Stormzy 'Vossi Bop' by Henry Scholfield

How do you follow Wiley's Boasty? Henry Scholfield has the answer: you get together with Stormzy, and you make another London classic.

Vossi Bop, first single from the new Stormzy album, inspires the first collaboration between director and artist, with the big man in some iconic London locations (starting on a deserted Westminster Bridge), featuring some gobsmacking moves (lounging on the bonnet of a moving car, naturally), and another cameo from Idris Elba, for good measure.

Transitioning from epic scene to epic scene with the smoothness that characterised Boasty, and an intensity that never falters, Stormzy dominates the screen, as he shares it with his crew of all ages, with his customary easygoing charisma. And Scholfield, with his trademark combination of flair, musicality and meticulous eye, directs another superbly entertaining work.

It's a real statement of intent, from start to finish - achieved, remarkably, in ten working days from sign-off to delivery. So a remarkable production job too, led by producers Javier Alejandro and Amalia Rosen-Rawlings, and EP Daniella Manca.

HENRY SCHOLFIELD:

"I wanted the vid to feel like a kind of series of lyrical chapters, with each scene/tableaux landing a visual statement that tied into the track. 

"Working with Stormzy was class; he’s smart as a whip, with a wicked sense of humour and we had a lot of fun with banter back and forth. More than that he was totally up for the, let’s say, more outlandish elements or in jokes; lounging on an Uber, not a Lambo… we laughed hard about that one. A real pleasure! And bigup to all the excellent crew and cast on this one!"

DANIELLA MANCA: 

"Pulling it all together in double quick time meant we had to be creative with the resources. We reached into our network to take advantage of timezones to make the most of the working hours.

"But when a song like Vossi Bop and artist like Stormzy comes along you just need to be the magician, pulling a lot of rabbits out of the hat! Henry and Stormzy in close communication with each other along with an open an honest platform from production to label about what could be achieved
meant we could push forward at a fast pace. Oh, and a lot of coffee!’

"Shot over two days in the city he loves, the film features a cast of seventy dancers, a troupe of menaces, bike stunts, drag cars, and the most iconic London thing there is, Idris Elba.

"The resulting piece is most definitely a symbol that Stormzy is back and he is at the top of his game."