10 Essential Stormzy Tracks

Stormzy has emerged as one of the Britain's brightest hip hop and grime stars. In the grand scheme of things, this guy has created his monolithic stature from the depths of pain and an undying desire to succeed, and it has all translated into his music in the most victorious and vicious way.

It all started with his "Wicked Skengman" freestyle series and his viral hit "Shut Up." In 2014 his dominance proved all too real as he won the highly coveted MOBO (Music Of Black Origin) award for "Best Grime Act." Then the following year he won the same award again and was onstage along with a mob of other fledging artists and Kanye West at the BRIT Awards.

While his rise has been swift, it hasn't been unexpected, as Stormzy has a catalog filled with monster tracks. Click through the image gallery to check out this week's essentials pack, featuring the Wicked Skengman's body of work.

With 100 million plays on YouTube and Spotify combined, "Shut Up" is the viral hit that put Stormzy on the map. But this track is immensely important to this list because it is literally the best example of his sharp and unforgiving style. He had become known for his hybrid flow that puts one foot in the battlee rap arena and the other within the depths of tradition grime rap music.

Even more so, "Shut Up" demonstrates Stormzy's personal flare and ability to craft knockout punchlines. This man literally came for any and every hater's neck in the first line and puts to rest any funny guy cracking jokes about his 2015 performance at The BRIT Awards alongside Kanye:

Couple man called me a backup dancer
Onstage at the BRITs, I'm a backup dancer
If that makes me a backup dancer
The man in your vids, backup dancer
The man in your pics, backup dancer
Man wanna chat about backup dancer
Big man like me with a beard
I'm a big man, how the fuck can I

And he doesn't stop there as he proceeds to flex his versatility and appeal as an artist.

I might sing but I ain't sold out.
Nowadays all of my shows sold out
Headline tour, yeah blud, sold out

Check out the video below and channel your inner Stormzy next time you go out and rock a classic red Adidas jumpsuit.

"Know Me From" is another one of Stormzy's earlier joints that helped send him into the grime stratosphere. It's one of those super simple and hype joints that rocks the speakers hard as hell every single time it's queued up.

Also, the video for this track is extra dope as well and is a glimpse into the litty life and showmanship of Stormzy.

Stormzy is a badmon and has been a badmon for quite some time. Even before "Shut Up," Stormzy already had blessed humanity with a barrage of truly impressive tracks. His 2014 project Dreamers Disease is the ultimate testament to that statement and the opening track "Intro" is a great example of why. We are all used to hearing Stormzy murder pulsing grime inspired beats, but when he slowed things down on this track, we all realized the sheer magnitude of this man's potential.

It's also interesting to hear the inflection and tone of Stormzy on this track as he wrestles with the grips of fame while also trying to stay true to his roots and put on for the culture. This is just a really dope showing of his artistry and skill that allow him to kill everything.

Here's another record from Stormzy's Dreamers Disease project. This track really has an energy of its own and once again shows why Stormzy is one of the most hype rap acts out here. Also, socks, Nike slides and BMX bikes are a good look for the young G, correct?

Just under a year ago, Stormzy dropped "Scary" and left fans falling off the edge of their feet as that patiently awaited the murky music coming soon. Bruh-bruh literally said, "I'm going away for bit, when I'm back, nobody say my name on a track," and it had the most ominous, troubling ring to it. Lo and behold, he returned after a quite working hiatus and it was definitely worth the wait. This one is especially important to this pack because this is sort of a turning point in this man's career. It's like the chapter before Stormzy becomes a colossal problem. The visual for this track is equally unnerving.

"One Take Freestyle"

Here goes another loose release that arrived just before the Stormzy drought and debut album Gang Signs & Prayer. This "One Take Freestyle" is absolutely mental. Stormzy is at the top right now and it is partially because of the way he handled his debut and created an insane wave of hype behind tracks like this before the drought.

After nine months of silence, Stormzy made his return in 2017 with the booming single "Big For Your Boots." With over 20 million YouTube views and counting, the track is shaping up to be on of his biggest records to date. It really is the ultimate flex and puts Stormzy sits on a pedestal overlooking the masses of grime. At this point, he is trying to show you, as well as tell you, that he is deserving of elite status and it is understandable why.

This track also sent the hype for his debut album Gang Signs & Prayer through the roof and ultimately helped propel the project into major success overseas.

Gang Signs & Prayer is straight heat, and while it sounds oxymoronic, "Cold" is one of the hottest tracks on the album.

This joint is for the real grime fans and Stormzy does not disappoint. It's a gritty, edgy, mystifying puff of smoke that has one purpose, to let you know how fucking cold mans is.

Though Gang Signs & Prayer is a grime album from a grime artist, it definitely houses more than just grime music. Stormzy's Kehlani-assisted track "Cigarettes & Cush" is a great addition to this project because it proves that Stormzy has vision beyond his area of expertise and is as versatile as he is dominant in his main arena. 

Stormzy is apart of an elite group of artists around the world who have garnered international acclaim by taking the native sound of their region and elevating it in a new and innovative way, much like the pioneers before us. So with that, we leave you with "Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 1" an elegant, soulful addition to a profound album by Stormzy.

Check it out, along with the two of Stormzy's BBC Radio performances.