Stormzy just set the standard for bringing God to secular spaces

Two artists boldly proclaimed their faith while accepting their awards at the BRITs this past weekend.

The first was Ezra Collective founder and drummer Femi Koleoso, and the second was rapper Stormzy. 

“I would like to thank God”, but which one?

While both of these artists do not create exclusively Christian music and are prominent figures in the mainstream music industry, they have both been bold about their faith position.

In a world that is increasingly embracing spirituality in a generic sense, it is even more important to be clear about who the God you serve is. We live in a moment when “god” is very much open to interpretation. So Femi and Stormzy did Christians a great service when they were clear about the God they believe in. 

The Grime artist Stormzy began his acceptance speech for best HipHop/Grime/Rap act with: “Firstly I say thank you Jesus, Thank You Jesus, Thank you Jesus. And I want to be very clear about the God I serve. That’s Jesus Christ, Yahweh, The God of Abraham - That’s my God”.

But his praise to God didn’t stop there. He went on to read Psalm 138:8 which says, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. His steadfast love, O Lord, ensures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hand”. After reading the scripture Stormzy said: “I just wanted to say that on stage because my Jesus is doing a work in me and he ain’t done doing that work in me so thank you Lord for using me as a vessel. Thank you Lord.”

This wasn’t the first time Stormzy was open about his faith. He is perhaps best known in Christian circles for ‘Blinded By Your Grace Pt 2’ which has often been used by church worship teams. We also learned a lot about his Christian faith from his Louis Theroux interview in 2022. That same year he released a song, ‘Holy Spirit’ which includes the lyrics, “Holy Spirit, show me the way / Hold me with your tightest embrace, oh Lord, you / You will never lead me astray / Now I am no longer afraid”.

Meanwhile, on the night, the co-founder of Jazz band Ezra Collective and drummer for Gorilaz, Femi Koleoso said, “First and foremost let me thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” while picking up Ezra Collective’s award for Band of the Year. 

Sacred in the secular

These two artists serve as examples of how it is possible to still be open about your faith in mainstream spaces.

Sometimes, there is a sentiment that speaking about faith is a controversial no-go. However, more and more we are seeing public figures speak boldly about their faith on mainstream stages, which is amazing to see. It helps advance the gospel and also gives emerging Christian creatives the confidence to share their faith in the art they create, as well as the conversations they have with collaborators.   

Stormzy and Femi are leading the way 

A blueprint to follow 

Celebrity creatives such as Stormzy and Femi are leading the way in showing us Christian creatives that we shouldn’t be afraid to share our faith, no matter the setting in which we find ourselves. In fact, it should be even easier to do so today in a world where everyone can create their own platform through social media. Whether it’s a podcast or an Instagram page, there is space to express yourself creatively while crediting your creator for the ability to do so.  

Christians should rejoice at moments like these where Jesus’ name is platformed and credited for artwork.