Central Cee

Central Cee, born Oakley Neil Caesar-Su on June 4, 1998, in Ladbroke Grove, London, grew up in Shepherd's Bush after his parents separated when he was seven. His father, of Guyanese and Chinese ancestry, introduced him to American hip-hop; exposure to reggae and dancehall came through the Notting Hill Carnival. From an early age he wrote poetry and raps, sharing them with his mother, a social worker.^[1]

He rose to prominence in 2020 with UK drill singles "Day in the Life" and "Loading," before his debut mixtape Wild West (2021) debuted at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart. His follow-up mixtape 23 (2022) debuted at No. 1. His 2023 single "Sprinter" with Dave became his first UK No. 1 and the longest-running No. 1 UK rap single at the time, topping the chart for 10 weeks.^[2]

After signing to Columbia Records following a competitive bidding war, his debut studio album Can't Rush Greatness (January 2025) became the first UK rap album to crack the Billboard 200's top ten, debuting at No. 9, and accumulated over 19 million Spotify streams on release day -- the biggest hip-hop Spotify debut of that year. The album featured collaborations with Drake, 21 Savage, and Sexyy Red, signaling his transatlantic reach.^[3]

In February 2026, Central Cee publicly converted to Islam during a livestream, taking the name Akhil. Days later, he released "Slaughter" featuring J Hus -- marking the first time these two major UK artists had appeared on record together -- as the lead single from his seven-track EP ALL ROADS LEAD HOME (March 19, 2026, Columbia Records). The project was widely read as a deliberate return to his West London roots and UK identity after the international focus of the previous era.^[4]

His brother, Juke Caesar, also raps and appeared on his 23 mixtape as "Lil Bro." Central Cee has been confirmed for major international events including Rock in Rio 2026, underscoring his standing as one of the defining voices of his generation in global hip-hop.^[5]