# Stormzy
**Stormzy** (born 1993) is the stage name of Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr, a British grime (fast-tempo UK rap/electronic genre from early-2000s London) and hip hop artist from south London known for bringing grime into the commercial mainstream.[1](https://apnews.com/article/3948ce7534232193734ecb97276c1d64) A London-based MC of Ghanaian heritage, he blends grime, gospel, and R&B, and his three studio albums have all reached the top of the [UK Albums Chart](https://www.edgepedia.org/uk-albums-chart).[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stormzy-mn0002912220) His 2017 debut, *Gang Signs & Prayer*, was the first grime album to reach number one in the UK in the genre's roughly 20-year history, and in 2019 he became the first British rapper to headline the [Glastonbury Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/glastonbury-festival).[3](https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/5692968/stormzy-next-generation-leaders/) • [4](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/music-festivals/the-best-glastonbury-performances-ever)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / born | Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr, born 1993 in Croydon, south London[5](https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/stormzy-grime-change-maker/) |
| Breakthrough | "Shut Up" freestyle went viral in 2015 and reached number eight in the UK charts[5](https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/stormzy-grime-change-maker/) |
| Debut album | *Gang Signs & Prayer* (2017), first grime album to top the UK Albums Chart; platinum-certified[3](https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/5692968/stormzy-next-generation-leaders/) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stormzy-mn0002912220) |
| BRIT Awards | British Album of the Year and British Male Solo Artist in 2018; best male again in 2020[1](https://apnews.com/article/3948ce7534232193734ecb97276c1d64) |
| Glastonbury 2019 | First British rapper to headline the festival, performing in a Banksy-designed Union Jack stab vest[4](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/music-festivals/the-best-glastonbury-performances-ever) |
| Studio albums | *Gang Signs & Prayer* (2017), *Heavy Is the Head* (2019), *This Is What I Mean* (2022)[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stormzy-mn0002912220) |
| Off-stage initiatives | A Cambridge scholarship, a football careers pathway, and a publishing imprint for underrepresented writers[5](https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/stormzy-grime-change-maker/) |
## Early life
Raised in Norbury, a district of the south London borough of Croydon, Stormzy lived with his mother, two sisters, and a brother; of Ghanaian descent, he made numerous childhood trips to the country of his family's origin.[5](https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/stormzy-grime-change-maker/) He was raised Christian by a single mother.[6](https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/9812-stormzy-grime-heavyweight/) He studied at a Harris Federation school and earned six A* GCSEs, exam results that have drawn repeated media attention in the UK.[5](https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/stormzy-grime-change-maker/) • [3](https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/5692968/stormzy-next-generation-leaders/)
He began MCing at age 11, clashing in youth clubs around Croydon and putting his freestyles online.[5](https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/stormzy-grime-change-maker/) After school he began an engineering apprenticeship in [Leamington Spa](https://www.edgepedia.org/leamington-spa) and later worked at an oil refinery in [Southampton](https://www.edgepedia.org/southampton); at around age 20 he wrote lyrics on Post-it notes while working on the oil rig, and within a year he quit to pursue music full time.[5](https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/stormzy-grime-change-maker/) • [3](https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/5692968/stormzy-next-generation-leaders/) That decision came in 2014.[3](https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/5692968/stormzy-next-generation-leaders/)
## Rise through grime
In 2014 his *Wicked Skengman* freestyles, uploaded to YouTube, brought him underground attention.[5](https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/stormzy-grime-change-maker/) His first EP, *Dreamers Disease*, won him a MOBO Award, and his improvised freestyle "Shut Up", performed over XTC's *Functions on the Low* instrumental, garnered millions of YouTube views and reached number eight in the UK charts when rereleased at Christmas 2016.[3](https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/5692968/stormzy-next-generation-leaders/) • [5](https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/stormzy-grime-change-maker/) • [7](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/feb/19/stormzy-interview-gang-signs-and-prayers-respect-me-frank-ocean-adele) He won the MOBO Award for Best Grime Act in 2014 and 2015 and was named on the BBC's Sound of 2015 list.[8](https://www.liverate.com//artists/stormzy) Early co-signs followed from Wiley, the grime scene's founding figure, who called him the "#1 grime don in this new era".[7](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/feb/19/stormzy-interview-gang-signs-and-prayers-respect-me-frank-ocean-adele) • [6](https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/9812-stormzy-grime-heavyweight/)
His rise came largely outside the major-label system: as of early 2016 he was unsigned, building his audience through YouTube and direct releases.[6](https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/9812-stormzy-grime-heavyweight/)
## Gang Signs & Prayer and mainstream breakthrough
*Gang Signs & Prayer*, released in February 2017, went straight to number one on the UK Albums Chart, the first grime album to do so in the genre's history.[3](https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/5692968/stormzy-next-generation-leaders/) The album was certified platinum and paid homage to grime's roots in garage and gospel.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stormzy-mn0002912220) • [9](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/stormzy-gangs-signs-and-prayer-ed-sheeran-brixton-o2-academy-grime-concert-a7718921.html) Its artwork referenced *The Last Supper*, reflecting the Christian faith Stormzy has never hidden.[10](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/stormzy-gang-signs-prayer-album-review-a7612066.html)
At the 2018 BRIT Awards the album won British Album of the Year, the first rap album to receive that award, and Stormzy was named British Male Solo Artist.[1](https://apnews.com/article/3948ce7534232193734ecb97276c1d64) At the same ceremony he closed the show with a performance attacking the government's handling of the [Grenfell Tower](https://www.edgepedia.org/grenfell-tower) tragedy.[11](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/stormzy-review-heavy-is-the-head-tracklist-ed-sheeran-headie-one-nme-glastonbury-a9244141.html) His duet with [Ed Sheeran](https://www.edgepedia.org/ed-sheeran), "Take Me Back to London", topped the British singles chart for five weeks in autumn 2019.[3](https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/5692968/stormzy-next-generation-leaders/)
## Glastonbury and Heavy Is the Head
In June 2019 Stormzy became the first British rapper to headline [Glastonbury](https://www.edgepedia.org/glastonbury), one of the world's largest music festivals.[3](https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/5692968/stormzy-next-generation-leaders/) He walked out in a Banksy-designed Union Jack stab vest, criticized the Conservative government from the stage, and brought out a gospel choir, members of the Black Ballet company, and fellow grime artists Dave and Fredo.[4](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/music-festivals/the-best-glastonbury-performances-ever) He later said the achievement had given him "perfect peace".[3](https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/5692968/stormzy-next-generation-leaders/)
His first number one single, "Vossi Bop", preceded his second album, *Heavy Is the Head*, released in December 2019.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stormzy-mn0002912220) The record opens with an angry voicenote from an Instagram user demanding he release music, and moves through ripostes to critics, a tribute to grime's elders on "Wiley Flow", and reflections on the pressure of high expectations.[11](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/stormzy-review-heavy-is-the-head-tracklist-ed-sheeran-headie-one-nme-glastonbury-a9244141.html) Critics received it widely favorably; The Independent called it a drastic step up from an impressive debut, while Pitchfork judged its beat selections safe relative to his ambitions.[12](https://www.metacritic.com/music/heavy-is-the-head/stormzy/critic-reviews) The album's tour reached London's O2 arena in March 2022, his first show at that venue, delayed two years by the pandemic.[13](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/stormzy-london-tour-review-b2045262.html)
## This Is What I Mean and later work
His third album, *This Is What I Mean*, appeared on 25 November 2022 on the label 0207 Def Jam.[14](https://www.metacritic.com/music/this-is-what-i-mean/stormzy/critic-reviews) It is an introspective, ballad-heavy record built on keyboards, cello, flute, trumpet, and a gospel choir, using lesser-known vocal collaborators rather than a roster of A-list features.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stormzy-mn0002912220) • [15](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/stormzy-review-this-is-what-i-mean-b2232939.html) It scored 79 on Metacritic, based on 14 critic reviews, with 11 positive and none negative.[14](https://www.metacritic.com/music/this-is-what-i-mean/stormzy/critic-reviews) The 10-minute track "Mel Made Me Do It" drew particular praise for its conversational flow.[14](https://www.metacritic.com/music/this-is-what-i-mean/stormzy/critic-reviews)
Subsequent singles explored [UK drill](https://www.edgepedia.org/uk-drill) and [Afroswing](https://www.edgepedia.org/afroswing), including 2023's "Longevity Flow"; he featured on [Chase & Status](https://www.edgepedia.org/chase-and-status)' chart-topping 2024 hit "Backbone" and continued releasing solo material such as 2025's "Hold Me Down".[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stormzy-mn0002912220)
## Activism and philanthropy
Stormzy has used his platform to call out politicians and highlight inequalities experienced by people from ethnic minority and working-class backgrounds.[5](https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/stormzy-grime-change-maker/) His practical initiatives include a Cambridge scholarship, a football careers pathway, and a publishing imprint for underrepresented writers.[5](https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/stormzy-grime-change-maker/) He has also said he would donate £10 million over ten years to organizations fighting racial inequality in the UK.[16](https://www.williamhoward.cumbria.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Black-History-Month-KS3.pdf) His criticism of the lack of diversity at the 2016 BRIT Awards, which he called "embarrassing", contributed to a response from the awards organization.[17](https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3153356/1/200747592_Jul2021.pdf)
## Public profile
Stormzy is 6 ft 5 in tall, and his booming voice and charisma are frequently cited as central to his appeal.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/feb/19/stormzy-interview-gang-signs-and-prayers-respect-me-frank-ocean-adele) • [6](https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/9812-stormzy-grime-heavyweight/) His 2019 Glastonbury set has been ranked among the festival's greatest performances.[4](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/music-festivals/the-best-glastonbury-performances-ever) In January 2025 he was banned from driving for nine months and fined £2,010 after admitting using his phone while driving his Rolls-Royce through London, having previously admitted a 2023 offense involving illegally tinted windows on a [Lamborghini Urus](https://www.edgepedia.org/lamborghini-urus).[1](https://apnews.com/article/3948ce7534232193734ecb97276c1d64)
## References
1. [British rapper Stormzy banned from driving for using phone behind wheel of his Rolls-Royce, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/3948ce7534232193734ecb97276c1d64)
2. [Stormzy — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stormzy-mn0002912220)
3. [Stormzy on Championing Black Excellence in Grime and Beyond, Time](https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/5692968/stormzy-next-generation-leaders/)
4. [The 15 greatest Glastonbury festival performances ever, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/music-festivals/the-best-glastonbury-performances-ever)
5. [Stormzy: A grime change-maker, London Museum](https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/stormzy-grime-change-maker/)
6. [Stormzy: Grime Heavyweight, Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/9812-stormzy-grime-heavyweight/)
7. [Stormzy: 'Respect me like you would Frank Ocean or Adele', The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/feb/19/stormzy-interview-gang-signs-and-prayers-respect-me-frank-ocean-adele)
8. [Stormzy - Live Tour & Concert Review Consensus, LiveRate](https://www.liverate.com//artists/stormzy)
9. [Stormzy at O2 Brixton Academy, review: Not even Ed Sheeran jumping on stage could distract from such a performance | The Independent | The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/stormzy-gangs-signs-and-prayer-ed-sheeran-brixton-o2-academy-grime-concert-a7718921.html)
10. [Stormzy: 'Gang Signs & Prayer' album review, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/stormzy-gang-signs-prayer-album-review-a7612066.html)
11. [Stormzy album and concert reviews, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/stormzy-review-heavy-is-the-head-tracklist-ed-sheeran-headie-one-nme-glastonbury-a9244141.html)
12. [Critic Reviews for Heavy is the Head - Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/heavy-is-the-head/stormzy/critic-reviews)
13. [Stormzy review, London O2: Grime’s most versatile voice delivers a blistering performance that was two years in the making | The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/stormzy-london-tour-review-b2045262.html)
14. [Critic Reviews for This Is What I Mean, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/this-is-what-i-mean/stormzy/critic-reviews)
15. [Stormzy review, This is What I Mean, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/stormzy-review-this-is-what-i-mean-b2232939.html)
16. [Black History Month teaching resource, William Howard School](https://www.williamhoward.cumbria.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Black-History-Month-KS3.pdf)
17. [Master Thesis Corrections, University of Liverpool repository](https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3153356/1/200747592_Jul2021.pdf)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Hip hop scenes worldwide › Artists, groups, and people: Hip hop scenes worldwide › United Kingdom rap (grime, drill, road rap, boom bap)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license