Stormzy

Gang Signs & Prayer

As an independent artist he’s created a something that feels deliberately empowering and doesn’t revel in novelty. But then Omari’s not just one of the best lyricists in the UK right now, he’s also someone who packs his bars tightly with logic, values and humour.

This is an emphatic debut from a rapper that could take Grime to commercial heights it’s rarely seen ... Grime is growing up, and Stormzy is gracefully towering above the rest.

His peculiar mix of antagonism and soul-searching may not be enough to convert non-believers, but this bold, ambitious debut suggests that grime has found its most accomplished ambassador yet.

Nothing feels contrived or forced — the grittier tracks bang as they should and the insular, reflective moments are offered up with genuine emotional weight. Take it or leave it, the release of GSAP is a monumental moment for UK music. Now let’s see where Stormzy, and grime, go from here.

It’s not a perfect debut – it’s slightly too long for one thing, and there are a couple of points where it sags – but it sounds like an album teeming with original, daring ideas.

Both sides of Gang Signs & Prayer come to a head on pointed closer "Lay Me Bare," in which he writes about depression and his absentee father. Far from a weakness, that vulnerability brings welcome depth to Stormzy's explosive and emotional debut.

Gang Signs & Prayer does a brilliant job of introducing the world to the full scope of his talent, dismissing any notion of him being a one-trick pony. This is the work of a man who is comfortable pushing his craft to the limits and blurring the boundaries. It’s not perfect – it’s too disjointed for that bold tag – but the ambition is extraordinary.

Both hard and soft, belligerent yet spiritual, Gang Signs & Prayer reveals a vulnerability belied by his 6-foot 5-inch frame and menacing glare.