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Music

Stormzy's 'Gang Signs & Prayer' Film Is an Emotional Look at His Journey

The Rollo Jackson-directed short just premiered in London and features three tracks from Stormzy's debut album.

Stop what you're doing for a second. Ask yourself this: am I a person who likes music? If so, continue. How about this: are you also someone who likes films, or artsy short films in particular? Great news – you're in for a real treat. Bonus points if you love any of the following: Danny Brown's "Dip" video; Stormzy; black-and-white slow-motion; Angel Haze's "A Tribe Called Red" video; again, Stormzy; grime; sensual lighting.

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This is all because Stormzy's just put out a Gang Signs & Prayer short film, directed by Rollo Jackson (the guy behind all those videos we just listed, among many more). He premiered the short in London earlier this evening, and since YouTube were involved, it's now streaming in full. "Young youts like myself that grow up in the hood," Stormzy said, "we often don't know that we are actually the masters of our own destiny. There are so many things that steer us in the wrong direction – however, we decide what happens in our own lives". And like his album, Stormzy said he hoped this film could help write some of those experiences into history. Watch it at the top of the page, bop to tracks like "Return of the Rucksack", "100 Bags" and "Bad Boys" and soak in how actors Abdul Basit and David Alade embody Stormzy back when he was a young'un.

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