Big Bloodclart Stormzy; aka Merky right from the days of ‘Wicked Skengman’, to ‘Shut Up’, ‘Vossi Bop’, and now ‘Mel Made Me Do it’, has been nothing short of impeccable in his representation of black excellence within and beyond the community— his involvements in innumerable humanitarian activities, solidarity during protests, as well as social and political criticism not only places him as one of Grime’s greatest but also one of the finest humans. Stormzy is the epitome of we win together; bringing his family into the journey and letting their talents shine. Tobi Rachel says, “Stormzy is not just a great artist but a Black-British archivist, documenting the history and giving people their flowers while they are around and when they’ve passed on too soon ” (Jamal Edwards)”. All his performances that have led to this moment, and his newest single and music video are testaments to this statement.
Marking off the climax of his musical career early and blazing through the pyramid of ambitions and royalty, Stormzy has earned every right as one of UK’s ideal MCs and evidently, the records speak for him. With every experimental rollout, new attainments have been actualized and as such, new need for self-appraisal. While his 2019 Heavy is the Head album reflected his growth and responsibilities that are often associated with being the bigwig, he drifts back to the rawness and flow of Gang Signs and Prayers in “Mel Made Me Do It” to chronicle a much-needed self-validation in the face of the numerous scrutiny that he has received from the media, as well as his face-off with Wiley. Attacking the sparse beat with the “I have been the GOAT for so long, I guess it’s not exciting when I win” bar, he quickly invites us into a gratified braggadocios homage to his infinite accomplishments in the industry, which is clearly a testament to the steadfast hard work and consistency he has invested into his artistry. With the never-ending cameos and flows that emanate from an instant recourse to re-establish himself at the apex of the Grimes genre, he chest-thumbs, listing his immense actualizations whilst also disparaging the “washed-up godfathers”. He goes on chest-thumbing, instructing “niggas to bask in my glory”.
From being the first British rapper and second youngest to headline the Glastonbury Festival, where he watched over 200 thousand persons collectively scream “Fuck the government, Fuck Boris” from the high top of the pyramid stage to performing at the Global Citizen Festival in Accra, Ghana’s most popular festival, Stormzy has nothing to prove anymore. His newest music video which features cameo appearances from global personalities like Dave, Ian Wright, Little Simz, Julie Adenuga, and even Jose Mourinho with his special “I prefer not to speak” tag further backs up his acclaim as one of the UK’s biggest unifying hubs. The infused theatrics and poetry in the 10-minutes long video also highlights an artist who is not scared to experiment.
Earlier this year, Stormzy was also sighted at his very first Met Gala in his Burberry custom three-piece suit. It’s no news that the Met Gala only attracts A-list stars and the biggest names in the world. Stormzy’s attendance will be jeered towards properly breaking into the American market and the biggest names in the industry so that he will be found suitable for Academy nominations when he releases his album. We’ll know soon. I mean, how dare they not find Rachael’s little brother suitable? He’s Big Bloodclart Stormzy.