Microphone Champion

“Who produces anthem after anthem? Me,” proclaims Skepta over the squelching synths of “Are You Ready?” It’s no empty boast: almost everything here is laced with addictive hooks and buoyant rhythms—be it the ebullient party rap of “Skepta” or the bullish menace of “Sticks & Stones”. Skepta’s too versatile to maintain a narrow focus though, and his composed, precise flow proves an equally good fit for the darker, gangster-inflected tones of road rap on Giggs collaboration “Look Out”.