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Tag: Stormzy

  • Stormzy awarded honorary doctorate by Cambridge University

    Stormzy awarded honorary doctorate by Cambridge University

    British Ghanaian rapper and philanthropist Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr, popularly known as Stormzy, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Cambridge in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music and his unwavering commitment to educational equity and social justice.

    Rapper Stomzy was among eight public figures to receive the honorary degree.

    The 31-year-old  launched a scholarship fund in 2018 which has been funding black UK students to study at the university.

    This earned him, a Doctorate in Laws degree in recognition of his initiation of a “transformative” scholarship programme.

    Vice-chancellor at the university, Prof Deborah Prentice, said, “Stormzy’s scholarship programme has had a transformative impact and we are proud to recognise his work with this degree.”

    Since the introduction of the fund, 56 undergraduates are reported to have benefited from full tuition and maintenance support, backed by his #Merky Foundation and HSBC UK.

  • Stormzy and Maya Jama break up again after rekindling their romance

    Stormzy and Maya Jama break up again after rekindling their romance

    Stormzy, the UK-based Ghanaian musician, and Maya Jama have officially announced their separation for the second time.
    Maya Jama confirmed the news in a heartfelt Instagram story, expressing that they will “always be friends.”

    The couple first met in 2014 and, after initially breaking up in 2019, reunited in August 2023. Despite their efforts over the past year to make it work, they have now decided to part ways again.

    “We fell in love in 2014, broke up in 2019, and spent five years apart,” Maya shared.

    “After reuniting in August 2023, we gave it our best shot, but recently decided to end things.”

    Both Stormzy and Maya emphasized their enduring respect and care for each other.

    They acknowledged the difficulty of their final attempt to reconcile, given their growth both together and separately since their early twenties.

    “While this announcement feels dramatic, we wanted to address it publicly to prevent speculation and rumors,” they explained.

    “We ask for grace as we move forward individually, and hope our friendship remains unaffected.”

    They concluded their statement with gratitude for the support they’ve received and reassured fans that they remain on good terms, despite their decision to part ways.

    See post below:

  • Songs by Davido, Burna Boy, Asake, Stormzy make Obama’s top picks in 2023

    Songs by Davido, Burna Boy, Asake, Stormzy make Obama’s top picks in 2023

    Former United States President Barack Obama has unveiled his annual favorite music list for the year 2023.

    Shared on X by Mr. Obama, the 27-track compilation includes prominent Nigerian afrobeat stars such as Davido, Burna Boy, and Asake.

    Notably, the list also features Nigerian female vocalist Tems and the UK-born Ghanaian rapper Stormzy.

    Davido made the list with “Unavailable”, Burna Boy got in with “Sitting on Top of the World” in which he featured 21 Savage, Asake made it with “Amapiano” where he featured Olamide, Tem’s “Me & U” and Stormzy’s “Toxic Trait” completed the list for African musicians and musicians with African descent.

    Check out the whole list below

  • I don’t have plans of pursuing a degree soon – Yaw Tog

    I don’t have plans of pursuing a degree soon – Yaw Tog

    Ghanaian rapper Yaw Tog, known for his Ghanaian Drill music genre called Asaka, has revealed that he currently has no intentions of pursuing a university education.

    Born Thorsten Owusu Gyimah, the 20-year-old artist shared his unorthodox viewpoint in an interview with the media.

    During the interview, the ‘Sore’ rapper expressed his belief that relying solely on university education would not guarantee him the necessary means to sustain himself in life.

    “I am doing music, I am working at the moment, University won’t provide me with the means to sustain myself in life,” he shared.


    Yaw Tog, the talented artist who collaborated with Stormzy and Kwesi Arthur on the ‘Sore Remix,’ elaborated on his reasoning by emphasizing the financial burden of tuition fees and the potential strain it would place on his family.

    “I have strategized my life in a way that I will make money before pursuing a university education. If I enrol now, who will bear the burden of my tuition fees?” he queried.

    Yaw Tog boldly disclosed that he planned his life in a way that he would prioritize building a financial foundation before pursuing higher education.

    “I have really planned my life in a way that I know when I’ll go back to school so I’m saving for my University, he said.

    While acknowledging the support he received from his parents, Yaw Tog recognized that his current circumstances did not allow him to depend on them for certain needs.

  • Watch Stormzy’s ‘This Is What I Mean’ Video Featuring Amaarae, Black Sherif & Ms Banks

    Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. popularly known as Stormzy recently recruited a star-studded entourage of artists to feature on the music video for “This Is What I Mean.” The record features Amaarae, Black Sherif, Ms Banks, STORRYandJacob Collier.

    Following the release of his third studio album This Is What I Mean last week, Stormzy worked with his video team to bring the song to life.

    The body of work consists of 12 tracks and also features appearances from Debbie, Sampha,, and more. The new album’s single, “This Is What I Mean,” is a P2J, Knox Brown, Joel Peters, and PRGRSHN-produced joiny that fully highlights Stormzy’s music ingenuity.

     

     

    With vibrant shots, artistic reels, and sharp delivery, the music video is an accurate rendition of the song, and brings its overall message to life. A portion of the music video also shows Stormzy celebrating at his album release party.

    Stormzy’s album has been praised by fans for his fusion of soulful genres that underscore his melodic ability.

    Stormzys’s globally acclaimed record Heavy Is the Head, had 16 songs and featured music heavyweights like Burna Boy, Headie One, Tiana Major9, Yebba, H.E.R., Aitch, and Ed Sheeran. The body of work quickly skyrocketed to the top of the U.K. music charts. This is What I Mean leans into gospel and R&B to showcase the artist’s growth and versatility.

    Watch the video for the track below.

     

     

  • Stormzy at Queen Elizabeth Hall review: A tender presentation of touching ballads and considered storytelling

    When Stormzy last played London back in March, he blew the roof off the O2 with an arena show full of bombast, rage and energy in support of second album Heavy Is The Head.

    Ten months later at the cosy Queen Elizabeth Hall across town, he launched third LP This Is What I Mean on Tuesday afternoon with a tender presentation of touching ballads and considered storytelling. A lot can change in a short amount of time.

    At this special mid-afternoon show, which will be streamed worldwide today, Stormzy performed six songs from the new album, many for the first time, and gave context to them through periodical Q&A segments between songs with Julie Adenuga.

    A song would be played – first came the introspective, heartbroken Hide and Seek – before armchairs were wheeled out again for more chat, over and over.

    While it could have broken up the flow of a traditional live show, this felt more like a documentary playing out on stage, where you’d find out about a song – such as Please, where Stormzy spoke about interrogating the many meanings of the word through the writing process – before hearing a dazzling rendition of it moments later.

    <p>Stormzy and Debbie at the Queen Elizabeth Hall </p>
    Stormzy and Debbie at the Queen Elizabeth Hall/ Dave Benett

    As well as a window into the new album, the conversations between the songs also gave framing to the rapper’s story so far. With Adenuga, he discussed the lineage of Black British music alongside special guest Jazzie B. He explained how he wanted to focus on growth to avoid becoming a “manchild,” and said that the inner peace he found while making This Is What I Mean could only have come from shedding all expectations placed on him from others.

    “It takes a village,” Stormzy said of his success, bringing to mind the endless list of rappers he reeled off during his Glastonbury headline performance in 2019, all of whom were part of his journey. Many were in attendance here too, with Wretch 32, Gabrielle and comedian Mo Gilligan all standing up to ask questions at the end. As became abundantly clear, the message of the show was one of community and collaboration.

    During the conversations, Stormzy also admitted that he’s still a work in progress as a singer (work is going very well it seems, according to this showing) and you get the sense the quiet, considered statements on the new album are the path he may well tread for a long time. With performances as gorgeous and affecting as those on Firebabe and Give It To The Water – both backed by the excellent Debbie – he showed himself to be as wonderful a deep thinker as he is a hellraiser.

     

    Source: standard.co.uk

  • Black Sherif, Amaarae, Juls, Teni, Oxlade, Ayra Starr, others featured on Stormzy’s new album

    British-Ghanaian rapper, Stormzy, has unveiled featured artistes on his upcoming project ‘This Is What I Mean’.

    The rapper who recently dropped visuals for his heartfelt song ‘Firebabe’ took to his social media pages to share some new info about the upcoming project.

    In a tweet, ‘Big Michael’ revealed the artistes featured on the album which is scheduled for release on Friday, November 25, 2022. Ghana’s Black Sherif, Amaarae and Juls join the list as well as Nigeria’s Ayra Starr, Teni, P2J, Oxlade, Tempoe and Ms. Banks.

     

    Highly talented acts like Goerge Moore, Knox Brown, Ayanna, Dion Wardle, Scribz Riley, KZ, Owen Gutts, India Arie, and others were also featured on the album.

    “This Is What I Mean” is the follow-up to Stormzy’s acclaimed 2019 album “Heavy Is The Head.”

  • Stormzy says the ‘token black artist’ trope needs to die

    Stormzy has said he has made a conscious decision to promote his black peers and predecessors, to combat prejudice in the music industry.

    “I’ve always understood I’m the black act. Maybe the token black act,” the superstar British rapper told DJ Trevor Nelson in a one-off BBC special.

    “I want to kill that where it stands.”

    That’s why, the star explained, he paused his historic Glastonbury Festival set to read a list of 52 rappers who influenced him.

    It also prompted him to populate the video for his recent single, Mel Made Me Do It, with musicians Little Simz, Dave and Gabrielle; sports legends Usain Bolt, Ian Wright and Dina Asher-Smith; and the author Malorie Blackman.

    “There’s always been this stigma of, ‘let one through’,” he said. “There’s one black [man], one black woman at a time. That needs to die.

    “So that’s why when I get Glasto, when I do Mel Made Me Do It, it’s like, ‘This is us… We stand on your shoulders.’

    “I didn’t just pop out of the blue and break the matrix.”

    Stormzy

    Stormzy is also supporting new generations of black talent through his Merky foundation, which offers scholarships to Cambridge University; and Merky FC, which aims to improve diversity among football managers, coaches and other behind-the-scenes roles.

    The 45-minute BBC special saw Stormzy perform a mix of classic hits and new songs, and sit down for a candid interview with Nelson about his origins, his rise to fame and why headlining Glastonbury had calmed his inner demons.

    “It gave me such a peace in terms of knowing, all right, if it all falls [apart], you’ve done it. Now you can walk with your head high.”

    The musician said the performance had given him the confidence to pursue a more soulful, spiritual direction on his new album This Is What I Mean.

    He cited Stevie Wonder, Frank Ocean and Lauryn Hill among the record’s influences – but reserved his highest praise for Whitney Houston, who he named the “greatest of all time”.

    “I’ve got a lot of GOATs, but Whitney is my GOAT GOAT,” he said.

    “If I leave here and I get in my car and I listen to Whitney, I’m thinking, you’ve done something that’s intangible.

    “You haven’t put your hand on my back, you haven’t shaken my hand, you haven’t given me a hug – but you have just hit me in my soul.”

    Stormzy also talked about his long-standing friendship with fellow Londoner Adele.

    “I’m a genuine fan,” he told Nelson. “She’s blessed with a gift of a stunning, beautiful, moving voice and a phenomenal pen. And her ability to marry what she’s gone through, her experiences, her feelings, with art and melody, is second to none.”

    However, he said he had never considered asking her to appear on one of his records.

    “Our friendship ain’t based off [that]. That’s never the conversation.

    “Anyone who does music that is my real-life friend… Adele, Ed [Sheeran], Dave, Chris Martin, it’s never off that basis. I’ll be fine to never make music with any of them.

    “However, if I could get a hook…!” he joked, before adding: “But no, I never, I never.”

     

  • Introducing #Merky FC: A project from Stormzy and adidas to fight racial inequality in football

    Stormzy has partnered with adidas Football to launch Merky FC, a new project that aims to “help level the playing field by giving off-pitch opportunities to young Black people” within the sport. The announcement comes after new research commissioned by adidas revealed that only 6.7% of senior roles in football were held by Black or mixed-heritage people. Speaking to Sky Sports, Stormzy described this as “embarrassing.”

    The initiative was announced in a video released by adidas and Stormzy, in which the rapper says, “on the pitch, we do our thing. Off the pitch, it’s like we don’t exist.” But Stormzy then declares: “That’s all about to change.” To drive this change, adidas and Stormzy have partnered with a range of organisations from across the football industry. These partners include media organisations, such as Sky Sports and GOAL, and football clubs (Manchester United and Fulham). Each of the partners will offer work placements in various roles covering operations, community, creative and marketing.

    Announcing the project, Stormzy explained that he “hopes to inspire real change within this field as part of my commitment to support racial equality in the UK.” He also paid tribute to adidas and the additional partners, who will put Merky FC “in a position to aid the people who may have experienced disadvantages during their football career pathway. We strongly encourage other companies to join us in our mission.”

    Stormzy elaborated on his plans for Merky FC in an interview with Sky Sports, adding that success would be “seeing more young Black people in these roles, more Black people in positions of power away from being on the pitch. And just seeing that thrive and grow and inviting more people to come along and offer those opportunities for the young people.” Stormzy went on to discuss his ambition to “keep the ball rolling” and create “infrastructure and real change” that allows future generations to be “stronger and more empowered.”

    Adidas, a long-term partner of Stormzy, explained their role in the project: “We are passionate about providing inclusive opportunities to young talent in the UK. We are proud to be working in partnership with Stormzy to introduce #Merky FC, an initiative that directly tackles some of the biggest barriers facing UK youth in football today, by creating a legacy of career opportunities off the pitch alongside the other partners. Along with the support of our network of adidas partners, we are committed to fighting for equal representation in football, and this launch is only the beginning for Merky FC.”

    Merky FC is a multi-year partnership, due to kick off when the first career placements begin in early 2023. Those interested in applying can visit the Merky FC site for more information, and to register their interest in the positions available.

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • Dr. Louisa praises Stonebwoy’s beautiful entry to Global Citizen Festival Stage

    Wife of dancehall singer, Stonebwoy is wowed by her husband’s triumphant entry onto the Global Citizen Festival stage yesterday.

    The festival held in Accra yesterday saw UK rapper, Stormzy, American singers, Usher and SZA gracing the one of a kind stage mounted at the Black Star Square.

    Local artistes were not left out. Sarkodie, Stonebwoy and Gyakie represented the motherland with mesmerizing individual performances.

    Nigerian singer Tems and international DJ Uncle Waffles also performed at the well attended show.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Pulse Ghana (@pulseghana)

    When it was his turn to perform, Stonebwoy arrived at the festival on a horseback with escorts wielding Ghana flags before disembarking to climb the stage to meet a “hungry” and excited crowd.

    Sharing a video of the moment, his wife who was also at the festival wrote in a caption: “epic entry!”.

    Source:Zionfelix.com

  • Daddy Lumba appreciates Stormzy’s gesture at Global Citizens event

    Music icon, Daddy Lumba born Charles Kwadwo Fosu has appreciated Stormzy for paying homage to him at the Global Citizens event held at the black star square in Accra.

    Stormzy, a Ghanaian based in the United Kingdom, wore a shirt with Daddy Lumba’s image embossed for his global event performance.

    This drew the attention of viewers and patrons to Daddy Lumba who is an icon in the music industry in Ghana.

    Reacting to the gesture in a post shared on social media, Daddy Lumba said he was grateful to be celebrated.

    “I was immensely touched by Stormzy’s homage to me last night at the Global Citizen Festival.

    I would like to take this opportunity to share my gratitude and appreciation for the public display of love.

    To say that the gesture was heartwarming and humbling is an understatement.

    Thank you very much!,” a post on his social media said.

    Source:Mynewsgh.com

  • Where is Shatta Wale? – Social media users ask after ‘loud silence’ at Global Citizen Festival

    On a night where two of Ghana’s elite collection of ‘S’ artistes scored important points for wowing patrons at the Global Citizen Festival, the ‘dancehall king inna di whole’ was no where to be found.

    While Sarkodie and Stonebwoy were entertaining patrons at the Black Star Square on Saturday, September 24, 2022; Shatta Wale was conspicuously missing.

    Stonebwoy who performed first thrilled the crowd with his energetic performance and got praised for the top-notch performance.

    Sarkodie on the other hand, per social media commentary, carried the night with his electric and touching performances.

    Other Ghanaian acts like Kwesi Arthur, Yaw Tog among others, were featured but Shatta Wale was not spotted at the event.

    The absence of Shatta Wale at the event has triggered conversations on social media with questions on why he was not present at the event.

    Others are also trolling him as they believe in most prestigious events, he is often left out.

    The event also had international acts like Stormzy, Usher, Tiwa Savage, among others.

    Read some reactions below

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • Stormzy returns with a new single Mel made me do it after a long hiatus

    British-Ghanaian grime MC Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. who goes by the monicker Stormzy is back on the scene with the latest single which features ex-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho as a cameo.

    The seven minutes track “Mel made me do it” arrives with a visual that has an appearance from Jose Mourinho, Dave, Usain Bolt, and others playing a cameo.

    Stormzy samples Mourihno’s comment “I prefer not to speak, if I speak I am in big trouble”

    The AS Roma coach shared a photo of himself and Stormzy on social media with a message appreciating the rapper for including him in the project.

    “Was great fun doing this cameo for Stormzy’s new music video out today. I had a great time,” the AS ROMA manager wrote.

    Well, its no surprise to see or have footballers turn up as video vixens, a couple of football stars have either way starred in music videos or movies. Didier Drogba’s made a dramatic appearance in Julia Channels’ dance hit “Forever in a day”

    Former Arsenal player Emmanuel Frimpong also appeared in Lethal Bizzle’s song “Leave It Yeah” Alessandro Del Piero in Oasis, Peter Crouch, and other on-field stars.

    Source:pulse.com

  • Sarkodie gives fans a sneak peek into Global Citizen rehearsal

    As customary of the Adonai rapper, Sarkodie stepped out in style, rocking a white Cole Buxton t-shirt on black shorts. He completed his look with a pair of Nike Dunk sneakers and a red scarf with white polka dots.

    Posting a photo collection on Instagram, Sarkodie shared several pictures of his stage rehearsal. He also included pictures of himself getting off the stage and walking with his crew. Captioning the post, he wrote;

    Sound check yesterday || @glblctzn tomorrow #Labadi

    The Global Citizen Festival will take place on Saturday, 24 September, for the first time in Accra and will see performances from Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Gyakie and Nigerian singer Tems. In addition, international acts like Usher, SZA, H.E.R and Stormzy will thrill fans during the show.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by TheHighest➕ (@sarkodie)

    Fans Impressed With Sarkodie’s Fashion Ensemble; Shower Him With Praises

    Fire and heart emojis filled the comments section as fans of Sarkodie were in love with the rapper’s great look.

    Beatrice Sekyere

    Indeed drip Lord

    Nicolas Somé

    The king of rap there are not two

    Junior Sark Sark

    Keep up the good work!

    Twinx-Malifa

    International Monster

    odamegram2

    Hottest rapper in the game

    iambabykojo

    Big stepper! Wayyyy different

    Source:yen.com

  • Mourinho makes unexpected appearance in Stormzy video

    Jose Mourinho has made a surprise appearance in the latest music video released by British rapper Stormzy.

    The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss, currently at Roma, is seen shushing the camera in trademark fashion during the video for Stormzy’s single “Mel Made Me Do It”.

    As the camera pans to Mourinho, Stormzy quotes one of the most iconic lines from the three-time Premier League champion’s career, rapping: “I prefer not to speak like I’m Jose”.

    After being angered by the officials’ performance during Chelsea’s loss to Aston Villa in 2014, Mourinho said: “I prefer not to speak. If I speak I’m in big trouble”.

    Mourinho posted an image of himself alongside Stormzy on Instagram on Thursday, writing: “Was great fun doing this cameo for Stormzy’s new music video out today. I had a great time.”

    Mourinho’s fiery demeanour in news conferences may have earned him a long rap sheet during his time in football, but few would have expected this.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Jose Mourinho (@josemourinho)

    Source: Live score

  • I am well known in Nigeria by my name – Yaw Tog

    Thorsten Owusu Gyimah, well known as Yaw Tog and winner of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA), has explained why he was recently observed in Nigeria.

    “I traveled to Nigeria for radio interviews, and I’m also collaborating with many artists on my record. In addition, I also made some recordings there,” he admitted in a MyNewsGh.com-eared interview.

    The major reason I traveled to go and do some work, he continued, “was going to Nigeria was about my album personally and doing some radio tours for my ‘Sophia’ song.”

    Talking to Amansan Krakye about the great reception he had, Yaw Tog said he regards Nigeria as home and his name is well-known after his breakthrough song ‘Sore’ which featured Stormzy from the UK.

    “Nigeria is home and they are family so anytime I go there, the love is different and linked up with different artistes and the industry people,” he said in an interview on Cape Coast’s Kastle FM.

    “When I went to Nigeria, it was fun; we talked about business, personal issues and other things so I will say that they know the name already,” he concluded on the show.

  • Stormzy stopped Jay-Z rapping on an Ed Sheeran song

    Stormzy has revealed how he prevented Jay-Z from appearing on his song with Ed Sheeran, Take Me Back to London.

    The US rapper wanted to appear on the track, but the grime star turned down his “number one hero inspiration” because he thought it was a bad fit.

    “I felt proper bad because I was like, ‘You’re saying no to Jay-Z!’” he told ITV’s Jonathan Ross show.

    “Jay-Z was super proud and super shocked and taken aback by the fact that this kid told him,” he added.

    The song, which appears on Sheeran’s No. 6 Collaborations Project, went on to top the UK singles chart for five weeks in September and October.

    Read:Ed Sheeran named richest UK celebrity aged 30 or under

    It finds the two Glastonbury headliners reminiscing about their London days, “hitting raves” and ordering “packets of crisps with my pint”.

    Jay-Z was in the studio as the track came together, Stormzy told Jonathan Ross in an interview that’s scheduled to air on Saturday [30 November].

    “Before that I loved Take Me Back To London because I thought it was just going to be me and Ed,” he said, “and then Ed was like, ‘Jay is getting on it.’

    “It blew my mind. Jay-Z is my number one hero inspiration.

    Read:Ed Sheeran designs Blue Peter badge for BBC Music Day

    “We got into the studio and we were writing for this song and then he just stops the music and he said, ‘Tell me about London, I need some inspiration.’”

    Stormzy said he and his manager had a “powerful, beautiful” conversation, “talking about everything from black culture, community [to] music, his journey, my journey…

    “It was the greatest conversation of my life.”

    ‘He couldn’t believe it’ Stormzy continued: “At the end he’s smiling, we were probably talking for an hour and he goes, ‘So what do you think of the song?’

    “I was like, ‘I love this song but you being on the song changes everything’.

    Read:Beyonce pays glowing tribute to hubby Jay-Z

    He went on: “‘If you didn’t ask me this, I would have just written my verse and we would have done it and I would have never questioned it, but now that you’ve asked me, no.’

    “I was like, ‘I know how it goes, Mr Z. You are the most brilliant, busy man and I will probably never get this opportunity ever again but hand on my heart, I don’t think this is the right song for us. I don’t know why I’m saying this to you but this is not the song.’”

    Describing Jay-Z’s astonished response, Stormzy said: “He fully understood [but] he couldn’t believe that I did it.”

    But the session wasn’t a complete bust: Footage of Jay-Z and Stormzy’s conversation was used in the introductory video for Stormzy’s historic Glastonbury performance this summer.

    The rapper recently announced his second album, Heavy Is The Head, will be released on 13 December. He has also revealed plans for an extensive, 55-date world tour in 2020, with shows scheduled in the UK, US, Canada, China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria and Ghana.

    Source: bbc.com