10 years on from Skepta's landmark single release, NME unpack the legacy of a track that defined grime's mid-2010s mainstream explosion “I want to win everything that I do,” says Skepta , leaning against a leather sofa and addressing a VHS camera as part of a 2014 mini-documentary centred around his new freestyle ‘That’s Not Me’. Three minutes in, the film cuts to Meridian Walk, north London, for the lead performance, shot by legendary UK underground music filmmakers Tim & Barry. It’s lively but understated, capturing the energy that defined the pair’s early videos and laced with the typical self-confidence of the Adenuga brothers, Joseph Junior (Skepta) and Jamie ( JME ).
Back then, it would’ve been difficult to predict just how influential that footage would become. Months later, Skepta sauntered onstage at the MOBOs and picked up the 2014 Award for Best Video. “The ‘That’s Not Me’ video cost me 80 English pounds!” he proudly told the audience, elated, disclosing that he’d had to find his own way to the ceremony after missing out on an invite.
Meanwhile, the duo who shot the film were sat in a car park, completely unaware of why exactly their phones were blowing up. “We didn’t even know the video was up for an award,” says Barry, one half of the duo (who prefer not to publicise their last names). “We’d been documenting grime since 2002, 2003, and we were heavily part of the scene.
Shooting that video was great because it continued to pu.
