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Skepta has revealed that even with his tremendous global fame, countless fans, and numerous awards, he ‘dislikes being famous’.
Since his debut album in 2007, the grime artist, 42, has won the prestigious Mercury Prize and has excelled in the realms of music, fashion, modeling, and film.
In a rare interview with Dazed, the rapper expressed his aversion to the pitfalls of fame, wishing instead for a return to his ordinary life.
Under his real name, Joseph Junior Adenuga, he shared with the publication: ‘Fame doesn’t matter to me. Honestly. What matters is the art. I want to create the best songs. I want people to embrace my poetry. I hate being famous.’
‘I feel like whatever fame has given me is what I’ve always had. The scrutiny, the judgment—I’ve lived with that. In the early days, it helped me become stronger for the present. But I don’t need it now.’
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Skepta has admitted that despite his incredible global success, millions of fans and award wins, he ‘hates being famous’ (pictured in February)
Since bursting on the scene with his debut album in 2007, the grime star, 42, has gone on to win the prestigious Mercury Prize and conquered the worlds of music, fashion, modelling and film (pictured in 2019)
The Boy Better Know artist stated he prefers not to live the celebrity lifestyle, wishing instead to spend time with his daughter without being approached for selfies.
He explained: ‘Whenever people try to make me into that red carpet It-boy, I always pull back. Even at the Mercury Prize, you can see it on my face—I didn’t want to be that guy; there’s only a downfall from there.’
‘I constantly dream of returning to a normal life. When it’s all said and done, I just want to be at home painting and occasionally DJing, going out to get limes and bread.’
As he contemplates his legacy, Skepta shared his belief that the ‘true meaning of life’ lies in creating opportunities for those who follow him.
He remarked: ‘I hope I’ve given as much as I took, that I’ve opened doors and left behind insights for others.
‘This, to me, is the real essence of existence. I struggled with this concept, but now I understand that it’s not about me. I’m just passing through.’
The hitmaker is set to host the Big Smoke Festival in August for the second consecutive year, featuring a lineup that includes his brother Jme, Central Cee, Skyla Tyla, and BXK.
He emphasized that his drive to create opportunities inspired him to establish a platform for showcasing other artists’ talents, expressing a desire to ‘step aside’ and avoid being a hindrance.
However, in a rare new interview with Dazed , the rapper has confessed to disliking the trappings of stardom and dreams ‘of going back to my normal life’
The artist admitted that he doesn’t want to live the so-called celebrity lifestyle and instead wants to be able to go out with his daughter without being asked for a selfie (seen with daughter River in 2020)
While he also talked his upcoming album teasing that he predicts the final result will be ‘the best record I’ve made’ (pictured with Jus Jammin last year)
Discussing his upcoming album, which he announced in January of last year, he explained that delays in its release are due to his constant stream of new hit tracks, claiming the final product will be ‘the best record I’ve made’.
The DJ noted: ‘I try to wrap it up every day, but then I create something new each day and have to rearrange the tracklist.
‘People are always visiting the studio, so I keep coming up with one song after another, making it challenging to stop the flow when everything is so good.’
This follows Skepta’s assertion that he never feels he has ‘made it’, as there’s ‘always more to accomplish’, shared in an exclusive MailOnline interview from January last year.
When asked if he had a ‘pinch me’ moment or realized ‘I’ve made it’, he replied: ‘No [I haven’t], I used to think I would have that moment, but I don’t. My achievements are too numerous for me to believe I’ve arrived; there’s always more ahead…
‘I used to think there was a moment of having made it, but now I don’t consider that. It’s not something I think about.’
When reflecting on a time he was starstruck, he humorously remarked: ‘Sometimes when I walk past a mirror, I catch my own reflection and feel amazed.’
Skepta is not alone in his fame; his brother JME, real name Jamie Adenuga, is also part of the Boy Better Know collective, while their sister Julie Adenuga is a well-known broadcaster and radio presenter.
It comes after Skepta insisted that he never thinks he’s made it, because there’s ‘always more to do’ in an exclusive interview with MailOnline in January last year (pictured)
His debut studio album, Greatest Hits, was released to much acclaim in 2007, while he followed up in 2009 with Microphone Champion and also released studio album Doin’ It Again in 201 (seen in 2010)
The three-time Brit Award nominee’s critically lauded fourth record, Konnichiwa, featured the hit singles That’s Not Me and Shutdown, and won him the Mercury Prize in 2016 (pictured)
He began his music career in 2003 as a DJ for the Tottenham-based grime collective Meridian Crew, eventually transitioning to MC shortly before their disbandment in 2005.
Following this, Skepta and JME briefly teamed up with Roll Deep before co-founding Boy Better Know in 2005.
His acclaimed debut studio album, Greatest Hits, was released in 2007, followed by Microphone Champion in 2009 and Doin’ It Again in 2011.
His critically acclaimed fourth album, Konnichiwa, won the Mercury Prize in 2016, featuring hit singles like That’s Not Me and Shutdown.
Alongside his many mixtapes and singles, Skepta ventured into acting, making his film debut in the 2015 crime drama Anti-Social, starring alongside Meghan Markle.
Last year, he made his directorial debut with Tribal Mark, a short film that tells the story of a Nigerian-born hitman, partly portrayed by Skepta and Jude Carmichael.
His most recent solo album was Ignorance Is Bliss in 2019, and he collaborated with Chip and D Block Europe rapper Young Adz on the album Insomnia in 2020.
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