Highsnobiety

Stormzy

BORN

Born 26 July 1993

FULL NAME

Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr.

HOMETOWN

London, England

INSTAGRAM

WHO IS STORMZY?

Stormzy is London-based grime MC of Ghanaian heritage. He made a quick rise during the 2010s to become one of the U.K.’s most critically acclaimed artists. He came out of the underground grime scene with a series of great mixtapes, singles, and freestyles, he made his breakthrough in 2017 with his platinum-certified, chart-topping debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, which incorporated gospel and R&B influences. His performances evolved from grime-only music that showed a love of artists like Skepta to more rap-oriented material that reflected Stormzy’s growing appreciation for artists like Drake. Within five years of the release of his debut EP, he was a Glastonbury Festival headliner. His first number one hit single, “Vossi Bop,” preceded his sophomore album, 2019’s Heavy Is the Head. His introspective, ballad-heavy third album, This Is What I Mean, was released in 2022.

NET WORTH

25 million pounds

STORMZY HEIGHT

1.96 cm / 6.4 feet

WHAT IS STORMZY'S ETHNICITY?

He has Ghanaian heritage.

IS STORMZY IN A RELATIONSHIP?

Stormzy is currently involved in a long-term relationship with English television, radio presenter, and DJ Maya Jama.

WHY IS STORMZY CALLED STORMZY?

According to a statement he released for a UK media publication he said: “I was about 12, 13. I was sat on my sofa in my front room, I was with my cousin [on] MSN. God just put it in my head and I went on MSN and changed my screen name to Stormzy, the rest is history,” he said. “I wasn’t into storms, I just thought this sounds good.”

RECORD LABEL

#Merky0207

Def Jam

Warner

DISCOGRAPHY

This Is What I Mean
2022

Heavy Is the Head
2019

Gang Signs & Prayer
2017

Dreamers Disease
2014, EP

For All We Know – The Remixes
2017, EP

1993

Stormzy is born in Croydon, London.

2012

He studied for an apprenticeship in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, and worked in quality assurance for two years at an oil refinery in Southampton, Hampshire.

All the while he began rapping at the age of 11 and would clash with older rappers at his local youth club.

2014

Stormzy released his debut EP Dreamers Disease independently in July. He also 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”

2015

In March he released the single “Know Me From”, which entered the UK Singles Chart at number 49.

2016

In April, Stormzy released the non-album song “Scary” before he went into hiatus.

2017

He released Gang Signs & Prayer.The album was released on 24 February and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart on 3 March.

2019

Stormzy’s headline appearance on the Pyramid Stage at the 2019 Glastonbury Festival was widely praised to be one of the most iconic in recent memory.

He wore a Union Jack stab vest designed by the artist Banksy, which was widely perceived as a comment on the rise in knife crime in London.

2020

In the 2020 action-adventure game “Watch Dogs: Legion”, Stormzy appears as a fictionalized version of himself, offering a mission in which his character plays the track “Rainfall” from Heavy is the Head.

2022

25th of Novemebr saw the release of This Is What I Mean, which was recorded on Osea Island in England and with guests vocalists including Sampha, Jacob Collier, and Nao.

Latest Stories

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  • Wales Bonner Wins at The Fashion Awards, With a Bit of Stormzy's Help

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  • SliderCuts Is a Barber Who Transcends Celebrity

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  • The 2020 Design of the Year Chooses Unity Over Borders

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  • Stormzy Pledges £10 Million to Black Empowerment Organizations

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  • Stormzy, BTS & More Artists Cancel Asia Shows Due To Coronavirus

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  • Rappers Are Wordsmiths, So Why Are They Often Mocked for the Way They Speak?

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  • Dave Calls British PM “Racist” & Other Huge Moments From the 2020 Brit Awards

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  • It's Time to Dismantle the Diss Track-Industrial Complex

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  • This Is Why Wiley & Stormzy Keep Dropping Diss Tracks

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  • Stormzy Remixes ’90s Banger "Shackles (Praise You)" On New 'Heavy Is the Head' Album

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Load More

Stormzy Highlights

  • Stormzy’s Met Gala Burberry ‘Fit Was a Nod to Lagerfeld’s Chanel

    • Style
  • This Is Why Stormzy Turned Down a Collaboration With JAY-Z

  • This Is Why Wiley & Stormzy Keep Dropping Diss Tracks

    • Culture
  • Rappers Are Wordsmiths, So Why Are They Often Mocked for the Way They Speak?

    • Culture
  • Stormzy Tells His Story in New Book 'Rise Up: The #Merky Story So Far'