Skepta has responded to an old photograph of himself posing with an Israeli flag, saying the image was not intended as a political statement, according to NME.
The photo dates back to 2007, when the MC was preparing for his first-ever show in Tel Aviv. In a post shared on August 15, he said he had been “young and naive” and had taken the picture to “gas up” his fans before the performance.
“Keep seeing this pop-up on my timeline kmt I was young and naive,” he wrote. “First ever show in Tel Aviv and thought I’d gas up my fans with this picture but this picture is not a political statement in anyway.”
The rapper has previously voiced support for Palestine, including in 2021 when he replied “FREE PALESTINE” to a social media prompt asking for something good. In 2024, he also drew criticism over a PUMA collaboration tied to the company’s sponsorship of the Israeli Football Association.
That same year, Skepta removed the original artwork for his single “Gas Me Up (Diligent)” after it was criticized for evoking images of Jewish prisoners in Nazi concentration camps. He said at the time that the imagery was not the intention and promised to be more mindful going forward.
