Shutdown by Skepta Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Beat of Cultural Resilience

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Skepta's Shutdown at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

Man’s never been in Marquee
When it’s shutdown eh
Truss mi daddy
Hey aye
Man’s never been in

When it’s shutdown
That’s not me and it’s shutdown
Ring-ring pussy it’s shutdown (hey)
Fashion week and it’s shutdown

Went to the show sitting in the front row
In a black tracksuit and it’s shutdown
Touch the road and it’s shutdown
Boy Better Know and it’s shutdown (yeah)

Yeah take time, if a man want try me, no time
Usain Bolt when I run up on stage
I pick up the mic and it’s reload time

Don’t know your songs but they know mine
That’s why I got gigs just like Joe Grind
After the show I be rolling mine
Don’t care ’bout the no smoking sign

They tried to steal my vision
This ain’t a culture, it’s my religion
God knows I don’t wanna go prison
But if a man want try me trust me listen

Me and my Gs ain’t scared of police
We don’t listen to no politician
Everybody on the same mission
And we don’t care about your ism and schisms (ice)

‘Cause it’s shutdown
That’s not me and it’s shutdown
Ring-ring pussy it’s shutdown (hey)
Fashion week and it’s shutdown

Went to the show sitting in the front row
In a black tracksuit and it’s shutdown
Touch the road and it’s shutdown
Boy Better Know and it’s shutdown (yeah)

You wanna act like a G for the camera
You say you’re Muslim, you say you’re Rasta
So you don’t eat pork? Don’t eat pussy?
Liar, you’re just a actor

Blud, you’re not on your deen
And if Selassie saw you he would say
Blud take off the red gold and green
Them man are soft just like ice cream

Szeen? Start moving correctly
If you don’t wanna upset me you get me
You tryna show me your Fendi
I told you before this shit don’t impress me (trust me)

I bet I make you respect me
When you see the mandem are selling out Wembley
Roll deep in a blacked out Bentley
Pull up outside like “Wah gwan sexy?”

Yeah, and it’s shutdown
That’s not me and it’s shutdown
Ring-ring pussy it’s shutdown (hey)
Fashion week and it’s shutdown

Went to the show sitting in the front row
In a black tracksuit and it’s shutdown
Touch the road and it’s shutdown
Boy Better Know and it’s shutdown

A bunch of young men all dressed in black
Dancing extremely aggressively on stage
It made me feel so intimidated
And it’s just not what I expect to see on primetime TV

I’m in a different class
When I get through I’m ma bring my dargs
Two by two man a walk on the ark
Sitting at the front just like Rosa Parks

Trust me, you don’t wanna see me get dark
Upset cause man are way up right now
And the shit happened all so fast
I was in Paris shut down l’Arc

New York shut down Central Park (ice)
Talk about London yo Frisco where shall I start?
Walked in spat ten-sixteen bars
And each and every one of them came from the heart

None of my lyrics are stolen
“Go on then go on then” that’s my slogan
Wanna know how I did it with no label
No A-list songs and I told them

Blud I just shutdown
That’s not me and it’s shutdown
Ring-ring pussy it’s shutdown (hey)
Fashion week and it’s shutdown

Went to the show sitting in the front row
In a black tracksuit and it’s shutdown
Touch the road and it’s shutdown
Boy Better Know and it’s shutdown

Yeah, I just shutdown
That’s not me and it’s shutdown
Ring-ring pussy it’s shutdown (hey)
Fashion week and it’s shutdown

Went to the show sitting in the front row
In a black tracksuit and it’s shutdown
Touch the road and it’s shutdown
Boy Better Know and it’s shutdown

Link up daddy
Alright
Yo tomorrow I’m gonna come scoop you eh
We’ll go to Biz’s
Yeah for sure alright
Dun know

Skepta’s ‘Shutdown’ thumps with the heartbeat of London’s grime scene, a raw, bass-heavy revelation that resonates with the sound of cultural resilience. Released in 2015, this track not only encapsulates the rebellious spirit of an underground movement but also serves as an emblem of Skepta’s own artistic autonomy and social commentary. Through the lens of Skepta’s lines, we wade into a world where defiance is met with rhythm and where establishment norms are challenged at every bass drop.

But ‘Shutdown’ is more than just a vibrant grime anthem; it’s a proclamation, a manifesto of the urban youth. Skepta delivers his verses with a brazen confidence that speaks to the individual and collective identity of his audience. It’s a battle cry against systemic barriers and stereotypical constraints, embodied in relentless flows that demand to be heard. So let’s break down the track, uncover its hidden meanings, and celebrate the lines that have left a permanent imprint on the culture.

Redefining the Concert Norm: The Significance of ‘Shutdown’ Performances

Skepta’s decision to rock a simple black tracksuit at Fashion Week, a symbol of his South London roots, is an anti-fashion statement of the rawest kind. The incongruity of grime in a polished setting punctuates his narrative. Skepta doesn’t just enter these spaces; he owns them, proclaiming his presence and command over traditionally elitist environments. ‘Shutdown’ is his charter song for the stage, a declaration that when he arrives, the spectacle is guaranteed to break the mold.

The repetitive chorus, an echoing ‘Shutdown’, not only serves as the song’s rhythmic backbone but encapsulates the ethos of Skepta’s impact—it’s abrupt, it’s assertive, and it overrides the status quo. From front rows of fashion to the tarmac of urban London, ‘Shutdown’ signals Skepta’s intent to revolutionize every space he inhabits.

Challenging Authority: Political Undertones and Defying Conventions

‘Shutdown’ isn’t merely a track; it’s Skepta’s retort to the powers that be. The lyric ‘We don’t listen to no politician’ echoes a generational disillusionment with traditional governance, turning instead to self-established codes of conduct. The bars ‘They tried to steal my vision / This ain’t a culture, it’s my religion’ reveal a personal crusade to protect his art form from commercialization and cultural appropriation.

Throughout the track, Skepta navigates the complexities of modern British identity, touching on subjects from surveillance to racial profiling. His message is clear: he and his peers won’t be subdued or misrepresented. The ‘shutdown’ is a mutiny of creativity and defiance—a refusal to conform to societal expectations or assimilate into a landscape that doesn’t value their authenticity.

Stereotypes Under the Scope: Peeling Back the Layers of Identity

Skepta delves into the mire of cultural stereotypes with piercing clarity. In ‘Shutdown,’ he confronts those who wear their identities like costumes, questioning their authenticity with lines like ‘You wanna act like a G for the camera.’ He challenges the ostensible piety of those who assert religious or ethical superiority but fail to live up to their own standards.

This section also touches on a broader theme of judgment and the misrepresentation faced by many in the black community. By addressing these contradictions head-on, Skepta exposes a double standard in societal perception, whereby identities are often simplified or miscast by those looking in from the outside.

Prophets of the Pavement: The Hidden Gospel According to Skepta

There is a hidden depth to ‘Shutdown’ that elevates its narrative beyond the realm of music into a treatise on life itself. Skepta positions himself and his crew as modern-day prophets, fighting not with scripture but with verse. The song encapsulates a rallying call to those who dare to dream beyond their circumstances, turning pavements into pulpits from where they preach the gospel of tenacity.

When Skepta equates sitting in the front row to the trailblazing civil rights icon Rosa Parks, he forges a connection between past resistance and current cultural battles. His artistry serves as a bridge for the socio-political inherence, compelling us to recognize the lineage of struggle and the undying spirit of defiance.

Lines That Echo Through Time: ‘Shutdown’s’ Unforgettable Verses

‘Man’s never been in Marquee when it’s shutdown eh, Truss Mi Daddy.’ With these opening lines, Skepta lays down the gauntlet. The juxtaposition of ‘Man’s never been’ with the assertive ‘shutdown’ frames an existence that thrives in the face of exclusion. These are words of triumph; a testament to the tenacity with which he and his peers carve out their own spaces in the landscape of cultural relevance.

And then there’s the hook, ‘Ring-ring pussy, it’s shutdown,’ a crude but potent expression of dominance and control. It flows seamlessly into a de facto mantra, ‘That’s not me and it’s shutdown,’ a refrain that’s become synonymous with authenticity and veracity in the grime world. These memorable lines don’t just linger—they resonate, they define, and ultimately, they epitomize the unapologetic spirit of ‘Shutdown’ and the artist behind it.