Stormzy is a grime artist who targets black teenage males in the UK. His album Gang Signs & Prayers reached number one on the UK music charts and he won several BRIT awards. Through his music and image, he aims to relate to and represent the experiences of young black men in lower-class London areas, drawing on conventions of grime like representations of drugs, crime, and controversial lyrics. While digital media helped him gain notice, his music has limited appeal outside the UK. He promotes himself as the face of grime through appearances, owning his own record label Merky Records, and courting controversy.

1. Audience
Appeal and Targeting:
Specific Audience – Grime music fans (black teenage
males)
Gender – Mostly male
Targeted – Previously released music through
Youtube.
Often states he wants to spread grime to as many
people as possible.
Other Literal Reponses:
Album ‘Gang Signs & Prayers’reached No.1 on UK
music charts.
Won British MaleSolo Artistat the BRIT’s as well as
best British Album in 2018.
Uses and Gratifications:
Relies on the Personal Identity aspectof the theory,
attempting to relate to his fellowyoung black men.
Seeks to also usesocial interaction and showothers
what the grime lifestyleis.
Genre
Grime conventions:
Representations of black males
Drugs, crimeand controversial lyrics
Anti-power
Narrative:
Music videos areoften minimalistic
Related to experience
Usually takeplacein lower classareas
Lyrics often give insightinto his lifein
lower classLondon.
Representation:
He is often represented as disreputable,
sometimes being referred to as ‘The
Problem’.
Magazines and Newspapers will often
highlightthe controversy in his lyrics
rather than the positivity and
background.
Stormzy
Industry
Merky Records
Digital media is very important to Stormzy’s music sinceit’s how he got noticed.
Global Appeal:
Music is mostly catered to specifically British listeners and has littleappeal to foreign listeners.
Marketing and Promotion:
Owner of his own record label.
Poster boy for the Grime genre.
Many appearances on British radiosand chatshows.Even some American ones.
Recently caused a lot of controversy at the BRIT awards by ‘dissing’Theresa May.