"You ain't got a clue, let's be honest/I had a couple seeds and made a forest," raps Stormzy in Vossi Bop, his first UK No. 1 single with streams accumulating over 12.7 million, from the hugely anticipated comeback album Heavy is the Head.
Stormzy is referring to the empire he has built from scratch, alluding to how hard he had to work to get to where he is now. In fact, the multi award-winning phenomenon executively produced the entire album himself, showing the world just how talented he truly is. The British grime MC, singer, and rapper from South London became the first artist to break the UK top 40 with a freestyle... and it looks like he's here to break some more.
"His flow, accent, fashion style and most importantly his sense of community are what make him just that for me," Serge Trad, a 28-year-old Lebanese Stormzy's fan, told us.
"He believes in the power of black British artists and has slowly and gracefully taken the title from Tinie Tempah to become the Godfather of this movement of young black British artists," Trad added.
Before releasing his platinum-selling No. 1 debut album Gang Signs & Prayer in February 2017, it was clear the 26-year-old rapper was ready to take the world by storm. Three years later, Stormzy is standing strong as a symbol of evolved underground music and a perennial political agitator.
With collaborations alongside hit artists like Ed Sheeran and H.E.R, Stormzy will be taking his music on the biggest live world tour he has planned to date. H.I.T.H. World Tour will span across Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, North America, UK & Ireland, and Africa.
He has already kicked off H.I.T.H. World Tour in Dubai at RedFest in February, and will perform his last show in Africa in October. British fans will even get to see him make his second solo debut at London's 02 Arena in September.
When one thinks of spokesmen of black empowerment and social activism, the name Stormzy must come to mind. Throughout his entire career, not once has the black British rapper shied away from addressing topics in the social, political, and cultural world.
During his headline performance at Glastonbury Festival, he took the opportunity to highlight a plethora of social issues, including the injustice of young black children being criminalized in a biased and disproportionate justice system.
"Honestly, before I was a fan, I had no idea black people still face [sic] racism in the UK today," Najwa Ahmad, a Jordanian 13-year-old fan who believes Stormzy brought light to the black struggle and other social issues, told us. "I'm always interested in knowing more about such issues, and being a fan has made me see the world in a different way."
Stormzy's fourth single Own It off the album is featuring Ed Sheeran and Burna Boy and is his third top 5 single in the official UK charts. It marks his third collaboration with Ed Sheeran and first with Nigerian artist Burna Boy, peaking at No. 1 on the UK singles chart.
Stormzy's most recent album is considered the highlight of his career by fans. Trad truly believes Heavy is the Head is "a piece of art," saying the artist's ability to rap and throw jabs are portrayed perfectly in the song Wiley Flow.
Like Trad, Ahmad considers Heavy is the Head a pure embodiment of Stormzy's artistic ability and a gift to his true fans, considering him "one of the most talented artists alive today."
His honest and relatable character is one of the reasons Stormzy has fans all over the world. "With this body of work it feels very real, raw," said Oratilwe Monaisa, a South African fan sharing her opinion on the new album. "He has come to his own. It wasn't done to please the masses," she added.
Monaisa believes in the importance of addressing social and political issues, especially through someone who has a platform to speak for the minority. "As a black woman I appreciate that he stands up for injustices that we as a race face. He can voice and shed light to [sic] issues that are normally not given any thought to."
Stormzy's incredible rise within his recorded music paved the way from him to be involved in all aspects of his work, exposing pieces of himself through executively producing this record. "It's very important in this society that the artist has freedom to fully express themselves," said Monaisa.
What does the world have in store for Stormzy, or better yet, what does Stormzy have in store for the world? With an artist so deeply true to expressing his authentic self, we're willing to bet it's only great things.