An Interview with Stormin MC
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Few people can lift a crowd the way Stormin can.
One of the most distinctive voices in grime and DnB, he is a masterful solo MC and was a member of one of the grime scene’s founding collectives, N.A.S.T.Y Crew.
Rest in Power Stormin MC (15 February 1984 – 19 February 2018).
An east London native, Stomin’s family brought him up with jungle. From a young age, Stormin understood that it would be difficult for an MC to break into the drum and bass scene.
However, his equally strong passion for Grime music allowed him to make inroads into live performance, and over the years, regular slots on Déjà Vu FM propelled Stormin into the spotlight. His Monday night show featured then up-and-coming special guests like Dizzee Rascal and Durrty Goodz.
As an original member of N.A.S.T.Y Crew – alongside famed artists such as D Double, Footsie, Kano and Jammer – plus gaining more exposure through mission FM, Déjà Vu FM, KISS FM and Radio 1, Stormin’s name entered mainstream consciousness. At this point, he decided to go after the drum and bass scene.
Networking with a vengeance under the tutelage of MC Shabba D, a close friend of his uncle, Stormin began to grasp opportunities to take the microphone at events with increasing frequency. Interest grew in the rising star and a few years later at the 2016 Drum and Bass Awards, he picked up the awards for Best Crowd Hype DnB MC and Best DnB Group (SaSaSaS).
That same year, Stormin revealed to his fans that he was battling stage 2 skin cancer, which had spread to his neck. But this hardly slowed the man down. His album, #BRB (Be Right Back) addresses his battle with cancer directly and was made in the studio, usually with a towel over his head.
We sat down with Stormin to talk about how cannabis has helped him in life and work and how it is perceived in the London grime and drum and bass scene.
Hi Stormin, great to have you here.
First up, How long have you been making music?
I’ve been making music for around 12 years. Before that I was just an MC trying to find myself.
We’ve heard your tracks across different genres, mainly grime but also some Drum n Bass. What’s your favourite type of music to rave to and why?
Rave-wise it really depends on my mood. If I’m in a hype mood I may want to hear some Drum and Bass, or some dancehall. If it’s been a long day I may want to rave to some grime.
And do you have a preference spitting over grime or DNB?
See that’s hard… No, I can’t choose. I love one as much as the other.
Thanks for getting us hooked on five-pound munch, that episode was brilliant. How was filming that, and do you remember what you blazed up after?
Filming 5-pound munch was jokes because it was very new. I had not seen an episode before so it was straight up no fake stuff. Me and Lordie get on so well and we had fun doing that. And after I’m sure I was smoking the Green Gurus velvet cookies.
The King L Challenge also looked really fun. Where was that filmed?
That was filmed in friend of mines smoke major.
How big is cannabis consumption within the UK grime scene?
As far as I know, it’s very huge. It helps elevate the mind when writing lyrics and as you probably know a lot of us like Footsy, Big Narstie D Double, Chip, Skepta and a few others use it regularly.
And when did you first start consuming cannabis?
Very young but I do not promote smoking to any under 18.. that is fully prohibited!
Great point Stormin – cannabis should be enjoyed by adults, of course!
You recently spoke out about your skin cancer which must have been tough – did you use cannabis medicinally during this period?
Yep I used it all the way through and it helped me so much – I had creams that helped shrink the tumour I had, and while going through radiotherapy it also helped me eat when I couldn’t eat a thing and helped me sleep.
What did your family think of that and has it changed their perception of cannabis?
My mum hated it 100%, but now she understands it is a medicine. The media have always spoken about it like it like it’s a drug and really it’s medicine.
How did the cannabis help you medicinally?
As mentioned above it helped a lot. It helped when I couldn’t eat or sleep and to free my mind and be at one with myself.
What do you think about the current cannabis laws and what would you like to see in the UK?
I think it really needs to step up and it’s time they legalise cannabis. It helps and can help so many lives.
What are your favourite flavours at the moment?
At the moment there are so many UK flavours – I like Holy Grail, Grapefruit Diesel, ODV3 and the US strains like Gelato and Sunset Sherbert.
Big up for the Holy Grail love! That’s an ISMOKE favourite.
What’s your favourite weed consumption method, and has it always been that way?
I’m a papers man always have been and always will be.
What’s your favourite location to visit and why?
Amsterdam is always nice. Spain, and also the Dominican Republic is absolutely beautiful
Your track “Bag of Ganja” is clearly inspired by the herb! When did that come out and have you made more music directly inspired by cannabis recently?
That came out about 3 years ago and since then I’ve put out 2 CDs called STRAINS 1 and 2. Next, I have a CD called Dabbing and Leen.
Where can our viewers find you online?
I’m on Twitter and Instagram as @storminmc, or they can go to my website www.storminmc.com. I also have a Facebook page.
Great. And finally, what have you got in store this year with your music and other projects that we should know about?
I’m touring with the rest of my SaSaSaS team and I’m releasing a drum and bass 45-minute mix cd called COSTA DEL BUSS IT mixed by Mollie Collins. I’m always working on my next cd Dabbing and Leen for my smokers and my next album coming out at the end of the year.
Thanks for joining us Stormin!