Dave
June 5, 1998 — Streatham, London, England
Dave is a British rapper, record producer, and musician from South London whose debut album Psychodrama won both the Mercury Prize and the BRIT Award for Album of the Year in 2020, establishing him at the vanguard of UK hip-hop with his introspective lyricism, cinematic production, and unflinching engagement with race, identity, and social justice.
Streatham Beginnings and Early Mixtapes
Born David Orobosa Omoregie on June 5, 1998, in Streatham, South London, to Nigerian parents, Dave grew up in Brixton and began rapping in his early teens. He released his debut EP Six Paths in 2016 while still a teenager, attracting immediate attention for his lyrical sophistication and emotional intelligence. His early music addressed the criminal justice system with unusual directness — his brother Christopher had been wrongly convicted of murder and was later acquitted after Dave's public advocacy. He collaborated with Burna Boy, AJ Tracey, and others, building a reputation as one of the most thoughtful young voices in British music before he had even released a full album.
Psychodrama and the Mercury Prize
Released in March 2019, Psychodrama is structured as a therapy session — Dave as both patient and therapist, working through the psychological impacts of growing up Black in Britain, family trauma, relationships, and systemic inequality. The album's ambition and cohesion were immediately recognized: it won the Mercury Prize in 2019 and the BRIT Award for Album of the Year in 2020, making Dave one of the very few artists to win both prestigious UK music awards for the same record. Critics praised it as a landmark of British hip-hop, drawing comparisons to Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly for its sociological depth.
Did You Know?
At the 2020 BRIT Awards, Dave extended his song "Black" — a meditation on Blackness and racism — live on stage in a performance widely described as one of the most powerful moments in BRIT Awards history. He added new verses referencing the Windrush scandal, colonial history, and directly criticized Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The performance was broadcast to millions and sparked national conversation about racism in Britain.
We're All Alone in This Together and Continuing Rise
Dave's second studio album, We're All Alone in This Together (2021), debuted at number one in the UK, further cementing his commercial and critical standing. It featured collaborations with James Blake, Wizkid, and Stormzy. He also pursued acting — appearing in the Netflix series Top Boy — and demonstrated a multi-disciplinary artistic range. He released Hue in 2024, continuing his evolution as a producer and artist. Still only in his mid-twenties, Dave has already established himself as one of the defining voices of his generation in British music. His vinyl editions of Psychodrama have become collector items.