LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Hip-hop star Stormzy will receive an honorary degree from Cambridge, where he has launched a scholarship programme for black students, the prestigious British university said Wednesday.

The British grime rapper, whose real name is Michael Omari Owuo Junior, “will receive a Doctorate in Law in recognition of his philanthropic work and impact in a number of fields, including education, music, sport and literature”, Cambridge said on its website.

Stormzy, who has 9.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, will receive his honorary diploma after approval by Regent House, the university’s governing body.

The 31-year-old star has a long relationship with Cambridge.

In 2018, he launched a programme to provide full tuition and living expenses for two black British students to study at the university.

It has since expanded to fund 12 annual scholarships, according to Cambridge, which said a total 55 students had received them so far.

“The ‘Stormzy effect’ has been credited with being a contributor to an increase in applications to Cambridge from Black students across the UK,” it said.

Stormzy made news in January for less lofty reasons, when a London judge banned him from driving for nine months after he was caught using a phone behind the wheel of his Rolls-Royce.

Other laureates slated to receive honorary degrees from Cambridge at the upcoming session include US activist and academic Angela Davis, an icon of the fight against racism.