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		</div><p>Stormzy has said it feels “way too heavy and too overwhelming” and that he has found his “purpose” after being hailed as a trailblazer by Time magazine.</p>
<p>The London-born grime star was chosen by the publication for its 2019 Next Generation Leaders list along with activists, innovators and artists who are “shaping the world”.</p>
<p>He also appears on its front cover, an achievement the Vossi Bop star has said is one of his “absolute proudest moments”.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-141560" src="https://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/57670970-8e71-451c-be82-154a41e3d4e5.jpg" alt="Stormzy on the cover of Time Magazine" width="600" height="440" /></p>
<p>Stormzy, real name Michael Omari, wrote on Instagram: <em>“I can’t even comprehend this. I am on the cover of TIME. I’ve stared at this cover for a few minutes and it feels like one of those ‘how the f*** did man get here?!’ moments.</em></p>
<p><em>“God’s favour and the everlasting love and support you guys show me has elevated me to a place in life where this South London kid is worthy enough to grace the cover of the most prestigious publication in the World.</em></p>
<p><em>“This is a huge honour – one of TIME’s Next Generation Leaders. I wanna thank God for purpose – I say this because anyone who knows me knows how much I shy away from being anything other than ‘Mike’.”</em></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">It was an honour to profile <a href="https://twitter.com/stormzy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stormzy</a> for the cover of <a href="https://twitter.com/TIME?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TIME</a>. We had such an interesting chat about his music, advocacy, and his deliberate intentions to share the limelight with Black British talent. An iconic cover image, too! <a href="https://t.co/3xcNmMgVj7">https://t.co/3xcNmMgVj7</a> <a href="https://t.co/EJfpNYlm1l">pic.twitter.com/EJfpNYlm1l</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Reni Eddo-Lodge (@renireni) <a href="https://twitter.com/renireni/status/1182279344586215429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The 26-year-old rapper added: <em>“On a deeper, honest one the thought of being a ‘role model’ or ‘leader’ or whatever it is feels way way way too heavy and too overwhelming and a lot of the time I think nahhhh f*** all that I ain’t no-one’s anything lol I can’t even bare (sic) the weight of being myself let alone any of these other titles so everyone get off me I ain’t s*** lol.</em></p>
<p><em>“I am deeply flawed and still learning how to be a man and still figuring out how to grow into the person I need to be but within all of that confusion and all the juggling of being a human and trying to be a superhuman – I have purpose.</em></p>
<p><em>“And my purpose has lead me here. Big Mike for TIME ya na.”</em></p>
<p>Time contributor and author Reni Eddo-Lodge, who interviewed Stormzy – who this year became the first black British solo artist to ever headline Glastonbury Festival and who has launched his own publishing imprint to help young writers become published authors – for the issue, tweeted: <em>“It was an honour to profile @stormzy for the cover of @TIME.</em></p>
<p><em>“We had such an interesting chat about his music, advocacy, and his deliberate intentions to share the limelight with Black British talent. An iconic cover image, too!”</em></p>
<p>Stormzy has been praised for his work in bringing visibility to a wider community of black musicians, artists and creators in the UK.</p>
<p>He told the magazine: <em>“There’s always been a kind of lack of spotlight and shine on the black British side of British culture.</em></p>
<p><em>“(But) there’s a whole world of it … It’s a beautiful thing, and it’s coming of age right now.”</em></p>
<p>He added: <em>“I know I’m the product of bare injustice … There are so many iconic, legendary, more influential grime songs that are never going to sell as much records as I’ve sold.</em></p>
<p><em>“This is why I’m always so thankful for being in the position I am. I feel like all those artists or public figures or celebrities who went through that, had to go through that … they didn’t have the luxury of being free with their music, and they had to bite that bullet for me. So I love and respect all those people, for all their decisions.”</em></p>
<p>Stormzy is joined in the issue by trailblazers including Australian mental health activist Amanda Johnstone, Russian anti-Kremlin blogger Alexander Gorbunov, Zainab Fasiki, a Moroccan feminist tackling misogyny through comics, and Brazilian drag queen and pop star Pabllo Vittar.</p>
<p>Of the 2019 Next Generation Leaders list, Time deputy international editor Naina Bajekal said: <em>“It can be easy to feel like today’s problems are insurmountable.</em></p>
<p><em>“So it gives me hope to spotlight the people using their voices to push for change.”</em></p>
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