Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr., better known as Stormzy, is an English rapper. Up to this point, he has put out a mixtape, a studio album, two extended plays, and seven tracks. His debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, was released in February 2017 and became the first grime album to ever achieve the top spot on the UK Albums Chart as it peaked at #1. In addition, he is renowned for taking home the ‘Best Grime Act’ trophy at the 2014 and 2015 MOBO Awards. When Stormzy first began out, his style of rhyming was more akin to hip hop than grime. He then began to produce YouTube videos, but it wasn’t until the rapper started sharing his Wicked Skengman freestyles that he began to gain much more notoriety. He eventually rose to fame and entered the music business. Stormzy has since emerged as one of the most important artists to keep an eye on. His biggest hit to date is “Shut Up,” a BPI platinum-selling song that was first made available on YouTube. After then, the song was formally released, and it quickly rose to the eighth position on the UK Singles Chart. Presently, Stormzy is dating UK television host Maya Jama. He refers to himself as “a child of grime” and credits artists like Skepta and Wiley for inspiring him.
Early Childhood & Life
On July 26, 1993, in Thornton Heath, London, Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr., who would later become Stormzy, was born. He was brought up by a single mother and has three siblings. Stormzy is a native of Ghana. He is Nadia Rose’s cousin, who was nominated for the BBC Sound of 2017 award.
He attended Harris Academy South Norwood for his education. He began rapping at the age of 11, performing with other rappers at his neighborhood youth club.
He discussed his scholastic days in a 2016 Oxford University Q&A session. He admitted that he had been a highly mischievous boy at school who engaged in all sorts of wicked behavior for his own amusement. He used to get decent results on tests despite being unruly.
Stormzy completed an apprenticeship at Leamington Spa and spent roughly two years working in quality assurance at an oil refinery before dedicating his time to a music career.
Career of Stormzy
Through his “Wicked Skengman” freestyles in the UK underground music scene, Stormzy first came to public prominence. Then, in 2014, he released his first Extended Play, which was titled “Dreamers Disease.” He also sang the song “Not That Deep” on the TV program “Later with Jools Holland” that year.
Also in 2014, Stormzy appeared in a variety of music videos for other artists, including Wiley’s “Grew Up In,” Professor Green’s “Hugs & Kisses,” Avelino’s “No Comment,” Chip and Shalo’s “I’m Fine,” and many more.
He released the single “Know Me From” in March 2015; it reached a peak position of #49 on the UK Singles Chart and was later given silver status by BPI. The rapper released “WickedSkengMan 4” in September 2015, the last installment of his “WickedSkengMan” freestyle series, along with a studio rendition of his “Shut Up” freestyle.
His song “Shut Up,” which was taken from “WickedSkengMan 4,” debuted at #59 on the charts. He gave the song’s performance at a boxing match in December 2015. The song’s position on the iTunes chart began to rise after the performance. The song eventually peaked at number eight.
He appeared on many remixes in 2015 as well, including Yungen’s “Ain’t On Nuttin’,” Raleigh Ritchie’s “The Greatest,” and Nick Jonas’ “Chains.” He also produced “TRKRZ,” a non-album single, in collaboration with P Money, Big Narstie, and Youngs Teflon. Along with Lethal Bizzle, Stormzy released the non-album single “Dude” in the same year.
He released the non-album single “Scary” in April 2016. He joined Fekky, Tempa T, Lethal Bizzle, Rou, and Wiley on the remix of “Feed ‘Em to the Lions” the same year. Additionally, the rapper collaborated with several artists and appeared on a number of singles, including Chip’s “Hear Dis,” Tanika’s “Out Here,” Raye’s “Ambition,” and Ray BLK’s “My Hood.”
2017 saw Stormzy appear as a featured artist on the singles “5ive” by Solo 45, “Power” by Little Mix, and “Shape of You (Remix)” by Ed Sheeran. He is collaborating with the publishing house Penguin Random House to introduce a new imprint named #Merky Books, according to a story from July 2018.
On February 24, 2017, Stormzy’s debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, was released via Major Works. On the UK Albums Chart, it debuted at number one. The hit hits “Cigarettes & Cush,” “Big for Your Boots,” “Cold,” and “Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 2” are all featured on this album.
“Big for Your Boots” reached its peak position on the UK singles chart at number six. Later, BPI awarded it platinum accreditation. His track “Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 2” achieved platinum certification after reaching a peak of #7 on the UK singles chart.
Disputes and scandals
Stormzy issued an apology in November 2017 when it was discovered that he had sent out some homophobic tweets in the past. Among the tweets was one from the rapper in which he referred to a gay character on the drama “EastEnders” as a “fucking fag.” Stormzy even pushed his fans to tweet the phrase “this black boy is a fucking fag” on social media in response to another Twitter user’s question, “Are you a fag?”
Individual Life of Stormzy
Currently, Stormzy is dating Maya Jama, a well-known media figure. The couple has been dating for more than three years and once talked openly about their affections for one another while speaking with Vogue magazine. Stormzy even wrote a song specifically for his girlfriend to celebrate her 22nd birthday, and he routinely makes mention of her online.
He supported Jeremy Corbyn in 2016. The rapper expressed his support for the Labour Party leader’s action in an interview with “The Guardian.”
Theresa May was referred to as a “paigon” by Stormzy in September 2017, a term for an unreliable person.
Net Worth of Stormzy
The estimated net worth of Stormzy is around $1 million.