Stormzy

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Stormzy
Birth name Michael Omari
Also known as Big Stormz
Stiff Chocolate
Wicked Skengman
The Problem
Lukaku
Born (1993-07-26) 26 July 1993 (age 30)[1][2]
Origin Thornton Heath, London, England
Genres Grime, British hip hop
Years active 2010–present

Michael Omari,[3] (born July 26, 1993), better known by his stage name Stormzy, is an English rapper and MC of Ghanian descent. He won Best Grime Act at the 2014 and 2015 MOBO Awards and was named as an artist to look out for in the BBC's influential Sound of 2015 list.[4][5] He has also become a militant far-left political activist noted for his black supremacist views.

Early life

Stormzy originates from Thornton Heath, London, and attended Harris Academy South Norwood.[6] He began MCing at the age of 11 and would clash with older MCs at his local youth club.[7] In school, he was excluded several times in Year 8 and was expelled in sixth form.[8] Before focusing on his music full-time, he studied for an apprenticeship in Leamington Spa and worked in quality assurance for two years at an oil refinery in Southampton.[8]

Career

After garnering attention on the UK underground music scene via his Wicked Skengman series of freestyles over classic grime beats,[5][9] Stormzy released his debut EP Dreamers Disease independently in July 2014.[10] On 22 October, Stormzy won Best Grime Act at the MOBO awards. Later that month he became the first unsigned rapper to appear on Later with Jools Holland performing the song "Not That Deep" from Dreamers Disease.[5]

In November 2014, Stormzy collaborated with rapper Chip and Shalo on the track "I'm Fine", also appearing in a video for the song. The track is part of Chip's upcoming Believe & Achieve project.[11]

On 7 January 2015, Stormzy came number 3 in the BBC Introducing top 5 on Radio 1.[12] In March 2015 he released the single "Know Me From", which entered the UK Singles Chart at number 49. In September 2015, he released a final instalment to his "WickedSkengMan" freestyle series, "WickedSkengMan 4", onto iTunes, along with a studio version of his "Shut Up" freestyle over XTC's Functions On The Low instrumental.[13] The track debuted at number 18 on the UK chart dated 24 September, becoming Stormzy's first top 40 hit and the first ever freestyle to reach the top 40 in the United Kingdom.[14]

On 12 December 2015, Stormzy performed "Shut Up" during British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua's ring-walk for his fight versus Dillian Whyte.[15] Originally, "Shut Up", released as part of the "WickedSkengMan 4" single EP in September 2015, charted at number 59. Since the performance, it began climbing up the iTunes chart and into the top 40. As a result, Stormzy launched a Christmas number 1 campaign to get the song to number 1.[16][17][18] It generated a large amount of support which made it enter the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart on 18 December 2015 at number 8, a week prior to the Christmas number 1 week, succeeding the chart position of "WickedSkengMan 4". It has become Stormzy's highest-charting single.

Style

Stormzy describes himself as "a child of grime" influenced by the likes of Wiley and Skepta,[19] but also cites R&B singers such as Frank Ocean and Lauryn Hill as influences on his sound.[9]

Discography

Mixtapes

Title Details
168: The Mixtape
  • Released: 20 March 2013
  • Formats: Free digital download

EPs

Title Details
Dreamers Disease
  • Released: 20 July 2014
  • Formats: Digital download

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK
[20]		 UK
R&B
[21]		 UK
IND
[22]		 UK
DL
[23]
"Not That Deep" 2014 — — — — Dreamers Disease
"Know Me From" 2015 49 7 2 31 Non-album singles
"WickedSkengMan 4" 18 2 2 8
"Scary" 2016 — — — — TBA
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

As featured artist

Year Title Peak chart positions Album
UK
[20]		 UK
R&B
[21]		 UK
IND
[22]		 UK
DL
[23]
2014 "I'm Fine"
(Chip featuring Stormzy and Shalo)		 — — — — Believe & Achieve EPisode 1
2015 "TRKRZ"
(The HeavyTrackerz featuring P Money, Newham Generals, Stormzy, Big Narstie, Flirta D, Youngs Teflon and Desperado)		 — — — — Non-album singles
"Dude"
(with Lethal Bizzle)		 49 7 7 24
2016 "Hear Dis"[24][25]
(Chip featuring Stormzy)		 199 — 26 — Rap vs. Grime
"Out Here"
(Tanika featuring Stormzy)		 — — — — Out Here EP
"5"
(Solo 45 featuring Stormzy)[26]		 — — — — TBA
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other charted songs

Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
[20]		 UK
R&B
[21]		 UK
IND
[22]		 UK
DL
[23]		 UK
ST
"Shut Up" 2015 8 1 3 9 7 WickedSkengMan 4 - Single

Other appearances

Year Song Album
2010 "All Starz"
(Bully featuring Stormzy, Wholagun and Don D)		 Bully Or Be Bullied
2012 "8 Ways"
(G Child featuring Bar4Bar, Stormzy and Vex)		 Curriculum Vitae
2013 "Old Enough"
(Dem Two featuring Stormzy and Cadet)		 This Is UK Rap Vol. 2
2014 "No Comment"
(Avelino featuring Bonkaz and Stormzy)		 Iconic Ambition
"Hugs & Kisses"
(Professor Green featuring Fekky and Stormzy)		 Growing Up in Public
"Big Man" / "All You Gotta Do"
(Yungen featuring Stormzy)		 Project Black & Red
"Top of the World"
(Paigey Cakey featuring Stormzy)		 The Right Paige
"Don't Like It"
(Angel featuring Stormzy)		 Possession with Intent
"Grew Up In"
(Wiley featuring Stormzy and Solo 45)		 Snakes & Ladders
"Keep On"
(Charlie Sloth featuring Potter Payper, Stormzy and Tone)		 Charlie Sloth presents Hood Heat Vol. 1
"Look Like"
(Charlie Sloth featuring JMC, Jadakiss and Stormzy)
"Living Life"
(Timbo featuring Stormzy)		 Summer Time Passion 3
"Blessings"
(Harvey and Ashley Walters featuring Stormzy)		 Non-album single
2015 "Warning Light"
(Nick Brewer featuring Stormzy)		 Warning Light
"Badder Than a Mother"
(IV Rox featuring Stormzy)		 Imperfections
"No Title"
(TE dness featuring Big 6ix and Stormzy)		 April Showers 2
"This Time Round"
(TE dness featuring Stormzy)
"Picture Me Rollin'"
(Squeeks featuring Stormzy and Propaine)		 The White House
"Ghetto Superstars"
(DJ Big Ryde featuring Stormzy and Kyze)		 Just a Reminder
"Out In the Jungle"
(Squeeks, Sneakbo, Dubz, Stormzy and Mr Bigz)		 AR15: Concrete Jungle
"Gangsters with Dreams"
(Young Spray, Snap Capone, Corleone, C Biz, Kyze, Youngs Teflon, Stana, Avelino, Dubz, Stormzy, J Avalanche, Big 6ix, Beanz, Young Tribez and Skeng)
"Dead Body Part 2"
(Little Simz featuring Stormzy and Kano)		 Non-album single
"Been the Man"
(Tinie Tempah featuring Jme, Stormzy and Ms Banks)		 Junk Food
2016 "And Dat"
(Bonkaz featuring Stormzy)		 Mixtape of the Year
"Keep It Simple"
(Raleigh Ritchie featuring Stormzy)		 You're a Man Now, Boy

Remixes

Year Song Artist
2014 "Move with You"
(Remix featuring Stormzy and Wretch 32)		 Jacob Banks
"Nobody"
(Remix featuring Stormzy, Squeeks and Youngs Teflon)		 Loick
2015 "Ain't On Nuttin'"
(Remix Part 2 featuring Sneakbo, Stormzy, Bashy, Angel, Benny Banks, Ghetts and Cashtastic)		 Yungen
"Sometimes"
(Remix featuring Stormzy and Tinie Tempah)		 G FrSH
"The Greatest"
(Star.One Remix featuring Tempa T, Stormzy and Ghetts)		 Raleigh Ritchie
"Chains"
(Remix featuring Stormzy)		 Nick Jonas

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://twitter.com/stormzy1/status/492959791112011777
  2. ↑ https://twitter.com/Stormzy1/status/710918314378207233
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Jameson, Andrew. (2015-01-15) Rapper Stormzy declares he'll be 'the biggest thing to ever come out of Croydon'. Croydon Advertiser. Retrieved on 2016-03-11.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Peak positions for the R&B singles in the UK:
    • For "Know Me From": Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Peak positions for the Indie singles in the UK:
    • For "Know Me From": Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Peak positions for the Downloads singles in the UK:
    • For "Know Me From": Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ http://zobbel.de/cluk/160130cluk.txt
  25. ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/independent-singles-chart/20160129/130/
  26. ↑ https://twitter.com/Solo45BBK/status/713077650919702529
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (To access, enter the search term "Stormzy".)
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