Dave

David Orobosa Omoregie, known professionally as Dave, was born on June 5, 1998, in Brixton, South London.^[3] His father, a pastor, was deported to Nigeria when Dave was just months old due to visa issues, leaving his mother Juliet, a nurse, to raise Dave and his two older brothers Benjamin and Christopher alone.^[3] The family experienced a period of homelessness, at one point living on South London buses, before eventually settling in Streatham.^[3]

Dave began writing lyrics at age 11 after watching his older brother rap, and taught himself piano after receiving an electric keyboard for Christmas at age 14.^[3] That instrument became central to his artistic identity and to the sound of his third album, The Boy Who Played the Harp (2025).

He rose to prominence with his debut EP Six Paths (2016) and the breakout grime collaboration "Thiago Silva" with AJ Tracey. His politically charged track "Question Time" (2018) won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song.^[3] "Funky Friday" featuring Fredo became his first UK number-one single in 2018.

His debut album Psychodrama (2019) debuted at number one in the UK and received universal critical acclaim. His second album We're All Alone in This Together (2021) also debuted at number one.^[2] With The Boy Who Played the Harp (2025), Dave became the first British rap artist to debut three consecutive studio albums at number one, moving approximately 74,000 units in its opening week.^[2]

Dave is widely regarded as one of the most technically accomplished and socially conscious lyricists in UK rap, known for weaving personal narrative together with political and social commentary. The Boy Who Played the Harp draws on the biblical story of the young David soothing King Saul with a harp, using music as a metaphor for healing, a theme that resonates deeply with Dave's own biography.^[2]