Rapper tears into NME on Twitter after they put him on cover without permission

"I should at least have a say in whether my face is used."
 By 
Sam Haysom
 on 
Rapper tears into NME on Twitter after they put him on cover without permission
Stormzy is really not happy with NME. Credit: joanne Davidson/SilverHub/REX/Shutterstock

British grime artist Stormzy has launched into a lengthy Twitter rant at NME after they featured him on the cover of their latest issue without his permission.

The magazine cover features a large picture of Stormzy with the words "DEPRESSION: IT'S TIME TO TALK" written across his chest. The line below reads: "Wise words from Stormzy, Gaga, Bastille & more".

A few hours after NME shared the cover, Stormzy began tweeting at them.

He really didn't hold back, either.

Not long after Stormy began tweeting, NME Editor-in-Chief Mike Williams addressed him directly from their official account.

From the looks of it, though, the apology hasn't been accepted.

Mashable has reached out to NME for comment and we will update this article if we receive a response.

UPDATE: March 16, 2017, 4:23 p.m. GMT NME sent Mashable the following statement from Editor-in-Chief Mike Williams:

“We were inspired by Stormzy’s words and wanted to use them as a springboard to talk about depression and how it shouldn’t be taboo. NME’s only intention was to raise awareness for an issue that it had been inspired to talk about following Stormzy’s comments, we sincerely apologise to Stormzy for using his image to promote this topic on the cover without his knowledge, our intentions were only positive. We have spoken with a number of high-profile personalities to gather their stories and advice, as well as mental health charities CALM and YoungMinds to make sure the advice offered was on message. We wanted to raise awareness of something important.”

UPDATE: April 27, 2017, 4:27 p.m. BST Removed a deleted tweet.

Topics X/Twitter

Mashable Image
Sam Haysom

Sam Haysom is the Deputy UK Editor for Mashable. He covers entertainment and online culture, and writes horror fiction in his spare time.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Microsoft says Copilot was summarizing confidential emails without permission
the copilot logo appears on a phone screen

Google reverses key parental control policy
Girls sit in a row looking at their phones.

Kendrick Lamar just made history at the Grammys
Kendrick Lamar accepts the Best Rap Album award at the Grammys.

'The Audacity' tears Silicon Valley a new one: Review
Billy Magnussen in "The Audacity."

Mill food recyclers are 15% off for V-Day. Get one under $850 and see how it changes the kitchen chore game.
Person scraping plate of food scraps into Mill kitchen bin

More in Life

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 4, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 4, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!