London-born rapper Stormzy has become one of the most successful stars to emerge from the British Hip Hop scene. With multiple Number Ones on the UK Official Albums Chart, the Grime legend established himself as an A-list act in the United Kingdom.
While joining Tems for an episode of Apple Music 1’s Leading Vibe Radio, Stormzy spoke about how an American Hip Hop legend’s take on ego inspired him. He reflected on Jay-Z’s classic 2017 studio LP titled 4:44.
“There’s a Jay-Z lyric, one of my favorite Jay-Z lyrics. It’s on 4:44 and the first song on that album is called ‘Kill Jay-Z’ where he talks about killing his ego,” recalls Stormzy. “And on the same album, on ‘Bam’, he says, ‘Sometimes you need your ego, gotta remind these fools.'”
The entertainer born Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. continued, “And I feel like that lyric mad resonates with man, both sides of it. Killing your ego. Mad resonates with me. Also, sometimes you need your ego because as much as ego is a hindrance, it’s a reminder of yourself, of who you are. I think that’s important sometimes.”
Both Stormzy & Jay-Z Created Respective Critically-Acclaimed Bodies Of Work
Jay-Z’s 4:44 earned widespread critical praise upon its release. The LP received nominations for Best Rap Album and Album Of The Year at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. 4:44 spent two weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and received Platinum certification from the RIAA.
Stormzy’s own album catalog contains 2017’s Gang Signs & Prayer and 2019’s Heavy Is the Head. The 28-year-old rhymer won the British Album Of The Year honor for Gang Signs & Prayer at the 2018 Brit Awards.
Back in 2019, Stormzy made an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show. He told a story about being in the recording studio with Ed Sheeran and Jay-Z. Apparently, Sheeran’s “Take Me Back To London” with Stormzy nearly featured Jay as well. However, Stormzy admitted to turning down that chance to collaborate with the Roc Nation founder.
