Knucks Reveals Compelling Two-Part Doc Produced by Untold Studios and Supported by YouTube

Hot on the heels of his 'Alpha Place' (Deluxe) release, UK breakthrough rapper-producer Knucks now reveals 'KNUCKLES', an engrossing two-part documentary release, supported ​​by YouTube as part of its 'Artist On The Rise' program.

Having already teased the documentary release with a gripping trailer last week, 'KNUCKLES' was directed by Lauren Luxenberg and Alfie Barker, and produced by Untold Studios. The documentary is inspired by Knucks’ MOBO Award-winning 'Alpha Place' album that dropped in May this year, and is told through the voices of Knucks’ friends, family and collaborators. In the form of a short doc-drama biopic, 'KNUCKLES' explores his rise through the ranks of the music industry, interweaved with 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 musical talents and following his progression as he has steadily built his name as the most groundbreaking rap talent in the UK over recent years. 

'KNUCKLES' was filmed over the span of 12 months, with discussions starting 8 months prior to the release of his critically acclaimed Alpha Place album, showing that Knucks’ vision for the path he was carving out for the year to come was a clear intention. As director Lauren Luxenberg recalls, “I was approached to work on the Knucks documentary in September 2021. The brief was to capture Knucks individuality and success defying the odds by staying in his own lane and sticking to his values. Nigeria opened his eyes to life beyond the estate and he has been determined to set an example to the youth of today ever since.”

The documentary cleverly interlaces the stripped back audio from various songs off the 'Alpha Place' album, with the eerie opening scene unravelling alongside Knucks’ first lines from the album opener ‘Alpha House’. As fellow director Alfie Barker puts it, “I wanted to use his music / lyrics as a script for the project and we didn’t want to make a traditional rap / doc or music short film.”

Sharing words on the creation of 'KNUCKLES', 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.”

'KNUCKLES' rounds off what has been an exceptional year for the London talent, evoking a strong sense of emotion, inspiration and hope that he strives to pass onto younger generations through his seminal musical output.