Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Skepta

Skepta on his 2005:

"This year I joined Roll Deep. JME joined first, then Wiley heard me spit. He encouraged me to MC and then asked me to join."

"There’s been a lot of beef this year. Of course the Wiley and Lethal B thing was always going on and that fed to the rest of the crew: we had to back Wiley."

"Then one day Jammer and me were sitting in his house and we thought, ‘why don’t we just diss everyone, all these waste MCs?’ Now people I’ve never even met are dissing me. People who, if I met at my mum’s house, I wouldn’t even know who they were."

"But I’m gonna stop slewing. I’m gonna go on radio and stop it because I’m no crazed weed smoker, I’m in full control of what I’m doing. Plus I think I’ve won all my battles. Flirta D’s manager called me, he asked me to stop slewing Flirta because it’s messing up his career."

"I’ve had a few hits this year too. I’ve made a 4x4 tune and it got big. I did it because our scene came from there and I wondered what would happen if you brought the two scenes back together again. I’ve done a vocal version with [old school MC] Creed on the chorus and JME, Wiley, Trim, me and Bear Man on the verses. It’s called ‘Doing it Again’ – I’m gonna give it to EZ exclusive for Christmas. Then it’s going on my album."

"I’m putting my album out myself. I’ve been in them meetings with those A&R guys, and what do they have that I don’t? Their money is no use to me, I can make it off white labels. My music is my money. I can’t be stopped because I make the music, I vocal the tracks and I’m putting it out myself - in partnership with Geeneus on Nu Era. It’s got production from Geeneus, Wiley and JME on it."

"The LP’s gonna be called ‘More Than Grime’ because grime’s not a good enough name for our scene. Everywhere I go in the world they use the name ‘grime’ but it’s just UK rap at a different speed."

"Everyone’s waiting to be signed but there isn’t enough money for everyone in the scene to sign to a major. Sway put his own album out and he won a MOBO. Why can’t we do the same? I’ll buy advertising and put on a good live show, so what’s the difference? I bet once I do it, everyone else starts to put their own albums out too."

"I also got into FWD>> this year. I never knew of the scene properly before. I’d been listening to Newham Generals’ show and I went down to FWD>> with Wiley and Gift and got into it. I’m a musician, I listen to all kinds of music and I’ve taken to it a lot."

"I really got into ‘Request Line’ by Skream. I started rewinding it on the Roll Deep show. I have some influence now and I’m trying to do some good with it. Now when it gets played, when the first few bars come in, it’s like Jay-Z’s just come on stage."