Knucks Returns with New Single “Cut Knuckles”

Acclaimed UK rapper Knucks returns with “Cut Knuckles”, the powerful first single from his forthcoming album, A Fine African Man. While an official release date for the album is yet to be announced, this debut track offers fans a compelling glimpse of what’s to come.

Blending laid-back jazz tones with rich storytelling, “Cut Knuckles” is a reflective, soul-infused track that peels back the layers of Knucks’ success to reveal the grit and pain behind the polish. Having spent part of his childhood living in Nigeria, Knucks draws from real, lived experiences from hand-washing school clothes to walking miles in the heat anchoring the track in vivid, formative memories. Effortlessly moving between past and present, he contrasts material wins with those early struggles, offering a narrative that is both deeply personal and universally relatable.

Directed by Director K (Wizkid, Burna Boy, Rema), Knucks, and LKY , the music video was shot in Lagos, Nigeria, visually anchoring the track in the cross-continental identity that defines Knucks’ sound. The single hints at the broader themes of “A Fine African Man“,  a project rooted in the tension, pride, and poetry of growing up as a first-generation Brit, navigating life between London and Nigeria.

Speaking on the track Knucks shares:

“Cut Knuckles’ is the song that inspired the overall theme of the album. It’s mostly about reflection, specifically about how I used to cut my hands washing my school clothes in Nigeria. It’s also acknowledging how far I’ve come and how, now I have my own place with a washing machine, the cuts and pains I would get are a thing of the past.” 

Watch the video above!