Stormzy discussed the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement while redecorating a teenage boy’s bedroom, so of course the video of it is going viral.
Another day, another class act from Stormzy.
In the past few months alone, the grime artist has made a £10m donation to fight racial inequality, called out the music industry’s problem with female artists and shared a heartfelt message to the Grenfell Tower community three years after the fire tragedy.
Now, he is going viral again in a new video.
In the BBC video, Stormzy joins Good Guys Decorating – a social enterprise that dedicates a premium charge made by paying clients to providing free decorating for people in need. He helps them redecorate the bedroom of 15-year-old Ishae from Croydon.
“Cyle [from Good Guys Decorating] is already doing a remarkable thing,” Stormzy explained. “What he’s doing today is way more giving and way more thoughtful than me coming for 30 minutes and being a part of it.
“If I weren’t doing this today – well I’ve got a meeting to be fair – but after that I’d play some FIFA, or go walk my dogs. So instead of a bit of FIFA, I come do something great. “
But beyond promoting this brilliant initiative, Stormzy had another key message to share.
Discussing the Black Lives Matter movement, he said this isn’t “some sort of trend” and discussed why it’s so important we continue “standing together cheering”.
“We’ve been going down to the protest,” he said. “I haven’t been going there to grab the mic. I’ve just been saying, ‘Yo, this is sick. I’m happy everyone is here.
“I feel like I don’t have any answers. A lot of people don’t have answers. But we’re all just getting together, we’re all just standing together cheering.”
Stormzy continued: “One thing I really want this movement to do is show what it means to be black. You hear so much rhetoric you know, ‘All lives matter, why do black lives matter more?’. And it’s like, ‘Bruv, do you not understand?’
“If we weren’t oppressed, we wouldn’t be shouting. We would be living our lives. I want you to understand that we are not just crying or just shouting or acting like ‘black lives matter’ – this is a real pain, this ain’t some sort of trend.
“This is real life and this has been our reality for hundreds, thousands of year.”
It’s no wonder the video is going viral on Twitter.
“Walking into your bedroom to find Stormzy decorating it because your school selected you for your good behaviour,” wrote one Twitter user. “Do you know how many young black school kids this will inspire and encourage? Love this initiative @Goodguysdecor.”
Labout MP Jane Daby added: “Not all heroes wear capes. Some paint rooms: @Goodguysdecor #Stormzy.”
And, as writer Caitlin Moran points out, “Stormzy is just a perpetual good news cycle”.
We can’t put it any better than that.
Images: Getty
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