Today we will be writing in-depth about UK Rap legend Stormzy and going in detail about his career, his biggest hits, accolades and much more.
Stormzy is a British rapper of Ghanaian heritage who grew up in the south London borough of Croydon alongside his two sisters, brother, and mother.
The rapper first broke through in the grime scene with his iconic 2014 series of “Wicked Skengman” freestyles before going viral with his 2015 track “Shut Up”. He acknowledged the impact grime had on his artistry by calling himself a “Child of Grime” in a BBC interview in 2015.
He gained more widespread national success with his debut album Gang Signs & Prayer.
The rap legend further cemented his international success in 2019 with his first UK number-one single, “Vossi Bop”, which featured on his Heavy Is the Head album, which also reached number one.
Stormzy and his upbringing:
Stormzy was born Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr and, as mentioned earlier, Stormzy grew up in the Norbury area of Croydon with his two sisters and brother under his mum’s roof.
The superstar was raised in a single-mother household after his father left to start a new family.
Stormzy excelled in his studies at Harris Academy, earning six A*s in his GCSEs. He completed a residential engineering apprenticeship in Leamington Spa and later worked at an oil refinery in Southampton.
Although the “Shut Up” hitmaker did not come from a musical background, he knew he wanted to become a rapper. At the age of 11, he would clash with older rappers at his local youth club.
He has recounted his financial struggles, explaining how he had to rely on hand-me-downs from his older sister, Rachel Anson. In an interview, he said, “Lucky for me, my big sister was a tomboy, so I could go and take her clothes.”
Stormzy also revealed that his mother, Abigail Owuo, had to balance up to three jobs at a time just to make ends meet.
Stormzy’s many Accolades:
The rapper hailing from Croydon has a plethora of awards and nominations (36 wins and 93 nominations). We will only cover the most prestigious awards here.
Stormzy has won four BRIT Awards, including two British Male Solo Artist awards (2018, 2020) and British Album of the Year for Gang Signs & Prayer (2018). He also won Best Hip Hop/Grime Act in 2025.
He also won the Mercury Prize for Gang Signs & Prayer, which received Album of the Year honours, as well as several MOBO Awards, two BET Awards, and a BBC Radio 1 Artist of the Year award in 2017, alongside many others.
Philanthropy & Activism:
Stormzy has been vocal on social issues and has spoken out in support of Palestine; additionally, he has set up the #Merky Foundation to elevate Black voices and tackle systemic racism in the UK, where he has pledged £10 million over 10 years.
He has partnered with HSBC to help provide scholarships for Black undergraduate students at the prestigious University of Cambridge.
Additionally, he has launched the Merky Books imprint at Penguin Random House to support and elevate young writers.
His activism has even shone through when he has earned awards. In 2018, during the BRIT Awards, he chose not to bask in the limelight; instead, he criticised the British government’s failure to adequately respond to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which saw 72 people killed in a West London tower block fire in 2017.
Due to his consistent activism and philanthropy, the University of Exeter granted him an honorary degree in philanthropy for his efforts; in addition, in June 2025, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Law by the University of Cambridge.
Relationships & controversies:
Stormzy had a long and heavily publicised relationship with presenter Maya Jama. The pair initially dated from 2014–2019 and were considered the “IT” couple before breaking up.
They rekindled their relationship in 2023, reigniting excitement among fans, until they ended things for good in 2024 (though they emphasised that they would remain good friends).
Maya Jama has since moved on with Manchester City star and Portuguese international footballer Rúben Dias. Stormzy has since briefly dated Victoria Monét and later said “I met my wife” in his single “Sorry Rach”.
Last summer, he faced controversy for doing a brand campaign for McDonald’s and accepting his doctorate from the University of Cambridge. Many people felt this went against his pro-Palestine stance, which he has openly showcased in the past. To learn more about this situation, see below:
The future:
Stormzy has addressed the controversy surrounding the McDonald’s deal in the new year and stated that he plans to feed his fans better. The rapper touched on how the end of 2024 robbed him of the “wide-eyed innocence” he once had.
He spoke about how he hates being online but realises he is trying to find a “happy medium” and might redownload Snapchat or potentially write on Substack to be more present.
The rap giant also announced that he is planning to work on his fourth studio album. This was all said in an Instagram carousel. Read more about it below:
