Stormzy

Hailing from London with Ghanaian roots, Stormzy has established himself among the U.K.'s foremost talents through an energetic mix of grime, gospel, and R&B, amassing three chart-topping and widely praised albums. He rose from the underground grime circuit via a string of successful mixtapes, singles, and freestyles before achieving mainstream recognition in 2017 with the platinum-certified Gang Signs & Prayer as his debut full-length. Five years after issuing his first EP, he headlined Glastonbury Festival. The 2019 release Heavy Is the Head followed his initial U.K. number-one single, "Vossi Bop," while the reflective and ballad-focused This Is What I Mean arrived in 2022; subsequent singles such as 2023's "Longevity Flow" ventured into U.K. drill and Afroswing.

Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo, Jr. entered the world in Croydon, a south London suburb, and began building his reputation through clashes at nearby youth clubs. Early sets stayed rooted in grime and reflected admiration for Skepta, yet his material later tilted toward rap as he absorbed the style of Drake. He initiated the "Wicked Skengman" freestyle series over vintage grime beats in late 2013, then delivered the Dreamers Disease EP as his official debut the following year. In 2015 he issued both the single "Know Me From" and "WickedSkengMan 4," which became his first Top 20 U.K. entry. That December he performed the B-side "Shut Up" during a heavyweight boxing match between Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte; the track surged into the Top 40 after the broadcast, prompting a campaign that propelled it to number eight on the main chart and number one on the R&B chart. Ahead of entering the studio for his debut album, he dropped the non-album single "Scary" in spring 2016.

Stormzy resurfaced in 2017 with Gang Signs & Prayer on #Merky Records, featuring the platinum single "Big for Your Boots," "Cigarettes & Cush" with Kehlani, and "Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 2" with MNEK. The set, which earned strong critical approval, entered at number one on the U.K. albums chart and later received platinum certification. It secured British Album of the Year at the 2018 Brit Awards, where Stormzy also received British Male Solo Artist of the Year. Capitalizing on the acclaim, he was named a headliner for the 2019 Glastonbury Festival and claimed his first U.K. number-one single with "Vossi Bop." That October he appeared on the cover of Time as part of its "next generation leaders" list. The follow-up single "Own It," featuring Ed Sheeran and Burna Boy, peaked at number two on the U.K. pop chart and led into the chart-topping sophomore album Heavy Is the Head. In 2020 he released the Wiley-targeted diss tracks "Disappointed" and "Still Disappointed," plus charting collaborations with Loski, Ghetts, and Dave. He returned in 2022 with the seven-minute "Mel Made Me Do It," paired with an 11-minute video packed with cameos, before issuing This Is What I Mean in November, which included vocal contributions from Sampha, Jacob Collier, and Nao. Remixes of the Afroswing single "Hide & Seek," the drill-oriented "Toxic Trait" with Fredo, and "Longevity Flow" followed in 2023.