Skepta’s Homecoming was the return the people deserved

No VIP when it's BBK

When Skepta tweeted that he’d bought a one-way ticket to Nigeria at the beginning of December with no return date to the UK, a lot of people thought he was joking. But the rapper had that and more planned. After initially announcing a homecoming concert during his surprise set at NATIVELAND ’17, Skepta pulled the plug on the idea, altogether opting for an intimate evening with fans instead at the African Artists Foundation space in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Amongst the performers of the night, Not3s took the stage to perform his second show ever in Lagos, fresh off his debut at The Land II.  While supporting performances from newcomer Santi and DJ Obi kept the rest of the night active. The defining moment was his performance with Wizkid, re-igniting their bromance, dating back to that Drake alley hoop with Skeppy and Wizkid on “Ojuelegba”. Wizkid’s presence was particularly special because of the Starboy’s year, touring the rest of the world. To see him in such an intimate setting was a rare sight, and he seemed to enjoy it as much as the crowd did.

Skepta’s relationship with Nigeria has been wholly organic, and more-so than anything, this is what endears him to the people. Amidst the ongoing “Africa To The World” movement, and diaspora artists seemingly getting more in touch with their homegrown roots, it’s refreshing to see a relationship so natural. Fresh off Konnichiwa, his award-winning seminal album, it was asked everywhere “What next for Skepta?”. Sometimes you have to go home to truly find yourself again.

A homecoming concert for a man like Skepta would have been expected to usher in big-budget marketing and perhaps expensive fees for the gate, but that night, Skepta seemed most satisfied about being amongst friends and family: who needs VIP seats when the star of the night is literally performing at an arm’s length from you?

Catch some more glimpse of Skepta’s Homecoming below.

How surprise performances made NATIVELAND ’17 our most memorable one yet

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