British grime superstar Stormzy has been banned from driving for nine months and fined £2,010 after being caught using his mobile phone while driving his Rolls-Royce Wraith in West London.
The 31-year-old rapper, whose real name is Michael Ebenazer Owuo Junior, admitted to the offense in a letter to Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court. The incident occurred in March 2023 on Addison Road, West Kensington.
District Judge Andrew Sweet criticized Stormzy’s “dangerous and irresponsible” behavior, adding six points to his driving record, which triggered the automatic disqualification.
The judge also called out the rapper’s history of driving violations, labeling his record as “not good.”
The Guardian reported that an off-duty officer confronted Stormzy after tapping on the window of his car, which had illegal tinted windows. The officer’s advice? “Get rid of your tints and get off your phone.”
Prosecutor Alice Holloway revealed that Stormzy had also been caught in October 2023 driving a Lamborghini Urus with windows so dark they transmitted only 4% of light, far below the legal threshold of 70%. Despite warnings, the tints were only removed after further infractions.
Stormzy’s lawyer, Peter Csemiczky, emphasized the rapper’s acceptance of responsibility, noting that the illegal tints had since been addressed.
Stormzy, the first black British solo artist to headline Glastonbury in 2019, has consistently made waves in the music scene. However, his repeated traffic violations highlight that fame offers no immunity from the law.
The grime artist did not attend the hearing, leaving his legal team to deliver his apologies and assurances of compliance going forward.
