Rise Up

A very important book... It is truly inspiring to read about the accomplishments of Team Stormzy, realised largely without money or expertise, but with bucketloads of intelligence and hard work.

Will Gompertz, BBC

An inspirational must-read... Throughout he demonstrates an ambition beyond telling his life story. The book is part of a wider plan to elevate black British culture to where he believes it should be. It's a manual demonstrating how big plans can become realities... Like Stormzy himself, it's a different kind of success.

David Smyth, Evening Standard

A motivational, inspirational oral history of Stormzy and his success. A rollercoaster ride to success and his team has been with him the whole time... If Rise Up is just the beginning, I cannot wait for the next stage.

Nikesh Shukla, i News

Provides a real insight into what it takes to become... the country's biggest grime star. It’s not so much a "look what I have achieved" book but more a case of "look what we all came together to achieve". Yet that’s not to say it’s entirely free of personal revelation. This is the first book from #Merky Books, Stormzy’s new publishing imprint dedicated to supporting a new generation of young voices... don't sleep on it - the future's looking #Merky.

Amy Dawson, Metro

An oral history of Stormzy’s stellar career... A book written not to the greater glory of Stormzy, but as a way of inspiring the next generation.

Victoria Segal, Q Magazine, 'Best Music Books of the Month'

With contributions from his loyal team, as well as Stormzy himself, this offers a fascinating insight into his faith, the journey to making his Number 1 album, and his commendable dream to help the British black community rise up.

Kay Ribeiro, Heat, 'Inspiring Autobiographies'

Part inspirational self-help manual, part business guide, part exploration of how its author - aided by the team around him, given equal voice in the oral history format - transformed himself into the scene's biggest star.

Alexis Petridis, Guardian, 'Books of the Year'

Charts the ascent of the grime MC... through a panoply of voices. Stormzy is adored.

Kitty Empire, Observer, 'Books of the Year'

In first-person interviews, the MC's friends and colleagues give their insight on an extraordinary journey so far... In doing so, it shines a light on voices that are often overlooked, in keeping with Stormzy's ethos for his #Merky publishing imprint.

Rhian Daly, NME, 'Books of the Year'

An absorbing oral history of Stormzy’s stratospheric rise told with the explicit intent of motivating its readers… the book itself is an exercise in creating the platform and infrastructure that allows those who would usually have limited resources to fulfil their ambitions… thrilling… more than an oral history, Rise Up is a model for those seeking to replicate Stormzy and his team’s accomplishments.

Aida Amoako, Times Literary Supplement