Skepta performing in 2025. Photo by Raph_PH, cropped (CC BY)
Skepta has finally served it up. The Fork and Knife, the grime pioneer’s first album in seven years, arrived Nov. 6 on Big Smoke and Epic, and one of its loudest moments is “Aloe Vera,” a bass-heavy link-up with Nigerian star Asake. Pitchfork calls the album “a mature reflection on legacy” from “an icon of UK grime and a face of modern Britain.”
Key Takeaways
- The album lands about 34 months after Skepta first announced it in January 2024, per Pitchfork.
- Guests include Asake, Aya Nakamura, Central Cee, Jorja Smith and Madness frontman Suggs.
- The title nods to Skepta’s grandfather, a hospitality worker who wanted his family to live like the customers he served.
- Reviews are strong but mixed in places: Complex’s writers raved, while The Observer said Skepta “piles a lot on his plate.”
The Full Story
The Fork and Knife opens with “Secrets of Patriarchy” and moves through grime, rap, Afro-house and more. On “Chippie,” Skepta flirts in French over alté with Aya Nakamura. “Broken Hearts” pairs him with Central Cee and Jorja Smith over jazzy breaks, and Asake brings the rumble on “Aloe Vera.”
It’s a London-to-Lagos record in more ways than one. Pitchfork frames it as a story of “an immigrant family flourishing in spite of all odds,” tying together Skepta’s roles as grime MC, house DJ, painter, fashion label boss and Nigerian chief. A Suggs cameo on “Innocent Smile” nods to Skepta’s dad DJing two-tone ska in the 1980s.
Not every critic is fully sold. The Observer argues he “piles a lot on his plate,” and Pitchfork says the opening stretch is “a little creaky” before the album finds its shape. Complex handed out 5/5 and 4/5 in its first-impressions roundup.
The Social Conversation
For fans of the London–Lagos pipeline, “Aloe Vera” is the instant talking point: two of the biggest names in UK rap and Afrobeats on one beat. The nine-minute “Belly” cypher, where Skepta puts younger MCs on before himself, is the other one to hear.
