David Orobosa Michael Omoregie (born 5 June 1998), also known as Santan Dave, or just Dave, is a British rapper. He was born in Angell Town, in the Brixton area of South London, to Nigerian parents from the Edo ethnic group. His father, Frank Omoregie, is a pastor and his mother, Juliet Doris Omoregie, a nurse. Dave’s father was deported to Nigeria when Dave was just a few months old due to visa issues resulting in his mother having to flee with the fear of being deported. Dave attended St Mark’s Academy in Mitcham, and Richmond upon Thames College in Twickenham, where he studied law, philosophy and ethics, while also completing an additional module in sound design and politics.
Four: Funky Friday Ft Fredo
“Funky Friday” is a song by British rapper Dave featuring fellow British rapper Fredo. The song was self-released as a single on 5 October 2018 for streaming and digital download. Produced by 169 and Dave, it debuted at the top of the UK Singles Chart, becoming both artists’ first number one. It garnered 95M views on its official music video on YouTube. The track was also certified Gold and Platinum in the United Kingdom and Canada.
FYI
- He made his acting debut in the third season of the Netflix series Top Boy, which was released in September 2019.
- He began composing music at an early age and he started writing lyrics at 11 after watching his older brother practise rapping at home.
- He taught himself piano after receiving an electric keyboard from his mother for Christmas when he was 14.
- Dave is also an avid supporter of Manchester United F.C.
Three: Starlight
“Starlight” is a song by British rapper Dave. It was released on 3 March 2022 through Dave and Neighbourhood Recordings. The song was written and produced by Dave himself. It debuted at number-one in both the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singles Chart, becoming Dave’s second number-one single in the UK, after “Funky Friday” in 2018, and his first in Ireland. It also became the longest-running Number 1 solo UK Rap single in Official Charts history. It was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2023 Brit Awards. The track was certified Gold and Platinum in several countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The official music video garnered over 56M views on YouTube.
Two: Meridian
A recent song on our spotlighted artist Dave, the song called “Meridian” was released on the 24th of August, 2023. It also features TiaKola on the track garnering over 18M views on its official music video on YouTube.
Bonus: Sprinter By Central Cee and Dave
“Sprinter” is a song by British rappers Dave and Central Cee. It was released on 1 June 2023. It debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart. The single also became the longest-running number-one rap song in the UK, holding the position for 10 weeks. It also topped the charts in Australia, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Switzerland. It garnered over 127M views on its official music video on YouTube and over 390M streams on Spotify. It is also certified Gold and Platinum in countries like Australia, Belgium, Canada, United Kingdom and more.
Discography
- Psychodrama(2019)
- We’re All Alone in This Together(2021)
- Split Decision with Central Cee(2023)
Awards / Nominations
- The Album “Psychodrama” won the Mercury Prize, and Album of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards.
- Dave won his first MOBO Award for the Best Newcomer Act at the 2017 ceremony on 29 November 2017.
- Dave also became the youngest ever winner of an Ivor Novello Award at the age of 19, winning Best Contemporary Song for his politically charged track “Question Time” at the 2018 Awards
- He received his first Brit Award nomination for British Breakthrough Act at the 2018 Brit Awards which he lost out to Dua Lipa.
- Dave was nominated for four awards at the 2022 Brit Awards, including best album, best artist and best song. He won the award for Best British Hip Hop/Rap/Grime Act.
- Dave won Songwriter of the Year at the 67th Ivor Novello Awards in May, making that his fourth Ivor Novello win in five years.
One: Location Ft Burna Boy
With over 208M views on its official music video on YouTube and over 471M streams on Spotify, the song “Location” is at the number on spot on Artist of the Week. The song by Dave Ft the African Giant himself; Burna Boy was released on the 8th of March, 2019. The song was written by Dave, Burna Boy and Jonathan Mensah, and produced by Fraser T. Smith, Jae5 and Dave. Commercially, the song reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom and top 20 in Ireland. In April 2020, it was certified as Triple Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for exceeding chart sales of 1,800,000. For certifications, the track was certified Platinum and Gold in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, France, Switzerland and Denmark also orating top spots on the UK Hip-Hop/ R&B charts, UK singles Chart and many more.
