6 times Stormzy proved that he isn't too big for his boots
Stormzy got pretty starstruck over Ronan Keating at the GQ Awards
You're never too big for Boyzone.
He scored a No.1 with Gang Signs & Prayer, making it the first grime album to bag the UK top spot, and broke the UK record for the most first week streams in chart history (a record previously held by Drake's Views).
But if you thought Stormzy (real name: Michael Omari) was planning on getting too big for his boots anytime soon, you'd be wrong. From being an Adele superfan to booking out Thorpe Park for his birthday, here are six pieces of definitive proof that Stormzy couldn't be keeping it more real.
1. When he got starstruck over Ronan Keating
Here's what went down: Stormzy attended the 2017 GQ Awards where he scooped the gong for best solo artist (congrats!), gave a sterling acceptance speech and then proceeded to get a selfie with, well, everyone. Including none other than - you guessed it - Ronan Keating.
Misspelling Ronan's name in the process (time for that edit button yet, Twitter?), Stormzy took to the timeline to convey how monumental this meeting was. You can tick Boyzone off the bucketlist now, Mike.
2. When he donated £9k to a student's crowdfunding campaign
In an incredible display of realness (and, y'know, heart-warming generosity), Stormzy made Fiona Asiedu's dream come true when he donated a whopping £9,000 to her crowdfunding campaign. The UK student set up the donation page with the hopes of funding her Human and Development Studies at Harvard. Thanks to Stormzy, Fiona smashed her £12k target.
3. When he loved Adele as much as the rest of us
There's no doubt about it: the love between these two is strong. Adele gave Stormzy a shout-out on her tour back in 2K16 before dedicating a song to him (the song was Make You Feel My Love, in case you're still not convinced that these two are the real deal) and, in turn, Stormzy shouted out the mega-star in Big For Your Boots ("You're never too big for Adele").
Fast forward a year and Adele and Stormzy are hanging out backstage after his show in Brixton, where Adele spent the evening skanking with Stormzy's mum. True story. True love.
4. When he called out a magazine
Lay Me Bare - a track from Gang Signs & Prayer - references Stormzy's battle with depression ("like man’a get low sometimes, so low sometimes, Airplane mode on my phone sometimes") and the star has made a point of being vocal about his mental health in the hopes of helping others.
But when a magazine used his image, without his permission, to promote their issue on the subject, Stormzy was less than impressed. He called out the magazine for being exploitative and using his story to make money, tweeting: "...using my face as a poster boy for it to sell your magazine is so foul and below the belt... I should at least have a say in whether my face is used for a campaign. I've no issue with sharing my story but, with my permission!"
5. When he took over Thorpe Park for his birthday
If you weren't present for the hype that was #StormzyBirthdayBash, check out the hashtag now and educate yourself. In short: Stormzy booked out Thorpe Park for the day to celebrate his birthday - taking 200 of his friends and fans with him - and ended the bash with a surprise gig featuring Section Boyz, Novelist and Santan Dave.
6. When he well and truly hooked a fan up
Picture this: you bought tickets to see Stormzy in Brighton, made the journey and then - shock horror - realise that you've left the ticket at home. Nightmare, right? Well, not necessarily...
It all worked out pretty well for one group of guys after Stormzy came to the rescue, putting their friend's name on the door and, undoubtedly, solidifying their love for the star. In a word: epic.
