Stormzy

British grime heavyweight Stormzy used his massive platform and critically acclaimed album Gang Signs and Prayer to break the rigid expectations of masculinity within the UK music scene by documenting his direct experiences with severe clinical depression.

The rapper admitted that before experiencing a severe mental health dip himself, he had mistakenly believed depression was simply a temporary feeling of sadness rather than an illness.

Sharing his realisation with his audience, Stormzy confessed: "I felt like an idiot because I used to think depression was just being sad. Then it hit me, and I was like, 'Oh, this is a real thing.' It completely changes your reality."