Dave and Central Cee are part of the new wave of British artists taking rap further than ever before. They stand on the shoulders of the innovators and pioneers who have come before, from those in the early UK hip hop scene, the artists who made waves in the States and the producers who opened up international ears for British music.

In 2023, all eyes are on Central Cee. How did the way he built his fanbase shape his journey? Why was his LA Leakers freestyle so significant? And how did and Dave manage to break streaming history?

In this episode we hear from Central Cee, rapper and YouTube reactor Scru Face Jean, hip hop journalist Elliott Wilson, 1Xtra’s Tiffany Calver, Romesh Ranganathan and Mimi the Music Blogger.

Archive material in this episode:
Central Cee at Glastonbury, BBC
Central Cee LA Leakers freestyle

Presenter: Ashley Walters
Producer: Emily Dicks
Written by Emily Dicks
Technical production: Ant Danbury
Additional production: Dari Samuels, Tommy Dixon and Zayna Shaikh
Editor for BBC Audio: Andy Worrell
Commissioning producer: Jonathan O’Sullivan
Commissioner for BBC Music: Will Wilkin
A BBC Audio production Show less