Hip Hop

Skepta Retiring From Rap Says Being A Rapper “A Waste Of Talent”

Skepta is done with rap.

Skepta, one of the most well-known British rappers, says he is walking away from recording to focus more on the production side of things.  In a new interview with BBC Radio 1Xtra, Skepta explains that rapping is only a small sliver of what he is capable of. 

“It was just a thought in my head where I was like, ‘I just wanna do more than just being a rapper’, because that’s a waste of talent,” he said. “I feel like right now I want to become more behind the production.”

Going on to name his ideal collaboration, Skepta added, “I want to produce albums for people—I’d love to produce Rihanna’s album, that would be a dream. I’d probably make Rihanna’s hardest album.”  He continued, reiterating his feelings about throwing away his skillset, saying, “I feel like now I just want to branch out. I can’t be a rapper, it’s a waste of talent. I feel like rapping for artists is some sort of therapy—but after a while it’s like I’ve said everything—from being a confused African child to being a chief in my dad’s village. I’ve rapped myself to my nirvana, I’ve rapped myself into it somehow.”

While Skepta fans are surely disappointed, the artist has left plenty of music on the table during his career, releasing five studio albums and collaborating with some of the biggest artists in the game.  He also dropped the All In EP this week, a five-track project that Skepta has now confirmed will be the last release of his career.  “ALL IN is all the music I have to give,” he announced.

“I have no unreleased music, feels good to clear the outbox.” He went on to promise fans big things from him on the production side, even sharing the details of one of his most exciting ideas, saying, “I definitely want to make an all female album. So many fire female artists, rappers and singers. I gotta make a hard 13 track female only album FULL of classics.”

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