Stormzy

Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. is of Ghanaian descent and was born in Croydon, London on 26 July 1993. He adopted the stage name Stormzy as his professional persona, and at the age of 20 won Best Grime Act at the 2014 MOBO Awards. He is now one of the biggest acts on the scene, boasting a huge international presence as well as national treasure status. He has an alternative stage persona called Wicked Skengman and it was under this name that he first began to find an audience for his work. After attracting attention on the underground grime scene with the release of a number of skilfully reworked classics he began to make a number of high-profile appearances including a slot on the Later... With Jools Holland TV show. Social media and a Christmas number one campaign then helped Stormzy secure the top spot on the UK Singles Chart with his single "Shut Up" scoring him his highest charting single. His debut studio album Gangs Signs & Prayer, which brought gospel and R&B elements into the picture, was released in 2017 and went to number one on the UK Album Charts, becoming the first grime album to top the UK charts. Two years later, he topped the UK Singles Chart again with "Vossi Bop" before headlining the 2019 Glastonbury Festival. He released his second studio album, Heavy Is the Head, in December 2019, joined by an array of collaborators including Aitch, Burna Boy, Ed Sheeran, Headie One, H.E.R, and Yebba. Recorded on Essex's Osea Island, Stormzy's soul-stirring third album This Is What I Mean arrived in 2022, coinciding with his return to social media following a three-year break.