MC Stormzy recently launched his #ShutUpForXmasNo1 campaign to get his grime freestyle track "Shut Up" to the top of the UK's charts by Christmas Day. As the song has been steadily climbing the charts and the holiday draws near, the MC turned up his campaign a few decibels with an appearance on Yasmin Evans and Twin B's BBC 1 Extra Breakfast show during which he donned a Santa suit and dropped Christmas versions of his greatest freestyle hits.
In the South London MC's BBC 1 Extra appearance, he cleverly changes lyrics to match the spirit of the season. Standout lyrical moments include "I got caught in the sky with my deers, tell Ms. Claus that it's not that deep," "Talk about me you better hashtag Santa" and "Where do you know me from, where do you know me from? North Pole!" You can watch the whole show below.
The Christmas freestyle extravaganza is only one highlight from Stormzy's grassroots #ShutUpForXmasNo1 campaign. As The Fader reports, in addition to launching the hashtag on Twitter, the MC's campaign has involved smoking weed with a fan who recorded his Soccer AM interview for him and creating a parody of The X Factor entitled The G Factor.
As Thump points out, getting the number one single on Christmas Day is traditionally a huge deal in the UK. Ever since Simon Cowell's television program The X Factor first aired back in 2005, the show's winners--including Ben Haenow, Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke--have typically taken the title. Before that trend started, major label artists and the occasional charity tune have dominated the Christmas charts pretty much since the 1950s.
In other words, the annual race has become an increasingly more predictable, corporate holiday ritual.
Back in 2009, Rage Against the Machine launched a similar Christmas No. 1 campaign and disrupted the status quo by winning the title with "Killing in the Name." As unlikely as Stormzy's bid may seem at first glance--grime freestyle tracks aren't exactly mainstream chart-toppers in general--it's not impossible.
In fact, "Shut Up" already cracked the UK's top ten. While the MC faces stiff competition from obvious contenders Justin Bieber, Adele and The X Factor winner Louisa Johnson, he shows no sign of slowing down his campaign to the top.
The freestyle grime song in question was originally released back in May as part of the "WickedSkengMan 4" single and has since crept up numerous times in various DJ's mixes. It samples XTC's classic instrumental "Functions on the Low." Listen to "Shut Up" here.
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