Stormzy

Stormzy is the stage name of Michael Omari, a British rapper, singer and songwriter from Thornton Heath, United Kingdom. He is also known as Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr., and he grows up in South Norwood, London, with his mother, brother and two sisters. He attends Stanley Tech South Norwood and begins rapping at the age of 11, clashing with older rappers at his local youth club.

Career

Stormzy gains wider attention in 2014 on the UK underground music scene through his Wicked Skengman series of freestyles over classic grime beats. He wins Best Grime Act at the 2014 and 2015 MOBO Awards and is named in the BBC's Sound of 2015 as an artist to look out for. His most successful song is “Shut Up”, first issued as a freestyle on YouTube and later officially released; it reaches number eight on the UK Singles Chart after he launches a campaign for Christmas number one and becomes BPI gold-certified.

His debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, is released in 2017 and becomes the first grime album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart. It wins British Album of the Year at the 2018 Brit Awards. In 2019, he earns his first UK number-one single with “Vossi Bop” and headlines Glastonbury, where he wears a Union Jack stab vest designed by Banksy in response to knife crime in London. His second album, Heavy Is the Head, follows later that year.

In 2022, he releases “Mel Made Me Do It”, accompanied by an 11-minute video featuring figures including Usain Bolt and José Mourinho. He later announces and releases his third album, This Is What I Mean, which is recorded on Osea Island in England. The first single from the album is “Hide & Seek”.

Style and labels

Stormzy works in grime, hip hop, afroswing, pop rap and UK drill. He is associated with the label 0207 Def Jam.

Family

His mother is Ghanaian, his father works as a taxi driver, and he is a cousin of rapper Nadia Rose.