Rapper Skepta says he has decided to create a film about a black undercover secret service agent after he “got bored of talks on who was going to play the black James Bond”.
Speaking about his debut film, Tribal Mark, Skepta tells the BBC he is set on making an anti-hero character for black actors.
Known as one of the pioneers of British grime music, it is the first time the 41-year-old artist, real name Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr, has ventured into film directing, producing and acting.
His new short film follows the journey of a Nigerian immigrant, Mark, who moves to London as a child and adapts to a new culture and way of life. As a teenager he struggles to to fit in and ends up in prison for possession of a firearm.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the film, Skepta says it was about the “dissociation of an immigrant living in the UK”, something he was able to relate to.
However the musician, who was born to Nigerian parents and grew up in Tottenham, north London, was quick to highlight that it is not a biopic of his life.
