Ahead of the drop of his debut album Gang Signs & Prayer Julie’s Beats 1 interviewed Stormzy.
They discussed in detail the making of the album, who Stormzy collaborated with on the album, his favourite tune, the journey into making an album, his thoughts on the Brit Awards and much more.
Stormzy on being 'back from his break' Do you know what I find so funny about that, when I came back on social media yesterday everyone’s like ‘oh Stormzy is back from his break’ I’m thinking ‘I didn't go anywhere, I didn't go on a break’ I just wasn’t on social media. I was still recording, the only thing that changed is I wasn't doing shows. I was still doing everything music-related, I just wasn’t tweeting or snapchatting. It was just something I needed to do. I find it very interesting how crazy it is. Even the whole Frank Ocean thing - where is he? And Frank’s just chilling in a studio somewhere.
Re: the Billboards with GSAP #merky - did you see people were guessing what the album’s called God Sent A Problem - but do you know what’s so mad, I’m happy it’s not called that because you all guessed it. I don’t want to be that predictable. My thing is always keep em guessing - go bigger and better and further and farther so I was happy it wasn’t that. Now something like a Grammy to me is not far fetched.
What’s your favorite lyric There’s a lyric from Cold, “All my young black kings rise up man this is our year”, and I was just like, Im happy to be in the position where I’ve been blessed and I’ve progressed and I’m now someone that a few people know and I can say that. That is what it’s about, I’m on this platform now and I’m saying ‘Yo, it’s not just me. Rise up, everyone can do this’. That what I always bang one about because I think it’s such a facade. I don’t know where it comes from, whether its systematical or political but there’s so many youth out there who would look at myself or look at Captain or Skepta and think ‘Oh my god’ or they’ll look at a businessman or look at a man with a Rolls Royce or a man with 50 houses and they’ll think ‘oh my god, how do you get there?’ That is do dead because you can. In their head its like ‘oh my god, no you can’t.’ It’s sick and we respect it because those people have worked hard but you can definitely do that. I don’t know where people have been gassed to think that they cant do it and it’s so far fetched. It’s not far fetched and it’s there. Everything I’ve achieved I always thought it looked far fetched, so now something like a Grammy is not far fetched. It’s there, why can’t I
On his various nicknames: I ain’t done the AKAs in a long time. don’t know where Stiff Chocolate comes from but I’ll always be Stiff Chocolate.
When you put the tracklist on line and people look for features - for me the features on your album feel very you. There was a choice - Stormzy either has an album with Skepta, etc or an album with people he loves on it like Bieber. The features from Kehlani to Ritchie sit on the Stormzy side: I feel like one of the things that happens with stigmas - my journey has been quick so i can’ expect everyone to have been there from Stormzy to a youtube to Justin Bieber to watching I understand people have come in and some people were there - obviously you know from earlier that I’ve been on all of that so for someone like you that’s SO Stormzy but someone that doesn’t know they’re like Stormzy and MNEK? I don’t think there’s a trace to go to one side of the spectrum I had the choice to make the album I wanted or make the album I feel like people wanted me to make and I made the album I wanted and I didn’t compromise. I just made a Stormzy album and I’m happy you saw the features and said that’s Stormzy.
What was the journey into making an album? sometimes i might be trying to be so artistic and creative and feel like ‘you’r overthinking this, remember you’re an MC’ and sometimes I’m just spraying and i say ‘remember you’re an artist you can be creative and you’ve got that talent’ i do both for them so when i’m gonna spray i feel like that’s something for my soul i need to construct this - i thought were as important as each other. that’s why gang signs & prayer work so well.
Can we talk about the BRITS. You ended up being really far forward in what it was about last year - how do you feel about it now a year later? I remember after the fuss I caused last year after the one take I remember seeing the whole backlash of it and thinking okay, I’m happy it’s caused backlash but I didn’t want to cause too much backlash. It could’ve gone in a weird way like oh we haven’t supported grime and and I was thinking that’s wrong. Lsat year it was debatable because last year I probably would’ve been eligible for Best Breakthrough and I would’ve felt like there were 1 or 2 people my weight would’ve stood next to. But if Lapin and Little Mix need to win it because they smashed it this year not because of whatever, after seeing the nominations coming out this year and I felt like every single nomination this year - Kano, Skepta, that’s deserved, it’s all deserved, Crave Dave, that’s deserved, so I was on the flex of guys, that was wrong, I’m gonna tell you off a bit, and then I’ll put my hands up and show a lot of respect to the BRITS. They adjusted it and I think everyone won.
How does someone pick a first single? A lot of the things I’m doing I’ve never ever done - i’ve never made an album i’ve never dropped an album i’ve never had a first single I’ve never really had a single, the only one iI’ve had is 'Know Me From,' Skeng 4' and 'Shut Up,’ I was like ok you guys like that, but Big For Your Boots when that came onto the project that was a time when i was trying to find something - there’s been moments in the project where i’m like - i need soul the proper evil scientist one. i invited Sparrow into the studio he’s the top boy. he’s so shy he’ll have a riddim and then he’ll be like ‘oh i’m not sure you’re gonna like it’ he sent me that tune and then me and Fraser took it and sparrow had laid such a sick foundation the drums and chords were mad and i had an idea to have a sample in there, and then just the feeling of the way that tune was constructed. that was like me being very creative and adding up to what i already do. they’r like Stormzy and just me spraying different floors catching different productions. the way the beat and production came around - Stormzy’s back the madman’s back.
I think more than anything what i want to do this year is certify my position as an artist. I love the fact that people can say oh you’re a sick Mc you’re a sick performer you’re this you’re that and I love every supporter who says these things to me but that’s what I’m aiming for and fighting for that’s what i’m putting into my body of work as an artist. I’m happy I’m proud.
