Stormzy

Real Name
Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr
Alias Name
Stiff Chocolate, Wicked Skengman, The Problem
Date of Birth
May. 6, 2000 - Age 23
Hometown
Croydon, London
Label
major

Artist Bio

A child of grime, Stormzy has been able to take the genre to places it's never gone before. The 26-year-old Londoner made rumblings in the underground through clashes and freestyles before propelling to the top of the charts with "Shut Up." Since then, he's knocked down the doors for a generation of UK rappers that followed. He's attained mainstream success through a genre that's been largely kept in the underground of UK's music scene.

Though Dreamers Disease EP and singles like the "WickedSkengMan" series put a spotlight on his name, Gang Signs & Prayers cemented his position in not only grime but pop music as a whole in the UK. With grime serving as the foundation of his sound, his ability to incorporate elements of gospel and R&B has distinguished himself from the rest of his contemporaries. Off the strength of GS&P, Stormzy would become the first-ever grime artist to headline the Glastonbury festival in the UK.

His most recent release, Heavy Is The Head has solidified him globally, as well.  He currently has 30 award trophies to his name that he's accumulated over the years. Not only has he received praise from artists like Skepta, as well as Wiley, who would later take aim at Stormzy in a series of diss tracks, Adele shared her praise with him and he's worked with Ed Sheeran in the past.

Photo credit: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images