Was Stormzy Right Or Wrong To Promote Grenfell?

The questions are mounting up at an alarming rate for Theresa May and her tenure as Prime Minister, but we doubt the 61-year-old horcrux ever expected she’d have to answer to Stormzy!

“Yo, Theresa May, where’s the money for Grenfell?”

– Stormzy

The 24-year-old rapper from Croydon has never been one to shy away from the big topics, with his lyrics often making references to taboos of the 21st Century:

“Like, man, I get low sometimes, so low sometimes/Airplane mode on my phone sometimes/Sittin’ in my house with tears in my face/Can’t answer the door to my bro sometimes.”

– Stormzy in ‘Lay Me Bare’ discussing his depression

But was the musician right to make a political stand, at a non-political event, in front of so many?

FOR

Isn’t this is what music is for? And art in general? Freedom of expression, and using the platform you’ve been given to make a difference?

After all, these high-profile events are regularly used for political stands – men and women donned black to draw attention to Time’s Up sexual harassment awareness movement, at this year’s Golden Globes; a movement that Frances McDormand, star of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, went even further with and opted against:

“I have a little trouble with compliance, but I want you to know that I stand in full solidarity with my sisters tonight in black.

“I also want to stay that I appreciate a well organised act of civil disobedience.

“I’m thrilled that activists all over the world have been inspired by the set decoration of the Three Billboards in Martin’s film and have taken to the streets and let it be a part of the positive public discourse that’s happening.”

– Frances McDormand on not wearing an all black outfit

After the terrible tragedy of Grenfell Tower in June, ‘Grenfell Tower’ has trended on Twitter, for the whole of the United Kingdon, for just four days since the initial shock subsided – with the last time coming on the 14th December 2017 – and that is despite the fact that 18 families didn’t receive payments earmarked for Christmas costs, and it took three months for more than 15% of the money to be released.

But now, thanks to Stormzy’s performance, Grenfell Tower is the highest trending topic in the United Kingdom – 41.7k tweets and rising – and the second largest trend worldwide – hopefully the remaining 145 households that are without permanent accommodation (from the original 207) will no longer be a forgotten number.

With so many questions still unanswered, with so much accountability yet to be taken, we are all talking about something that never should’ve been forgotten about in the first place.

AGAINST

According to Wikipedia, The Brit Awards is: ‘British Phonographic Industry’s annual pop music awards.’ so, we suppose, if you came for the music and ended up thinking you were at a political rally – Blur’s Damon Albarn also used his moment to discuss the politics around Brexit – you’d be a bit miffed.

However, that’s us clutching at straws. But thankfully, that’s not the worst take to be had on Stormzy’s performance:

Conclusion

Stormzy has encouraged a whole generation to vote against Theresa May; young, black, respected and an audience to millions.

Arise, Sir Stormzy.

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