Central Cee‘s manager Ybeeez has shared his thoughts on Stormzy‘s speech at the BRIT Awards last weekend, in which he said he thought Cench should have won the award instead.
Last Saturday (March 1) was this year’s BRIT Awards, where Stormzy controversially won the Hip-hop/Grime/Rap Act award despite releasing only two songs last year. While on stage, the Croydon rapper thanked God before saying: “Big up Chase and Status because [their 2024 UK Number One collaboration] ‘Backbone’ is the only reason why I’m here.
“I love everyone who voted for me and I love the BRITs – I’m very very grateful – but I don’t think entirely this award should be fan-voted,” he continued. “I don’t think any of the awards should be fan-voted on a controversial one beca’ it doesn’t let everyone have their moments. I think Cench was the rap artist of the year, but these things don’t define us…”
On his Instagram story, Ybeeez responded: “Shout out to Stormzy on the BRITs win [but] I don’t necessarily think Cench deserved to win.”
He went to pitch that grime frontrunners Ghetts and Bashy should have taken the prize: “Bashy released a great album last year (I even rang head of the MOBOs and put in a word as well and said it’d be a disservice if he never took an award home) and there’s been social commentary saying Ghetts deserved it as well but I ain’t checked the project so I can’t comment, but I don’t doubt it.”
Elsewhere in YBeez’s Instagram post, he brought up how “Cench has never really cared about award shows” and also clarified why Cee spoke about Aitch‘s 2023 BRITs win on the song ‘5 Star’ from his debut album ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’.
“One particular year, my team convinced me it’s a good idea to go [to the BRITs] regardless of us not winning, and that’s why Cench said he felt like a prick going [because] he went against what he’d naturally do [and] he didn’t even win,” YB revealed. “[‘5 Star’] wasn’t intended to be a diss, but [Aitch] took it like that [and] I can see why, which is fair enough like CC’s comment said,” – referring to the comment Cench made beneath Aitch’s diss track towards him, ‘A Guy Called?’.
To conclude, Ybeez stated that “Fan voting is shit” and could be easily swayed by “one artist campaigning and another not campaigning, so the award ends up meaning nothing [but] a popularity contest”.
Central Cee hasn’t commented on his BRIT Awards snub nor Stormzy’s speech at the time of writing.
North-west London rap legend Bashy released his critically acclaimed second album ‘Being Poor Is Expensive’ last July – his first full-length release in 15 years, following his 2009 debut ‘Catch Me If You Can’. The record won the rapper-actor two MOBOs for Best Hip Hop Act and Album of the Year.
Grime icon Ghetts dropped his fourth studio album ‘On Purpose With Purpose’ in February 2024, and was shortlisted for last year’s Mercury Prize. In a four-star review, NME hailed the record as “much more than just a well-written, socially-conscious rap album”. Instead, it was “the perfect display of how to make grown rap music without soiling a legacy that has taken decades to build”.
Both ‘Being Poor Is Expensive’ and ‘On Purpose With Purpose’ were featured on NME‘s Best Albums of 2024 list, ranking at 31 and 21, respectively.
In January, Cench dropped ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’, which NME gave four stars: “Central Cee could easily remain hidden behind his signature mystique, but instead tells the story of a boy turned man all while on the world’s stage. No smoke and mirrors, the album is authentically Cench every step of the way.”
Central Cee took home Best Male Act for a record third time at this year’s MOBOs. It was his seventh win at the ceremony, tying him with Stormzy and making them both the most decorated rappers in its history.
He is set to take the album on the road for the ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’ world tour, which will kick off in Europe at Oslo’s Spektrum on April 1. Check out a full list of dates here and visit here to purchase UK tickets, here for US tickets, and here for Australian tickets.
Cench will also headline this August’s Boardmasters festival alongside RAYE and The Prodigy.