Grime artist Stormzy has confirmed that Banksy designed the Union Jack stab vest he wore during his headline set at last weekend's Glastonbury Festival. In an emotional and celebratory Instagram post, Stormzy revealed that the stab-proof custom vest was "made by the greatest, most iconic living artist on planet earth, the one and only BANKSY."
Elusive street art legend Banksy had already shared a photograph of Stormzy wearing the black and white Union Jack stab vest he designed on his Instagram page. As we can see, the flag is depicted with the watery paint present in lots of Banksy's work.
His caption for the picture read: "I made a customised stab-proof vest and thought - who could possibly wear this? Stormzy at Glastonbury."
A photo posted by @banksy on Jun 29, 2019 at 6:41am PDT
This post appears to have surprised the 25-year-old rapper. Stormzy took to Twitter to share the image of Banksy's Instagram post with the caption "Absolutely fucking speechless."
Absolutely fucking speechless pic.twitter.com/TmEGCKrewlJune 29, 2019
Considering that Stormzy paid tribute to Damilola Taylor by covering Kanye West's Ultralight Beam, the design of the vest can be read as a statement on Britain's knife crime and racial inequality in its justice system.
The pairing of the artist and the rapper makes for a powerful combination because both Banksy and Stormzy are known for making political statements.
One of Banksy's most recently spotted works in Paris takes aim at France's tough anti-migrant policy. Meanwhile Stormzy also used his time on the Pyramid stage to highlight how ballet shoes have only recently been made in skin tones other than white.
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In an Instagram post shared after the event, Stormzy took the time to thank everyone involved with his performance.
Stormzy, which is the stage name of Michael Omari Owuo Jr, was the second youngest solo act to headline the festival, with the youngest being a 24-year-old David Bowie in 1971. Another politically charged moment during his set was when he performed his track Vossi Bop, which includes the lyrics "Fuck the government and fuck Boris".
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