Mar 16 2018
Stormzy
Michael Owuo Jr. is a British rap artist that goes by the stage name Stormzy. He was born in London, England in 1993. I started listening to his music about a month ago. I usually listen to an odd combo of various rap music and Broadway musicals. I decided that I wanted to try something new, so I started listening to Stormzy. I am very into the English culture because of my passion for The English Premier League. Soccer and music are closely tied in England, and that’s where I found Stormzy. He is featured in a song by Jorja Smith called Let Me Down, and that is the first one I fell in love with. After that, I fell for 100 Bags, Cigarettes & Cush, Blinded by Your Grace Pt. 1 as well as the acoustic and non-acoustic versions of Blinded by Your Grace Pt. 2.
Stormzy’s music has American and British elements to it which he attributes to the inspiration he found in American artists such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lauryn Hill. Most of the rap in England is very different from the rap music that we listen to in the states. In the USA, many rappers will intersperse a lot of singing into the rap songs. That is something that rarely happens with British rappers. I’ve also found that the cadence and the rhythm vary drastically in England. That is something that threw me off when I first started listening to it. Stormzy, on the other hand, has a rapping style very similar to Drake and Childish Gambino here in the US. His style, while dynamic, still has a distinct flavor that would group him with American musicians more. He will sing and rap in his songs for a combo that is rare in England.
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