how my mind works. It’s how I move, how I express myself, and how I enjoy my life.”
Addressing his previous comments, he said: “Obviously, I’ll have breaks and take time out whenever I need to rest my mind, but I’ll never retire from music.”
While promoting the follow-up to 2019’s Ignorance Is Bliss, Skepta has teased that he digs deeper than ever on the new material.
He said: “I really do owe you honesty.
“I owe it to you to dig deeper, put my childish ego to the side, and look inward to find some liberation that can help all of us. I can’t wait for you to hear it.”
In an interview with Esquire UK earlier this year, the Shutdown rapper explained that while the album features plenty of party tracks, he also wanted it to carry a deeper message and give a voice to the children of immigrants.
He said: “As well as the celebratory music, I want some conscious stuff on there too. Especially right now …
“I feel like it’s an important time to be saying things and not bringing out an album that’s tone-deaf to the world. So, I’m adding some depth. There’s a lot of party music on there. I’m essentially a festival artist, so I make music for shows and clubs. I’m just making sure I cover all ground and speak for the voiceless.”
Skepta also shed light on the meaning behind the album’s title, revealing that it was inspired by his own experience as the son of immigrant parents.
He added: “The whole idea behind Fork and Knife is about being a child of immigrants – that simple ambition of wanting to eat well and sit at the table with cutlery. That was the inspiration.”