Page 63 - 2018 Powerlist
P. 63
Stormzy Media, Publishing& Entertainment
NEW
2018
aka Michael Omari
Grime artist
Last year Stormzy was playing a Glastonbury set
to 300 dedicated fans.
This June he took to the stage in front of a
crowd of 30,000. That’s how far and fast his star
has risen in the 12 months that have seen him
elevated from successful niche artist to ‘voice of
the people’.
Raised in South Northwood by his Ghanaian
mother, Abigail, Michael began rapping at the
age of 11. Before turning to music full-time he
worked in quality assurance at an oil refinery in
Southampton.
He gained attention on the underground scene
via his Wicked Skengman series of freestyles over
classic grime beats, then released his debut EP
Dreamers Disease independently in 2014. That
year he won Best Grime Act at the MOBO Awards,
then became the first unsigned rapper to appear
on Later with Jools Holland. In January 2015 he
made it to No 3 in the BBC Introducing Top Five on
Radio 1 and in March his single Know Me From
entered the UK Singles Chart at 49. Later that
year his Shut Up freestyle track debuted at No 18,
becoming the first ever freestyle to reach the top
40 in the UK. Following a year’s break from the
limelight, he returned this February with the
album Gang Signs & Prayer – it debuted at No 1 on
the UK album chart.
This year has also seen him make the move
from music to political commentary, too, as a
vocal supporter of Labour Party leader Jeremy
Corbyn during the 2017 election.
He has also been an impassioned speaker for
the rights of families affected by the Grenfell
Tower tragedy and he was among dozens of high-
profile artists who came together in support of the
victims, releasing a cover of Bridge Over Troubled
Water to help raise funds. His donation of £9,000
to fund a young student’s university fees also Photograph: Stefan Heinrichs
made headlines this year.
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