📍Thornton Heath, Croydon, London CR7, UK
1993 – 2011“Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. was born in July 1993 in Thornton Heath, a suburb of Croydon in south London, and grew up in nearby South Norwood with his Ghanaian mother, his brother and two sisters. His father, a taxi driver, was not around much, and his mother, a strong Christian, worked several jobs to raise the family. He has written lovingly about her and about the faith she gave him. He was a clever, cheeky, energetic boy who loved football and did very well at school, getting top marks; a music teacher remembered that he even considered applying to Oxford. His secondary school, Stanley Technical High School, was struggling, and when he was in Year 10 it was taken over and became Harris Academy South Norwood. He started rapping at eleven, battling other kids in the playground, and listening to grime pioneers like Wiley and Kano. He later studied for an apprenticeship in Leamington Spa and worked in quality assurance at an oil refinery near Southampton, making music in his spare time. He began posting freestyles on YouTube, and his Wicked Skengman series and Shut Up made him famous. His debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, in 2017, was the first grime album to reach number one in the UK, and in 2019 he became the first Black British solo artist to headline Glastonbury. He funds the Stormzy Scholarship for Black students at the University of Cambridge, and Croydon and South Norwood are proud of him.”
🗺️ Approximate location today
📍 Street view today