Quotes from Skepta

Bullying is bullying, man. Even the biggest of the bullies got bullied. And what was happening in school comes from the media, innit? It comes from TV and society.

Songwriting has really allowed me to enjoy life and look at it from an objective place.

In this music industry, you'll find the differences with artists. You get some people who really love music... and you get people who do this because they want to have money or want to be famous.

I feel like I'm the chosen one, but I chose myself.

I'm happy that grime remains underground. A lot of people talk like it's some underrated or ignored genre, but to me, that's the beauty of it.

For a long time, men weren't respecting women. They weren't understanding Mother Earth, Mother Nature, the Motherland, all the motherly stuff. And now we are.

We've been ahead for so long in the U.K., we're so multicultural, and that's the beauty. That's why grime was formed, from this mix, this understanding of different people.

Basically, a lot of people have asked to jump on 'Shutdown' remix, I'm not gonna front. But 'cause of quality control, we wanted to make it really big: it's all about spreading the British sound and culture.

In school, I wasn't like the cool guy who had all the new clothes and had all the girls. I felt like the world saw me as an idiot.

It's almost a blessing for a new generation to say somebody like myself went to their school. It helps kids dream, and now they're getting into acting, football, whatever.

The star, the person who's on the mic, always gets seen.

I go to award ceremonies, but I always like to be in my world. That's the only place I can control where I won't get upset.

I think about this every day. I wonder, 'Is today the day where everybody stops lying to themselves and realises that the government is the enemy?'

I hear all the big department stores like Macy's and Bloomingdale's in the U.S. playing hard hip-hop records to the shoppers, like Rick Ross at his gnarliest. That's amazing. It makes me think grime can do a similar thing.

All my early lyrics were about confidence.

Pirate radio is like street art.

I'm from the street, but I'm not a street head. I'm not one of those guys who believe that life is about the street. I'm nerdy at heart, man.

Air Max is from when we were running the streets. It was comfortable to wear in London, whether you were going out to a club or kicking a ball in the streets. Those kinds of things stick in my mind from the young, magical, fantasy years of my life.

Some artists are like ready-salted crisps and just do what they are supposed to do. But I'm every flavour in one. I'm one of those variety packs.

I've been into clothes since I was a kid, going to garage raves and seeing all the Tottenham gangsters wearing Moschino and Versace; I just always had a passion for it.

I definitely think that my vibe has rubbed off on Drake a bit.

When I do music videos, I like to do a take, then see how it looks, so I can correct it.