Following his Mercury Prize win last night (September 15), Skepta has said that he hopes that other artists will be persuaded to quit their record label after seeing him take home the prize.
Skepta
Released on his own label, Boy Better Know, Skepta's album 'Konnichiwa' was named as the best of the year.
Speaking after his win, the artist explained: "I really did this for people to see freedom. I want to inspire people who do other genres of music too to be: 'Why am I with this record label? I don't understand what they're doing for me. They tell me what to do. When I first came in here, they told me I'd have all the freedom I could have, but now I'm in this deal, I don't feel like myself any more, I'm getting out. Because Skepta and Boy Better Know did it.'
"I want this to get into people's heads. This is real. I'm not signed. This is independent."
He added: "I'm happy that it's happening at this stage in my life. When I was younger, I was very wild and I didn't really have my head screwed on properly. So I'm happy that people are finding me at this stage of my life, because I'm much more content, much more comfortable, much more relaxed, and my swagger's the one I want to go out to the world. The positive one, rather than the negative one."
Skepta beat musicians such as David Bowie, The 1975 and Radiohead to the 2016 prize.
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