Stormzy is top winner at the Brits

Oh oh, look at what the Brits made me do. It sent me on a Stormzy listening spree. The Brits is the pop music awards ceremony conducted every year by the British Phonographic Industry. It is the British Grammys. This year it was held last Feb. 21 at the O2 in London. And the winners of the two most important categories were Stormzy and his album Gang Signs & Prayer.

I had already heard of Stormzy. I have seen his name in some album credits but I still had to really listen to his music. And the Brits got my curiosity piqued. Stormzy won over Ed Sheeran! Can you imagine that? It was at the Brits, which was supposedly Sheeran territory. Like, it is okay if he was passed over at the Grammys, but not at the Brits. Well, Sheeran was not just passed over this year at the Brits, he actually lost to grime artist Stormzy.

Stormzy, who is of Ghanian parentage, is the leading proponent of grime music. Grime is a kind of mixture of electronic and hip-hop with a rapid fire beat that originated in London. It usually boasts of rap that is strong and gritty and touches on controversial issues. Something like old school rap but faster. It is at present very popular among young people in the UK. Other grime artists are Wretch 32, Ghetts, J Hus, Kehlani and MNEK. 

Twenty-four-year-old Stormzy, whose real name is Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr., is grime’s biggest star. He made his major breakthrough when his single Shut Up was discovered by grime fans on the web. It became his first No. 1 seller. His debut album Gang Signs and Prayer came out early last year and was the first grime album to make No. 1 in the UK charts.

Dua Lipa (left) introduces her young brother and sister to the audience as she accepts the award for British Breakthrough Act

Aside from Shut Up, other hits from Gang Signs and Prayer are Big For Your Boots, Cold, Bad Boys, First Things First, Mr. Skeng and Cigarettes And Cush. Expect Blinded By Your Grace, which is in the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, to be the next one. Stormzy and grime are now getting bigger and bigger. And as proven by the recent Brit Awards, are now both astonishingly popular. And so Stormzy won the Brits.

It is obvious that the voters at the Brits were able to accomplish what the voters at the Grammys seemed afraid to do. That is, give the top prize in the major categories to a hip-hop album and artist. That is why, although Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar topped the nominations, the little grammophones went to the funky, Motown sound of Bruno Mars.

Come to think of it, let us take another look at the Brits Album of the Year nominees. These are the LPs Dua Lipa by Dua Lipa, Common Sense by J Hus, Humour by Rag’n’Bone Man and Divide by Sheeran. Given this line-up, I say it would have been really far-fetched and very strange for Sheeran to win over the new, edgy and innovative productions.

As Dylan once rightfully sang, the times and I must add, the sounds, are again a-changing. Just think, it was only a year ago when the Brits were handing out prizes to Little Mix and One Direction and posthumously to David Bowie. In a remarkable about face, the Brits are now saying that Stormzy is the best.

But all these is nothing for Sheeran to be sad about. He did not go home empty-handed, he got the Global Success Award that went to Adele last year. Besides, when an artist has reached a point in his career when he is already jamming with Bocelli, that can only mean that he has reached a new, different level of success.

To end, I say I listened to Stormzy and I say grime is music I still have to get used to and maybe enjoy.

And now here is the 2018 Brit Awards Honor Roll: 

British Album of the Year — Stormzy, Gang Signs & Prayer

British Male Solo Artist — Stormzy

British Female Solo Artist — Dua Lipa

British Group — Gorillaz

British Breakthrough — Dua Lipa

Critics’ Choice Award — Jorja Smith

British Single of the Year — Rag’N’ Bone Man, Human

International Female Solo Artist — Lorde

International Male Solo Artist — Kendrick Lamar

International Group — Foo Fighters

British Artist Video of the Year — Harry Styles, Sign Of The Times.

British Producer of the Year — Steve Mac

Global Success Award — Ed Sheeran.