Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Stormzy and Maya Jama dated for four years

Stormzy says he's "apologising" and trying to "lay bare" his thoughts on his split from Maya Jama.

Speaking on BBC Radio 1Xtra, he says he's "tried to communicate to her through [his] art."

The track Lessons on his new album addresses the end of his four-year relationship with the presenter.

They stopped dating in the summer. In the interview, he suggested the split was the result of "a public disrespect that needed a public apology".

Image copyright Getty Images

He explained how it was "surreal" to see everything play out in the media, and that he wanted his album to be a body of work people could listen to and "understand exactly where I'm at in life".

He said: "It is me throwing Maya out there as well, that's something we shared on a public forum.

"It was a hot topic and I'm going on the record now and I'm apologising and I'm trying to lay it all bare. I'm trying to be very truthful and very clear in my truth. I'm not trying to shy away from it."

While he admitted it was scary being so open about his relationship, he said that if he was going to reference highs like headlining Glastonbury in his lyrics then he wanted to address the lows in his personal life as well.

Image caption Stormzy made a surprise appearance on Dotty's 1Xtra breakfast show following the release of his second album

Looking back on his relationship, he said: "It's the deepest thing... I've ever been involved in or the heaviest my heart's ever felt.

"For any proper supporter of mine... it would have been like 'yeah but that thing came out and it was never addressed'".

He said the song was "totally new territory" and that he'll use the experience "to become a better man".

"I will whole-heartedly say that that's a phenomenal woman who love man wholeheartedly, gave man everything and you disrespected and was inconsiderate.

Election cloud

Stormzy also spoke about the outcome of the UK general election, saying it feels like "a dark cloud".

He suggested hearing the Conservatives were on their way to a majority win made the release of his new album bittersweet.

The rapper, who backed Labour ahead of the election, said: "As soon as it hit midnight... I was signing albums. But it was like a dark cloud, you could feel it."

Before the election, Stormzy posted a video on Twitter telling his fans he'd never voted before because he didn't trust politicians in the past.

In it he described Jeremy Corbyn as "a man of hope", encouraging his followers to "go use your vote out".

Today, he told 1Xtra's Dotty that he felt like the "dark cloud" of the election result was "in the air... it's in your bones".

Image caption One of the tracks on his new album, Vossi Bop, makes it clear he's not a fan of Boris Johnson

During the interview he also discussed how the title of his album, Heavy Is The Head, reflects how he feels about the influence and responsibilities his fame has brought with it.

"It's been a slow realisation.

"Maybe until this last year I underestimated who I became, my voice and my reach.

"For example, I'll just say something in an interview... and the next day wake up and it's a headline."

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