MUMBAI: Double Brit Award winner rapper Stormzy used his performance at the 2018 gala to take a swipe at British Prime Minister Theresa May over the Grenfell tragedy that left 71 dead and hundreds homeless last year.
In his freestyle rap on Wednesday night, the British Male Solo Artist winner said, “Yo, Theresa May where’s that money for Grenfell? What you thought we just forgot about Grenfell?”, the BBC reported.
The tower inferno on 14 June 2017, was the worst blaze that London witnessed in many years.
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In the November 2017 budget, Chancellor Philip Hammond said an extra 28 million pounds would be going towards helping victims of the Grenfell fire. But apparently that compensation was still coming.
“You criminals, and you got the cheek to call us savages, you should do some jail time, you should pay some damages, we should burn your house down and see if you can manage this,” reported guardian.com.
Stormzy was one of those featured on the charity single to raise money for the victims of the inferno.
At the Glastonbury festival in 2017, he had called out the response to the tragedy, saying: “We urge the authorities to tell the f***ing truth, first and foremost.
“We urge them to do something. We urge the f***ing government to be held accountable for the fu**ery, and we ain’t gonna stop until we get what we deserve.”
Hammond had said that funding would go to Kensington and Chelsea Council in west London – where the tower is – and would pay for mental health services and regeneration.
It was also suppose to pay for a new community space and refurbishment of the Lancaster West estate.
Stormzy speaking to the media about his rap and the Grenfell fire, on Thursday, said: “I didn’t want to just come here as an artist like ‘It’s the stormzy show’ [and] clean up at the Brits – it’s all about me. This is bigger than me [and] if I can use my voice to say something that’s bigger than me.”
The rapper was praised for his performance on social media, including by opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Downing Street, however, did not offer any comment.
(Source: IANS)
