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.










                                                                                               powerful-media.com  59
   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68