— UK rapper Knucks releases the deluxe version of his latest album, Alpha Place, featuring two additional singles alongside the announcement of his documentary.
After receiving the coveted MOBO Award for Album Of The Year, UK rapper-producer Knucks officially releases the deluxe version of his critically-acclaimed album Alpha Place, out now via NO DAYS OFF. The album is now available on vinyl and the deluxe version is available digitally and features two additional recordings, including the new single “Don’t Look Up,” which arrives alongside the extended project today.
Armed with a palette of soulful samples, gripping bars, and a seemingly endless variety of flows, the vivid narratives of tracks like “Alpha House” and “Hide & Seek” chronicle Knucks’ experiences growing up in North West London. But Alpha Place is more than an ode to his old neighborhood, it’s an album that illustrates day to day life in a side of the capital city not often heard from. The album, which climbed to #3 on the UK charts, is further rounded out by features from notable UK heavyweights SL on “Nice & Good” and Stormzy on “Die Hard”, in addition to stand-out solo tracks “Leon The Professional” and “Los Pollos Hermanos”, the latter of which has amassed over 64 million Spotify streams to date. Through personal and social commentary, Knucks offers a voice to many young people with shared experiences and upbringings. The uncompromising detail and penchant for self-reflection throughout the album has made it one of this year’s standout projects, fulfilling the promise Knucks has previously displayed.
Alongside the deluxe album release, Knucks also teases his two-part documentary KNUCKLES with a gripping trailer. Directed by Lauren Luxenberg and Alfie Barker, and produced by Untold Studios, the documentary is supported by YouTube Music and is inspired by the Alpha Place album, told through voices of Knucks’ friends, family and collaborators. In the form of a short doc-drama biopic, KNUCKLES explores his inimitable career journey and the story of his life. Sharing powerful messages about friendship and community, it reflects on Knucks’ childhood and his early beginnings, showcasing his discovery of his music talents and following his progression as he has steadily built his name as the most groundbreaking rap talent in the UK over recent years. Dropping in two parts, Part 1 will be released on December 19th , followed by Part 2’s release on December 21st.
Sharing words on the creation of KNUCKLES, director Lauren Luxenberg adds,
“Working with Knucks has been an absolute dream. He’s a complete visionary and incredibly considered with everything he feeds back and the ideas he communicates. He’s got a real eye for film and his storytelling nature really lent itself well to the film and narrative.”
Fellow director Alfie Barker explains,
“The fun was being able to peel back the layers of his music and focus on an experience of what it was like at Alpha House. The silences within the film were so important, we didn’t want it to be one big soundtrack – we wanted to have time to just stop and live within these moments through the eyes of Knucks as a child.”
Listen to Alpha Place (Deluxe) and “Don’t Look Up” above and be sure to watch the KNUCKLES documentary later this month.