UK rapper Stormzy has released three number one albums in the UK, won three Brit Awards, and become the first British rapper to headline the Glastonbury festival. Prior to the release of his latest album 'This Is What I Mean', Stormzy met up with Rick Rubin to play the iconic producer songs from it. Stormzy explains why he decided to consider his audience, and about how a painful break-up and trusting God helped lead him to a new melodic, soulful sound.

John Grant's 'The Only Baby' is long, angry, and - awesome!; Kikagaku Moyo release a fun psychedelia song 'Elevation Jam' from their new live album; Ghetts gets help from Stormzy for his new groovy track 'Skengman'; rapper Dessa stands against "global powers who stand to profit by stoking our basest vanities and appetites" on 'Rome'; French actress Isabelle Adjani covered Elvis Costello's 'Revolution #49'.

UK rapper Stormzy has donated £500,000 to fund educational scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, BBC reports. His gift to the Black Heart Foundation is the first major funding arrangement since he pledged £10m to help organisations that are dedicated to fighting racial inequality in the UK in this decade. Stormzy’s £500,000 donation will cover the cost of awarding cash grants to about 50 students.

Female artists and female-fronted bands - like Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, and Porridge Radio - have outnumbered men on the shortlist for this year's Mercury Prize, for the first time in its 29-year history, Sky reports. A total of seven female or female-fronted acts (of 12 nominees) made the 2020 shortlist; the previous highest total was five. In general, this year pop dominated the shortlist, with none left of the field albums.

The nominees:

Anna Meredith - ‘FIBS‘
Charli XCX - ‘how i’m feeling now‘
Dua Lipa - ‘Future Nostalgia‘
Georgia - ‘Seeking Thrills‘
Kano - ‘Hoodies All Summer‘
Lanterns on the Lake - ‘Spook the Herd‘
Laura Marling - ‘Song for Our Daughter‘
Michael Kiwanuka - ‘KIWANUKA‘
Moses Boyd - ‘Dark Matter‘
Porridge Radio - ‘Every Bad‘
Sports Team - ‘Deep Down Happy‘
Stormzy - ‘Heavy is the Head‘

Stormzy, Dave, Nick Cave, Kate Tempest and Little Simz are nominated for this year's Ivor Novellos, the most prestigious songwriting awards in the UK and Ireland, Music Week reports. Four authors are nominated twice: Kate Tempest and producer Dan Carey are up for Best Album for the former’s ‘The Book Of Traps And Lessons‘ as well as Best Contemporary Song for ‘Firesmoke’; Jimmy Napes is nominated for his songwriting contributions to both Stormzy’s ‘Crown’ and Sam Smith‘s ‘Dancing With A Stranger’; Jamie Hartman is nominated for his work on Lewis Capaldi‘s ‘Hold Me While You Wait’ and Calvin Harris‘ Rag’n’Bone Man collaboration ‘Giant’; Stormzy and MJ Cole are also nominated for their songwriting on ‘Crown’. In the most prestigious category, for the best album, the nominated are ‘Ghosteen’ by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, ‘Grey Area’ by Little Simz, and ‘The Book of Traps and Lessons’ by Kate Tempest. See all the nominees here.

UK high-street bakery chain Greggs has handed Strormzy a "black card", an invite-only membership that grants the owner “special pastry privileges”, meaning - free pastries for life. Stormzy said he had “peaked” when he unwrapped the VIP card. The Independent reports the "black card" allows Stormzy to get meals for up to five people at any of their restaurants for free.

Lewis Capaldi was the big winner at last night's Brit Awards picking up statues in Best new artist and Best song categories ('Someone You Love'). Dave won the No. 1 award, the Best album category, for 'Psychodrama', Mabel was awarded Best female award (30 years to the day her mother Neneh Cherry won her very own trophies), Stormzy got the Best male, and the Foals Best British group awards. Billie Eilish won in the International female category, with Tyler, the Creator wining in the International male category. Rising star award went to Celeste. Independent points out to Dave's political statement at the Brits - called out UK prime minister "racist", and lack of women, nominated or awarded.

A great interview by the UK grime rapper Stormzy for Tidal, where he talks about his sense of responsibility of being the representative of UK black culture, saying he feels pressure, but - "I have purpose and the purpose makes the pressure way lighter". Also, he talks about how proud he is of his Banksy Glastonbury vest and being relaxed about his Wiley beef because, as a grime MC, he feels "most comfortable in conflict".

Dave and Lewis Capaldi are the most nominated artists at Brit Awards this year, with four nominations each. Grime star Stormzy has three nominations, as well as 23-year old Mabel, being the most-nominated female artist this year.

Sonically, new diss tracks by Stormzy and Wiley are great, lyrically, really just below the two (insulting mothers!?!, really ?!?). A message to both of them (and every other talented musician): "Next time someone wants to start a beef - ignore it! Make something worthwhile!" Waste of good beats - summed up on Fact.

Quite a good selection of rap and R&B (actually, mostly rap) albums of 2019 by the Brooklyn Vegan. An inclusive list covers majority of the most important moments in this year's rap/R&B - they've got Skepta's 'Ignorance Is Bliss', Pivot Gang's 'You Can’t Sit With Us', Stormzy's 'Heavy Is The Head', Danny Brown's 'uknowhatimsayin?', Solange's […]

"It’s the same winning mix of grime bangers and radio friendly singing as last time, but, crucially, it’s better at making sure they work together on the same project" - Clash Music says in review of grime star Stormzy's new album 'Heavy is the Head'. Alexis Petridis chose it as his latest Album of the week, […]

A photo-portrait of UK rapper Stormzy has been hung in the London National Portrait Gallery, with Gallery director Nicholas Cullinan saying he was delighted to exhibit the portrait “as a contemporary intervention", the Bustle reports. The image by Mark Mattock features the rapper wearing a crown made up of the letters HITH, standing for 'Heavy […]

Stormzy has announced his second album - 'Heavy Is The Head' will be released on 13 December, featuring Ed Sheeran, Burna Boy, Yebba, H.E.R. and Aitch, Independent reports. The album's cover image sees bare-chested Stormzy wearing a crown and looking down at the Banksy-designed stab vest from his headlining show at Glastonbury.

Stormzy won best solo act at last night's Q Awards, The 1975 were named best act in the world today, Scottish chart-topping singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi took home the best track gong for 'Someone You Loved', while song of the decade went to Lana Del Rey for her breakthrough hit 'Video Games'. Best breakthrough act went […]

For the first time, black students made up more than 3% of new undergraduates at Cambridge University, and, partly at least, it's thanks to Stormzy. Grime artist has pledged to fund the tuition fees and living costs of two students each year, BBC reports. This year 91 black students were admitted to the university, up about […]

On his headlining set at Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Stormzy appeared with a customized stab-proof vest made by the elusive graffiti artist Banksy, a work of art set perfectly in the moment, and the one that makes sense only then and there. "It added a punch of visual tension to his verbal mash-up of modern […]

Stormzy is on Friday night, at the Pyramid Stage, as a headliner, although he has only only released one album. He is seen as a representative of black Britain and working class Britain, so the expectations are high, as BBC reports. BBC also will be bringing over 100 performances from this year's Glasto.

For black millennials in urban areas, he might be the definitive spokesperson. His success, and the wider success of grime, represents empowerment and equality in a way that established, mainstream – and yes, white – pop never can... Stormzy is far from an archetypal politician, but his influence is far-reaching. Ultimately, his support is testament […]