This Is Why Everyone Is Tweeting About Skepta “Re-Starting” His Songs
One London newspaper doesn’t seem to know what a reload is.
Last week Skepta played a massive homecoming show at London's Alexandra Palace. The sold-out performance was a send off to a year in which the Tottenham MC released his album Konnichiwa, toured the world, and won the Mercury Music Prize. The show was a huge success, and it can be watched back online right now, but not everyone was impressed.
A mixed review appeared in London's Evening Standard on December 5. Credited to journalist John Aizlewood, it referred to the Mercury judges "baffling decision" not to give their prize to David Bowie before adding that "there was precious little sign of progression and evolution" in the music played by Skepta during his set.
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It was Aizlewood's misunderstanding of a grime show staple that really riled Twitter though. His review criticizes the "frustrating" way many songs were "re-started" as they were beginning, totally failing to grasp the nature of a reload and its place in grime culture.
On Twitter, grime MCs, DJs, and fans, did not hold back. Skepta's DJ Maximum kicked things off. Take a look at their reactions below.
re-started
— Dj Maximum (@maximumbbk) December 6, 2016
Hey @standardnews, it's called a reload 😂 pic.twitter.com/xZ2o11Gxg3
— GRM Daily (@GRMDAILY) December 6, 2016
.@aizlewood1 John mate, this grime stuff has got to stop this #restart #restarting biz | #restartgate #grime #reload pic.twitter.com/tbcOnCIrQD
— Laura Brosnan (@hyperfrank) December 6, 2016
Can't stop laughing that that Evening Standard Skepta review. "Unfortunately songs were restarted..." FAM DO YOU KNOW WHAT A RELOAD IS?
— Carl Anka (@Ankaman616) December 6, 2016
— Billie (@billiepauI) December 6, 2016
Three Restarts in a Row that makes you a Standard Journo
— Alex Hoffman (@choafhoffman) December 6, 2016
— Julie Adenuga (@JulieAdenuga) December 6, 2016
Unfortunately my tracks have been getting restarted for years on end. What a horrible experience for party-goers & listeners.
— Faze Miyake (@FazeMiyake) December 6, 2016
frustratingly, not everything is going to plan: just had to restart a @Skepta song 😂
— nick grimshaw (@grimmers) December 7, 2016
That Evening Standard story re: Skepta can't be true??!! How can you go to a grime gig and not know what a "reload" is? I'm proper confused pic.twitter.com/YDFFdwhl46
— Charlene White (@CharleneWhite) December 6, 2016
Evening Standard: We need someone who understands Grime and the culture to go cover Skepta's show at Ally Pally.
— Martin Jr. (@MartReynoldsJr) December 7, 2016
ES: Send John Aizlewood. pic.twitter.com/nXzwrc9IxU
Oi.. blud.. restart dat 😂
— Spooky Bizzle (@SpartanSpooky) December 6, 2016
— DJ Target (@DJTarget) December 6, 2016
— TODDLA T (@TODDLAT) December 6, 2016
Update December 7 9: 49 a.m. The Evening Standard has now corrected their review and issued an apology for the mistake.
