British rapper Skepta has issued an apology after receiving backlash for including unintentional but striking allusions to the Holocaust in the artwork promoting his new single, “Gas Me Up (Diligent).”
The artwork in question featured a group of people wearing matching overcoats with shaved heads, with one individual having the words “gas me up” tattooed on their head. While the intention was to convey the slang meaning of hyping someone up, the imagery inadvertently reminded some of the head-shaving, tattooing, and gas chambers used in Nazi death camps. Skepta promptly removed the artwork following the social media uproar.
One person tweeted on X, “Looks like another grime artist has headed into what could easily be seen as Antisemitic territory. This is ‘Skepta’s’ cover for the charmingly named “Gas Me Up”. Tattooing these words on a shaven headed man in a hunched group obviously evokes Holocaust gas chamber analogies.” Another said, “Evoking images of the holocaust for a song called “gas me up. Artistry is straight up cooked.” A third added,
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Skepta swiftly responded to the backlash by removing the controversial artwork and issuing a sincere apology.
In a tweet he said, “I’ve been waiting to drop Gas Me Up (Diligent) since teasing it April last year, worked hard getting the artwork right for my album rollout which is about my parents coming to the UK in the 80’s, Skinhead, Football culture and it has been taken offensively by many and I can promise you that was definitely not our plan so I have removed it and I vow to be more mindful going forward.” In another tweet he said,
In another tweet, he added: “I can honestly see how my single artwork without context can be deemed offensive, especially in a time like this but again that was not my intention. But after some thought I don’t feel like I could continue being the artist you all know and love if my art is policed, I have to quit if I can’t express my art as I see it.”
Of course the move was also super bad timing due to the war in the middle east between Hamas militants and Israel.
However, it’s clear Skepta will be more mindful in the future about being culturally sensitive and aware of the potential impact their work can have.