Skepta & Portable – “Tony Montana”
UK grime star Skepta got himself into some accidental hot water for the original cover art of “Gas Me Up (Diligent),” his last single. The same thing probably won’t happen with “Tony Montana,” another single from Skepta’s upcoming album Knife And Fork. This one is a celebratory song, and it finds Skepta teaming up with the rainbow-haired Nigerian singer Portable.
Skepta’s parents are both Nigerian immigrants, and the sound of “Tony Montana” is very much based in Afrobeats. It’s a smooth, winding track with none of the adrenaline-charged intensity that Skepta brings to his grime bangers. Production comes from Jae5, a London beatmaker who’s combined UK rap and Afrobeats sounds in his collaborations with people like Dave, Burna Boy, and J Hus. The “Tony Montana” video, from director Capone, looks very fancy. Watch it below.