To understand Thornton Heath musician Stormzy’s rise to stardom, it is important to know where he came from.

It’s important to know the team behind him, who facilitated his sometimes-unorthodox visions. To understand what fuels him, you must understand his faith, not just in God, but his family, friends, associates and most of all in himself.

Stormzy isn’t someone who sought fame, fame has found him. All he’s ever wanted to do is make dope music and convey his message, facilitated by his raw talent, determination and work ethic. But it might not have been possible without the support network around him.

On the outside Stormzy and the #Merky team might just seem like another independent label, but it’s much more than that, it’s a family.

A family that have come together from various backgrounds, to give backing to the magnetic MC.

This is the first book from Stormzy’s new publishing venture, #Merky books – a new imprint with Penguin Random House, which will publish a new generation of mostly young and black writers’ fiction, non-fiction and poetry. And its been a long time coming.

Rise Up: The #Merky Story So Far, is an oral history of Stormzy and his crew. It acts as a dissection of his beginnings, from school to the Brit Awards.

It also gives an insight into the motivations and single-minded focus of every member of his team.

At its core, though, Rise Up is a motivational and inspirational guide to starting and running brand Stormzy, a set of lessons in how to give yourself over to something and succeed without compromising.

The importance of the team is very much evident early on in the book, where Stormzy himself takes a back seat in this set of interviews, which have been compiled by Jude Yawson.

His team, who have been an instrumental part of his journey and rise, document the story for him, each giving a unique perspective of the rise of one of the biggest artists in the genre.

The stories of brand manager Akua, DJ Twin B, publicist Rachel, Spotify guru Austin, videographer Kaylum and #Merky president Flipz give a unique and unheard account of their journey.

They speak candidly of their individual journeys that brought them together and what role they play in the team.

Stormzy crops up every now and again to affirm what is being said while delivering blistering quotes to young people to follow their dreams.

While he might not feature as heavily in the book as many might expect or want, he is never not present.

Everyone’s love for the south Londoner is evident. They not only speak of his drive and ambition but his scary work ethic, which has propelled his career to levels never seen before for a Grime artist.

There are 14 contributors in total and through them readers get a sense of where grime has come from in the East End of London, its period of stagnation as artists tried their hand at pop music, and how Stormzy was one of the people who helped to bring it back to basics (before taking it mainstream, more on its own terms).

Significant moments in Stormzy’s history get a forensic examination from those closest to him.

From appearing alongside Kanye West in a famous Brits performance, to the fall-out that led him to record the ‘Shut Up’ freestyle wearing that red Adidas tracksuit, getting anyone who called him Kanye’s back-up dancer in his sights before telling them to “Shut up”, to the gruelling and sometimes painful story of recording and releasing of Gang Signs & Prayer and his arrival as the people’s prince.

The book also touches on dealing with racism, proving the haters wrong, dealing with fame and growing up in the ends.

It’s a rollercoaster ride to success and his team has been with him the whole way.

That’s the thing that stays with you: that loyalty and community will bring you the best type of success, the type you can truly celebrate.

Rise Up is a motivational, inspirational history of the #Merky story and it is just the beginning.

RISE UP: The #Merky Story So Far is published by Merky Books, £8.49