Black James Bond: rapper Skepta makes debut short film Tribal Mark, says he is bored of ‘Black Bond’ debate

British Grime rapper Skepta makes his film debut in short drama Tribal Mark, a response to the debate over a Black James Bond. The film, which comes to cinemas on January 26, follows a Nigerian immigrant who becomes a hitman in London.

Skepta has spoken out on the debate over casting a Black actor as iconic spy James Bond, and appears to favour creating new stories for Black stars to tell instead.

The 41 year old rapper, who is best known for hit songs including That’s Not Me, Can’t Play, and Papi Chulo, directs, produces, and stars in the new film, playing a character that he says is similar to Bond.

What is Tribal Mark about?

Skepta’s short film follows Mark, a Nigerian immigrant, played by Skepta, who moves to London as a child. He struggles to fit in and spends time in prison before becoming a successful hitman.

The film is semi-autobiographical (obviously this doesn’t include the hitman aspect), as Skepta was born to Nigerian parents and grew up in Tottenham, and felt a level of disassociation through this experience.

The rapper compared Mark to James Bond but said the character was more ‘complex’, he also made comparisons to the successful Todd Phillips movie Joker, which sees a man who doesn’t fit into society become a murderous villain.

What is the Black James Bond debate?

There has been plenty of debate over who should play the next James Bond, with Black actors Idris Elba and Damson Idris often being nominated. This has caused debate in some quarters as some argue that the character as written by Ian Felming was white and so should remain so in the films. The same logic has been used to argue against a female ‘Jane’ Bond.

However, many fans don’t care about the actor’s skin colour and just want the best person for the job to take on the role, and whilst Elba may now be considered too old for the part, Idris remains a top contender.

Skepta weighed in on the debate, suggesting that it is better to make new characters for Black stars to play, rather than taking on roles of previously white characters. 

He said: “It wouldn’t make sense if loads of white actors kept asking to play Black Panther, because he is Black.

Elba also discussed the possibility of playing Bond, saying that he was put off when rumours that he would be cast sparked a racist backlash, calling the furore ‘disgusting’.