British grime star Stormzy is featured on the latest cover of TIME Magazine. The rapper sat down with his rottweiler Enzo and reporter Renni Eddo-Lodge to discuss his headlining set at Glastonbury this year, his publishing imprint Merky Books, and more.
Of his dedication to supporting black British culture, Stormzy said, “There’s a whole side of blackness and black Britishness that doesn’t often fall under the kind of umbrella term that everyone uses of ‘black culture.’ It’s like black culture almost becomes music, acting, sports and just kind of celebrity and whatever. I was like, Yo, there’s theater, there’s literature, books, there’s ballet.”
The rapper also spoke of the responsibility he feels to stay political as an artist. “The more I become self-aware,” he told Eddo-Lodge, “it’s like we can’t shy away from [politics]. Especially being an artist who has a platform.” Stormzy also spoke on his Glastonbury set, which made him the first black British solo artist to headline the festival: “For the first time ever in my life, maybe in my career,” he said. “I’ve achieved something and it’s given me perfect peace.”
Read the full interview here. Revisit Pitchfork’s Rising feature “Stormzy: Grime Heavyweight.”