Stormzy This Is What I Mean Def Jam vinyl record Special Discount

Hip Hop, R&B , Gospel & Grime – limited Clear Vinyl 2xLP (indie exclusive) Version
With his newest outing ‘This Is What I Mean’, it’s clear Sormzy has significantly developed from platinum debut ‘Gang Signs & Prayer’ and even ascended his follow-up ‘Heavy Is The Head’ in both incendiary prose and dynamic drive. While there are elements of classic british grime in the mix (and at some points it’s more classic than others), there is an orchestral intensity and untethered creativity that could only have come from the man himself, effortlessly spanning soul and funk, with more than a toe in moern R&B. ‘Hide & Seek’ in particular flips the script a little, featuring some of his most melodic work to date with lounge keys and infrequent electronic percussion propping up the undeniably talented vocal performances and falling somewhere between the familiar lounging groove of his less scathing pieces and the fiery grime beats of olde.
Stormzy’s strength has always been centred around his ability to inject a conversational familiarity into the most note-perfect performance, coming across as both intensely honest and self-effacingly funny while remaining unfalteringly skilled and in-the-moment. This is possibly the most noticeable on ‘This Is What I Mean’, surpassing his previous outings in cinematic scope, and conceptual intensity. An important release, undoubtedly but most of all a *really* great listen. ‘There’s a Lot To The Vibe’ he sings, hitting the nail on the head once again and cementing his place in music history.
Stormzy has risen up from being one of the baddest underground mic men on the streets of London to pretty much being a national treasure all before he is thirty. He is a grime pin-up who has helped establish the genre on the world stage but who has also moved on from it in recent times. He has proven himself to be as able to open his heart and sing tender tones as spit about spats with Wiley. His dazzling wordsmithery, unrestrained attacks on the British government and support from disadvantaged young Black people have made him the voice of a generation and we are lucky to have him. This new album finds him opening his heart and being more honest and vulnerable than ever.