He’s the darling of the UK rap scene after shooting to fame 10 years ago and winning millions of fans along the way with his philanthropic pursuits alongside chart-topping hits.
However, the tide may be turning on Croydon-born Stormzy, 31, who has suffered career and reputation blows in recent months.
When he broke onto the scene in 2014, he quickly became one of the most famour faces in grime, propelled by his relationship with presenter Maya Jama, who was also establishing herself as a golden girl within showbusiness.
However, the rapper has run into some stumbling blocks after his A-list relationship ended – with a rebrand attempt that has been dubbed an ‘expensive error’ and an endorsement deal that has turned thousands of his own fans against him.
Once one of the most revered artists currently making music in the UK, Stormzy now finds his face plastered on sneering posters being plastered around London as he’s accused of ‘selling out’ – and has reportedly gained an embarrassing new nickname along the way.
Stormzy had a meteoric rise to fame in 2014, starting out as an independent artist and releasing his debut album through his #Merky Records, before signing to Warner and later being poached by Universal Records in 2020 for £10 million.
Gang Signs and Prayer, released in 2017 sold 310,000 copies, followed by his most popular album to date, Heavy is the Head, which sold 320,000 albums worldwide in 2019. His first EP, Dreamers Disease, earned him a MOBO Award for Best Grime Act.
Universal signed Stormzy so he could help the relaunch of its Def Jam label, which was once home to Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys – with his name considered a dead-cert success at a time when everything he touched turned to gold.
Stormzy appears to be loosening his grip over his fans following a change in musical style and a brand deal with McDonald’s (seen on stage during Glastonbury Festival in 2019)
However, it has recently been reported that the rapper’s switch to the gospel sound has fallen somewhat flat, leaving bosses at Universal reeling.
A source told MailOnline: ‘What Universal hadn’t expected was that in his first album for them, Stormzy would insist on dropping his trademark hard rapping style and instead attempt to sing his way through an album of Christian-influenced songs.
‘People are now calling him the Cliff Richard of hip hop.
‘His new album was expected to provide the perfect launch pad for Universal’s new Def Jam label, but its poor performance is now being blamed for the decision in recent weeks to make big job cuts at the label.’
Expectations were high after both his rap albums had gone platinum, but This Is What I Mean, a gospel-led sound, only sold 60,000 copies, dwarfed in comparison to his previous projects.
Meanwhile, Stormzy’s most recent single, Backbone, in collaboration with Chase and Status, sold 400,000 copies and shot to number one – in a signal that fans want him to stick to his musical roots.
TikTok user @ainyainz shared an image of a Stormzy poster in north London, which appears to be defaced with the writing ‘sellout’
Fans branded the 31-year-old rapper a hypocrite after teamed up with McDonald’s towards the end of last month
Pictured: Behind the scenes images of Stormzy’s orchestral version of ‘Firebabe’ at Abbey Road Studios in London
Fans of his earlier British rap felt alienated by the latest gospel led album and slammed the artist for doing, ‘The exact opposite of what we wanted from him’.
The Croydon-born rapper’s current woes don’t end with his musical re-styling – as an endorsement deal with McDonald’s has also landed Stormzy in hot water with his fans.
McDonald’s announced the collaboration – The Stormzy Meal, which includes nine chicken nuggets, fries, BBQ dips, a Sprite Zero, and an Oreo McFlurry or apple pie – at the end of last month.
In response to the collaboration, fans have accused the rapper of ‘selling out’ and abandoning his philanthropic principles by signing a deal with the fast food giant.
Many fans also took issue with his choice of partnership after critics of Israel began a movement to boycott McDonald’s when its Israeli franchise pledged to feed the IDF for free amid war with Hamas.
Fans have blasted the British rapper on social media after he allegedly deleted a post from a year ago (pictured)
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged Stormzy to sever his ties with McDonald’s (pictured together at the GQ Men of the Year Awards, London, 2017)
The rapper’s latest album, which traded grime for gospel, sold less copies than his previous releases
Fans shared a screengrab of a post shared on Stormzy’s Instagram in 2023 which read: ‘I hope everyone is good, some fleeting thoughts.
‘1. Free Palestine. 2. In the future, if there is ever a clear injustice in the world no matter how big or small, 100 times out of 100 I will always be on the side of the oppressed. Unequivocally. As I always have been.’
The post has since vanished from his page, though it is unclear when or why it was removed.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also waded in, branding the partnership ‘hugely disappointing.’
Corbyn publicly urged Stormzy to sever ties with McDonald’s, releasing an open letter through the Peace & Justice Project.
‘Stormzy’s decision to partner with McDonald’s allows them to culture-wash their reputation as caterers of genocide in Gaza,’ it reads, before calling on him to ‘stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people’ by ending his deal.
The letter also encouraged fans to write directly to Stormzy’s management team, urging him to drop McDonald’s.
Fans took to X to share their thoughts on the decision, with many criticising the business move.
Meanwhile, a billboard of Stormzy’s McDonald’s campaign in north London, shared by TikTok user Ainy, who goes by @ainyainz, was defaced with the words ‘sellout’.
Following the backlash, Stormzy took to Instagram to set the record straight and denied the allegations that he deleted a pro-Palestine post from Instagram for the partnership
‘The people of north London have spoken,’ Ainy added in the caption.
Stormzy broke his silence days later and denied allegations that he deleted the post for the McDonald’s partnership.
He said he did not delete the post but archived it along with many others on his page and insisted that he doesn’t work with brands who tell him what to do.
The rapper wrote: ‘Hey guys, I wanted to address some twisted narrative that has been circulating online this past week.
‘Firstly, I didn’t archive the post where I came out in support of Palestine for any reason outside of me archiving loads of IG posts last year.
‘In that post, I spoke about #FreePalestine, oppression and injustice and my stance on this has not changed.
‘The brands I work with can’t tell me what to do and don’t tell me what to do otherwise I wouldn’t work with them.
‘I do my own research on all brands I work with, gather my own information, form my own opinion and come to my own conclusion before doing business.’
The 31-year-old said he felt the need to put out a statement because people were ‘hurt’ by the news circulating.
He went on: ‘I’m writing this because I know there are people out there who have supported me and rooted for me who are genuinely confused and hurt by what they think has happened and I want to give those people clarity, so I hope this helps.
‘I understand it must feel disappointing and disheartening when it seems like someone you’ve championed has compromised their beliefs for commercial gain, but this isn’t the case here.
‘Social media and the internet quickly pass judgment without full context. While I want to continue to be open and honest, I prefer not to respond immediately to every misunderstanding or clear up every false narrative that surrounds my name. Lots of love, Stormz.’