Stormzy returned today, debuting the fantastic film for his project ‘Gang Signs & Prayer’ with Rollo Jackson serving as director. Premiering at the YouTube Space London and on YouTube, the short film is produced by Somesuch x The FADER and allows Stormzy fans to delve deeper into the artist’s life than ever before. Blending the narrative of his career with live performances and experiences that fans won’t yet have seen, the piece is truly something special. Check it out below:
“Young youts like myself, that grow up in the hood, we often don’t know that we are actually the masters of our own destiny,” says Stormzy. “There are so many things that steer us in the wrong direction however, we decide what happens in our own lives and like my album, I endeavoured for this film to portray just that.
“Derived from my album ‘Gang Signs & Prayer’, and written and directed by the legend that is Rollo, I’ll let the visual do the talking.”
Having been marginalised for years, grime is a genre of music that found a home on YouTube and from that point, just grew and grew. Now, millions flock to discover new grime artists, with Stormzy one of their only constants. He’s garnered an impressive 85 million views on his YouTube channel this year alone.
Global Head of Music at YouTube, Lyor Cohen comments: “Grime is one of the most exciting genres in the world and I’m ecstatic that trailblazers like Stormzy are garnering the success and recognition they deserve. The rise of grime is a perfect example of how YouTube is a place for artists to express themselves creatively and a democratic platform to access a global fanbase.
“We want to help both artists and the industry make the most of technology, and this project is an ideal symbol of that: a groundbreaking film that blends music, art and story in new ways and it’s accessible to all on YouTube.”
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