Skepta Reconnects With Rap on Chase & Status-Produced “Innocent Smile”

After a period spent closer to the booth than the mic, Skepta returns to rapping on “Innocent Smile.” The single arrives following a collaborative EP with Fred again.. and a run of house-leaning DJ sets at his Más Tiempo residency in Ibiza, both signals of how far he has drifted from grime’s center. Here, he lands somewhere between drum ‘n’ bass and breakbeat, co-producing with Chase & Status.

Madness frontman Graham “Suggs” McPherson handles the chorus, delivering a hook that sits around the song’s restless beat. The opening couplet — “What’s the story, morning glory? / More fake news tryna mind-control me” — sets a distrustful tone, though the track is more physical than lyrical. It is a broad, festival-facing move, and at times it nearly tips into pastiche before the rhythm pulls it back.

There is also a new video from Aidan Zamiri, known for his work with Charli XCX. Skepta has reportedly been working toward a new album called The Fork And Knife, but no release date has been confirmed. “Innocent Smile” suggests he is still testing the edges of his range rather than settling back into one sound.