Dave (rapper) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dave
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Dave performing in 2019
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Orobosa Michael Omoregie |
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| Born | 5 June 1998 Brixton, London, England |
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| Years active | 2015–present |
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David Orobosa Michael Omoregie (born 5 June 1998), known as Dave or Santan Dave, is a British rapper and actor. He is famous for his thoughtful lyrics and clever wordplay. His music often talks about important social topics.
Dave first gained attention in 2016 with his debut extended play (EP) called Six Paths. This followed popular songs like "Thiago Silva" with AJ Tracey. That same year, famous Canadian rapper Drake shared a remix of Dave's song "Wanna Know". Dave released his second EP, Game Over, in 2017.
In 2018, Dave's song "Question Time" won an Ivor Novello Award. This song spoke out about the British Government. Later that year, his song "Funky Friday" with Fredo became his first number-one hit in the UK.
Dave's first album, Psychodrama (2019), was a huge success. It went straight to number one in the UK. It also won the Mercury Prize and was named Album of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards. In September 2019, Dave started acting in the Netflix show Top Boy. His second album, We're All Alone in This Together, came out in 2021. It also reached number one in the UK. In 2022, his solo song "Starlight" became his first solo number-one hit. In 2023, Dave and Central Cee released "Sprinter", which became their longest-running number-one song. It was the main song from their EP, Split Decision.
Contents
Early Life and Music Start
David Orobosa Omoregie was born on 5 June 1998 in Brixton, South London. His father was deported to Nigeria when Dave was very young. His mother and brothers had to move around for a while. The family later settled in Streatham, South London, when Dave was seven.
Dave started making music at a young age. He began writing lyrics at 11 after watching his older brother rap. When he was 14, his mother gave him an electric keyboard for Christmas. He taught himself to play the piano. Both of Dave's older brothers faced time in prison during his teenage years. This experience deeply affected Dave and influenced his music.
He went to St Mark's Academy and Richmond upon Thames College. There, he studied law, philosophy, and ethics. He also learned about sound design and politics. Dave was accepted to De Montfort University to study law. However, he chose to focus on his music career instead.
Dave is a big fan of the Manchester United football team.
Music Career Highlights
Early Success and Game Over
In 2017, Dave released several popular songs. "Samantha" with J Hus was a big hit. He also released "Revenge", "Tequila", and "100M's". The song "100M's" was even used in a Nike advertisement. Dave performed on BBC's Later... with Jools Holland, playing his song "Picture Me" on the piano.
Dave toured the UK and North America in 2017. He performed at big festivals like Wireless and Reading and Leeds. In October 2017, he announced his second EP, Game Over. The EP included "Question Time", a song where Dave asked tough questions to political leaders like Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn. Game Over was released in November 2017 and reached number 13 on the UK Albums Chart.
Dave won his first MOBO Award for Best Newcomer in 2017. He was also nominated for a Brit Award in 2018. At 19, he became the youngest person to win an Ivor Novello Award for "Question Time".
In October 2018, Dave released "Funky Friday" with Fredo. This song went straight to number one on the UK Singles Chart. It was a major milestone for Dave and for British rap music.
Psychodrama and Acting Debut
In January 2019, Dave worked with Headie One on "18Hunna". He also joined Fredo on "All I Ever Wanted".
Dave announced his first album, Psychodrama, in February 2019. He released the song "Black" from the album. This song talks about what it means to be Black and celebrates Black identity. The music video featured many famous Black British people, including Raheem Sterling and Stormzy.
Psychodrama was released in March 2019 and debuted at number one in the UK. It had the most first-week streams for a British rap album ever. Songs like "Disaster" and "Location" also became very popular. "Location" has been streamed millions of times.
After the album, Dave went on his first big UK tour. He also toured Australia, Europe, and North America. In June 2019, Dave performed at Glastonbury Festival. A video of him bringing a fan on stage to perform "Thiago Silva" went viral.
Dave made his acting debut in the Netflix series Top Boy in September 2019. He played the character Modie. He also created two songs, "Professor X" and "God's Eye", for the show's soundtrack.
In September 2019, Psychodrama won the Mercury Prize. Dave also won British Album of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards. This made him one of only two artists to win both awards for the same album. At the Brit Awards, Dave performed "Black" and used the moment to speak about important social issues. He won another Ivor Novello Award for "Black" in 2020.
In August 2020, Dave played piano with Sir David Attenborough for a special Planet Earth episode.
We're All Alone in This Together and Recent Hits
In January 2021, Dave worked with Fredo again on "Money Talks". Dave also helped produce Fredo's album Money Can't Buy Happiness.
In April 2021, Dave released two songs, "Titanium" and "Mercury". Two months later, he announced his second album, We're All Alone in This Together. The first song from the album, "Clash" featuring Stormzy, was released in July. The music video showed Dave and Stormzy at the Aston Martin factory.
We're All Alone in This Together was released on 23 July 2021. It debuted at number one in the UK, Scotland, and Ireland. It broke records for the most streams in a week for a UK rap album. Many songs from the album, like "Verdansk" and "In the Fire", were also very popular.
In August 2021, Dave won his third Ivor Novello Award for "Children of the Internet". He continued to produce music for other artists, including Central Cee.
Dave was nominated for four awards at the 2022 Brit Awards. He won the award for Best British Hip Hop/Rap/Grime Act. He performed "In the Fire" at the ceremony, playing the guitar.
In early 2022, Dave went on his first sold-out arena tour in the UK. He also toured Europe and North America. In March 2022, he released "Starlight". It became his second number-one single and broke several records. It was the first UK number one of the 2020s written and performed by one person.
Dave won Songwriter of the Year at the Ivor Novello Awards in May 2022. He performed at many festivals that summer, including headlining Wireless Festival and Reading and Leeds Festival.
Split Decision
In June 2023, Dave released "Sprinter" with Central Cee. This song broke records for the most streams for a rap single in UK history. It reached number one on the UK singles charts, becoming Dave’s third number-one single. A few days later, they released their collaborative EP, Split Decision.
Musical Style
Dave is not just a rapper; he also produces his own music. He plays both the piano and the guitar. His music often features deep and meaningful lyrics. He started writing music to deal with challenges in his life, which helped him develop a unique and socially aware style.
Helping Others
On September 6, 2020, Dave played in a charity football match called Soccer Aid. This event raises money for GAVI, a group that helps provide vaccines.
In October 2023, Dave used his clothing brand, "Psycho", to raise money for people affected by conflicts in Palestine, Congo, and Sudan. He raised almost £500,000. He also released a song called "Peace Dream" where he raps about these conflicts. Dave shared on social media that he was thankful for everyone's support in helping those in need.
Discography
Studio albums
- Psychodrama (2019)
- We're All Alone in This Together (2021)
EPs
- Six Paths (2016)
- Game Over (2017)
- Split Decision (2023)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Top Boy | Modie | Series 3 |
Awards and Nominations
Dave has won many awards for his music. Here are some of his major wins:
- 2017: MOBO Awards – Best Newcomer
- 2018: Ivor Novello Awards – Best Contemporary Song ("Question Time")
- 2018: AIM Awards – Most Played New Independent Act
- 2019: GQ Men of the Year Awards – Breakthrough Music Act
- 2019: Mercury Prize – Best Album (Psychodrama)
- 2019: AIM Awards – Best Independent Album (Psychodrama)
- 2019: AIM Awards – Best Independent Track ("Funky Friday")
- 2020: Brit Awards – Album of the Year (Psychodrama)
- 2021: Ivor Novello Awards – Best Contemporary Song ("Children of the Internet")
- 2021: MOBO Awards – Album of the Year (We're All Alone in This Together)
- 2022: Brit Awards – Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act
- 2022: Ivor Novello Awards – Songwriter of the Year
