After a seven-year hiatus, grime icon Skepta has released his highly anticipated album, The Fork and Knife, and he's making it clear that he's back to elevate the genre. "Finally, some good rap music, some good UK grime sounds," he tells BBC Newsbeat with characteristic confidence.

A Long Time Coming

The album, Skepta's first since 2019's Ignorance Is Bliss, has been teased for over two years. But the rapper, born Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr, is unapologetic about the wait. "You can't rush greatness," he says. With a Mercury Prize, a Brit Award, and two Ivor Novello Awards to his name, greatness is indeed expected.

The delay, he explains, stems from his desire to tackle weighty themes. The Fork and Knife delves into immigration, racism, Brexit, and culture wars. "Every time I write a lyric, it's important for me," Skepta says. "I want my lyrics to stand the test of time."

From Tottenham to the World

Born and raised in Tottenham, north London, to Nigerian immigrant parents who fled civil war, Skepta has always drawn from his early life. His 2009 track Reflecting was a turning point, marking one of the first introspective grime songs. "That was the first time I thought, 'This is a talent of mine,'" he recalls. "I could just spit my emotions on a track and people will feel it for years to come."

On the new album, he explores what it means to exist between cultures. In Innocent Smile, featuring Chase and Status and Madness frontman Suggs, he raps: "Ain't no love for an immigrant child / The writing's on the wall, has anyone else noticed? / Was it Brexit? Was it Covid? / They point fingers, I feel hopeless."

"I think grime is a product of immigration," Skepta says, noting that many of the genre's biggest names share similar backgrounds. "I wanted to represent what it looks like if you give an immigrant child a chance. I'm British, and I wanted to let my stance be known that I'm for multiculturalism."

Mindful Messaging

Skepta has also been deliberate about how he delivers his message, especially after facing criticism in 2024 for artwork that some felt referenced the Holocaust. He took it down and promised to be more mindful. "It took six years to make this because it's important to make sure we're not tone deaf," he says. "I feel like we've delivered a classic."

Early reviews are mixed. Complex called it "top-tier," while The Observer questioned whether it was "over-egged." But Skepta is undeterred. "I don't think there's been a good grime album for a long time," he says, referencing Digga D's recent criticism of the viral 'UK Poo' trend. "I can't sit on here and be like 'I'm happy with how the UK scene is right now,' because I'm not."

Raising the Bar

Drawing on his idols, including Suggs, Skepta aims to "make rap sophisticated again." He welcomes the launch of BBC Radio 1Xtra's first UK rap chart show, hoping it will inspire new artists. "Rap is a sport, and it's very hard for visibility when we're being compared to people who have major machines behind them," he says. "This rap chart is going to give all the newcomers and a lot of people who are producing in their bedroom a chance to be seen and heard."

With The Fork and Knife, Skepta proves once again why he's a titan of the scene, delivering a project that is as thoughtful as it is powerful.