London, UK · UK rap

Dave

1 upcoming festival

South London's laureate — novelistic UK rap that fills stadiums without raising its voice, Mercury-winning storytelling with a pianist's touch.

Dave is the rapper, singer and producer David Orobosa Omoregie, born in 1998 and raised in Streatham, south London, to Nigerian parents. He emerged in the mid-2010s with tracks including "Wanna Know" and "Question Time", the latter a direct address to British politics, and had a UK number one with "Funky Friday" alongside Fredo.

His debut album Psychodrama, framed as a series of therapy sessions, won the Mercury Prize, and he followed it with We're All Alone in This Together. A trained pianist, he often performs seated at a keyboard, and his verses run long and narrative, favouring detail and restraint over volume. He has also acted, appearing in the drama series Top Boy.

UK rap