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Linkin Park seem delighted to have Stormzy feature on their new album

Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park have a verse from one of the UK’s biggest artists on their forthcoming album One More Light.
Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park have a verse from one of the UK’s biggest artists on their forthcoming album One More Light. Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park have a verse from one of the UK’s biggest artists on their forthcoming album One More Light.

Linkin Park are gearing up to release their new album One More Light and it features a guest spot from one of music’s biggest names right now – Stormzy.

The MC recently shot to number one in the UK with debut album Gang Signs & Prayer, and Chester Bennington of Linkin Park revealed they had no idea he was about to get so huge when they approached him to take part on the album.

BeBoxMusicHang on a minute, Linkin Park & Stormzy have a track together?

The collaboration came about because Bennington and Mike Shinoda are fans of the grime don, the band members told Be Box Music.

“It required us reaching out saying ‘Hey, we like Stormzy, here’s a track – if you would like to participate on it that would be awesome’. Apparently he was like, ‘Yeah’.

“That wasn’t that difficult but we knew of Stormzy, that’s why we reached out to him, and we like Stormzy and we think that he’s dope. Little did we know that he was about to take over the world.”

Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington of Linkin Park perform during day two of the 2014 Download Festival
Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington of Linkin Park perform during day two of the 2014 Download Festival
(Lewis Stickley/PA)

It wasn’t all plain sailing though – it actually took a while before Stormzy sent his verse through, and they wondered whether they were going to receive it at all.

“We just kept hearing ‘yeah he’s super into the track, he’s just really busy right now’”, Bennington said.

Shinoda added: “Part of the reason that was happening was because he’s not well known in the US at all, so the fact was we were seeing it from the US side being like ‘okay, what’s he doing?’ Over here everyone knows he’s super busy!”

The new album, out on May 19, also features a verse from G.O.O.D. Music chief Pusha T, which judging from the interview might even be on the same track as Stormzy. That would be something to witness.