Dave

U.K. rapper Dave is a spellbinding storyteller, using his lyrics to reflect on both social issues and deeply personal subject matter alike. Acknowledgment early in his career from Drake gave Dave immediate exposure for his 2016 debut EP, Six Paths, and both his profile and artistry grew with subsequent releases, like his 2019 debut studio album Psychodrama and its 2021 follow-up, We're All Alone in This Together, both of which topped the charts in the U.K. He reached number one with subsequent singles “Starlight” (2022) and “Sprinter” (from 2023′s Split Decision, with Central Cee). Following these successes, he guested on songs by Burna Boy and Lyrical Lemonade. Dave (aka Santan Dave) was born David Omoregie in the Brixton area of South London in 1998, later moving to Streatham. Growing up, he was inspired to pursue art in some form. Taking cues from his older brothers, he initially tried his hand at animation before moving on to piano; he finally settled on becoming a fully fledged MC. Unfortunately, his brothers ended up serving lengthy prison sentences. To cope with the drastic alteration in their lives, Dave burrowed even deeper into his music and developed a socially aware form of wordplay that set him apart from his peers. Despite starting to write bars around the age of ten, it wasn’t until six years later that Dave would make his first appearance, freestyling on an underground U.K. rap channel Bl@ckbox, in 2015. In January of the following year, Dave returned with his first music video/single “JKYL+HYD,” cementing his reputation for deep subject matter and ambitious lyrics. In the following months, Dave delivered two key freestyles on BBC Radio 1. The first was on Semtex’s 1Xtra show and the second was on Charlie Sloth’s Fire in the Booth. A number of singles followed, including a standout collaboration with West London’s own rising star AJ Tracey on “Thiago Silva.” By September, Dave was ready to deliver his first EP, Six Paths. The release was a success in its own right but got even more attention when Canadian rapper Drake remixed the single “Wanna Know,” bringing Dave’s sound to an American audience. His second EP, Game Over, was released in 2017, and Dave toured in support of his growing body of work. By this time, the rapper had developed a significant buzz among both critics and fans, and in 2018, he had his first chart-topping hit with his Fredo-assisted single “Funky Friday.” In 2019, Dave released his debut studio album, Psychodrama. It debuted at number one in the U.K. and featured guest contributions from Burna Boy, J Hus, and Ruelle; it won awards for its excellence and was a commercial success. In 2021, Dave returned his with second studio album, We're All Alone in This Together. Made up of both sharp social commentary and unvarnished reflections on his own experiences, the album once debuted in the number one position on the U.K. albums chart. It featured guest contributions from Stormzy, James Blake, Wizkid, and others. “Starlight,” a 2022 non-album single, became Dave’s second U.K. pop number one. It was followed by “My 24th Birthday.” The 2023 single “Sprinter,” with Central Cee, was another chart-topper and it appeared on the duo’s EP Split Decision. Dave was then featured on “Intoxycated” by Oxlade and “Cheat on Me” by Burna Boy. He released two songs, “Meridian” and “Special,” with Tiakola. He also appeared on Lyrical Lemonade’s “Stop Giving Me Advice,” also featuring Jack Harlow. ~ Liam Martin