Entertainment

Drake, Ed Sheeran and Jeremy Corbyn praise Stormzy’s Glastonbury performance

Corbyn said the set will ‘go down in our country’s cultural history’.
Corbyn said the set will ‘go down in our country’s cultural history’. Corbyn said the set will ‘go down in our country’s cultural history’.

Drake, Ed Sheeran and Jeremy Corbyn were among those congratulating Stormzy for his headline set at Glastonbury.

The Croydon-born grime artist, 25, became the first black British solo artist to headline the famous festival when he took to the Pyramid Stage on Friday night.

Glastonbury Festival 2019 – Day 3
Glastonbury Festival 2019 – Day 3 Stormzy made history with his headline slot at Glastonbury (Aaron Chown/PA)

He delivered a powerful and at times political performance, taking to the stage in a stab vest embellished with a Union Jack, an apparent nod to London’s knife crime epidemic.

Stormzy’s set has been praised as a huge moment for British rap while Labour leader Corbyn said it will “go down in our country’s cultural history”.

He said: “Tonight @Stormzy made history by being the first black solo British headliner at Glastonbury.

“The performance was political, iconic and the ballet was beautifully powerful. It won’t just go down in Glastonbury history – it’ll go down in our country’s cultural history. #Glasto2019.

Sheeran said Stormzy, real name Michael Omari, was “an inspiration to many”.

Alongside a picture of the rapper on stage, he wrote: “First black British solo artist to headline Glastonbury, second youngest to ever headline, and just an inspiration to so many.

“This is just the start, congrats big Mike, looking forward to see you do more achievements like this”

Writing on his Instagram story, Canadian rapper Drake, himself a fan of the British grime scene, said: “@Stormzy headlining Glastonbury and that. Madness congrats.”

Stormzy’s girlfriend, the TV presenter Maya Jama, tweeted: “ICONICCCCCCCC.”

Alongside a picture of Stormzy, Tottenham-born rapper Wretch 32 tweeted: “Champions league the league of champions.”

Hip-hop star Konan, another from the London grime scene, said: “This crazy man the feeling I have in my chest right now watching this I have to watch this again.”

Grime star Giggs shared a picture of Stormzy’s performance to Instagram.

And Labour MP for Tottenham, David Lammy, praised Stormzy for sampling a speech he had given about black men and the justice system.

He tweeted: “@stormzy using his headline spot at #glastonburyfestival2019 to speak out about the injustice of young black kids being criminalised in a biased and disproportionate justice system. Humbled and inspired that he sampled my speech. Salute #Merky.”