Stormzy, perhaps the giantest giant in the booming UK rap field, just released his relatively introspective album This Is What I Mean at the end of last year, and it sure seems like he’s gearing up for another project. In the past few weeks, Stormzy has released three singles: “Toxic Trait” with Fredo, “The Weekend” with Raye, and “Longevity Flow” with no guests but with Tom Cruise in the video. Today, he’s got another one.
Stormzy’s new single “Angel In The Marble” is one long hook-free verse. Over a hazy, soul-sampling beat, Stormzy talks reflectively about his own greatness. In the opening lines, he teases whatever he’s got coming up: “We still get the work in large amounts/ There’s somethin’ comin’ that I can’t announce.” From there, he devotes the next few minutes to magisterial flexing and motivational up-from-nothing talk: “I from South London where them boys die by the hundreds/ No one taught us how to mourn, so we go print ’em on our jumpers,” “They take shots, but I buck through it/ I dodge through it like I’m Rod Stewart.”
I tend to prefer Stormzy when he’s rapping in tight, focused bursts. Here, he’s got a conversational above-it-all delivery that reminds me of Black Album-era Jay-Z. What can I say, though? The guy can rap. The “Angel In The Marble” video was filmed at Stormzy’s fancy 30th-birthday gala, and it’s got appearances from lots of luminaries who you probably won’t recognize unless you’re British. Check it out below.
