Dave or Santan Dave, is a British rapper and actor.
Renowned for his insightful lyricism and clever wordplay, he has made a significant impact with his socially conscious music.
Early life and Education
David Orobosa Omoregie was born on June 5, 1998, in Brixton, South London.
He is the son of Frank Omoregie, a pastor, and Juliet Doris Omoregie, a nurse. He has two older brothers, Benjamin and Christopher, who are eight and five years his senior, respectively.
At the age of seven, Dave moved from Brixton to Streatham, South London. He began composing music early, writing lyrics at age 11 after watching his older brother rap, and teaching himself piano at 14 after receiving a keyboard as a Christmas gift from his mother. Both of his older brothers were incarcerated during his teenage years.
Christopher was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years under joint enterprise law for his role in the 2010 gang murder of 15-year-old Sofyen Belamouadden. In 2014, Benjamin was sentenced to four years for robbery, and he was released in 2018.
Dave attended St Mark’s Academy in Mitcham and Richmond upon Thames College in Twickenham, where he studied law, philosophy, and ethics, along with a module in sound design and politics. Although he secured a place at De Montfort University in Leicester to study law, he decided to pursue a career in music instead.
Career
In 2017, Dave released several non-album singles, including “Samantha” featuring J Hus, which peaked at 63 on the Official Singles Chart, making it the third biggest song of the year that did not break into the top 40. Other tracks released included “Revenge,” “Tequila,” and “100M’s,” the latter featured in Nike’s Born Mercurial advert in 2018. Dave made his television debut in May on BBC’s “Later… with Jools Holland,” performing “Picture Me” while playing the piano.
Throughout the year, Dave toured extensively, performing sold-out shows in the UK, including two nights at O2 Academy Islington, and making his debut at festivals like Wireless and Reading and Leeds Festival. He also toured North America with AJ Tracey.
On October 9, 2017, Dave announced his second EP, “Game Over,” preceded by the track “Question Time,” where he addressed political leaders such as then Prime Minister Theresa May, former PM David Cameron, and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. “Game Over” was released on November 3, 2017, and debuted at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart. The single “No Words” from the EP debuted at 18, peaking at 17 in January 2018. Following the EP’s release, Dave embarked on a sold-out tour in the UK and Australia.
Dave won the MOBO Award for Best Newcomer Act in 2017 and received a Brit Award nomination for British Breakthrough Act at the 2018 Brit Awards, losing to Dua Lipa. At 19, he became the youngest winner of an Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song with “Question Time.”
In 2018, Dave released “Hangman” and toured Europe in the autumn. His self-produced track “Funky Friday,” featuring Fredo, debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart in October, marking his first number-one single and Top 10 hit.
In January 2019, Dave featured on Headie One’s track “18Hunna,” which reached number 6 on the UK Singles Chart. He also collaborated with Fredo on “All I Ever Wanted” from Fredo’s album “Third Avenue.”
Dave announced his debut album “Psychodrama” on February 21, 2019, releasing the lead single “Black,” which explores the complexities and pride of being black. The album debuted at number one in the UK, with 26,390 copies sold in its first week, breaking the streaming record for a British rap album. “Psychodrama” received critical acclaim and high ratings on Metacritic.
In April 2019, Dave previewed “Paper Cuts” on Instagram. Singles “Disaster” and “Location” from “Psychodrama” went platinum, with “Location” selling 1.8 million units by October 2021. Dave toured the UK, Australia, Europe, and North America and made his Glastonbury Festival debut in June 2019.
Dave won the 2019 Mercury Prize for “Psychodrama” and British Album of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards. His performance of “Black” at the Brit Awards sparked controversy for its political statements. Dave won another Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song for “Black” and the GQ Men Of The Year Vero Breakthrough Music Act Award.
In August 2020, Dave collaborated with Sir David Attenborough and Hans Zimmer for “Planet Earth: A Celebration.” He produced Fredo’s track “Money Talks” in January 2021 and released the EP “Titanium” and “Mercury” in April. His second album, “We’re All Alone in This Together,” was announced in June and released on July 23, 2021, debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
The album broke records for first-week streams and sales for a UK rap album. Dave headlined festivals, including Parklife, and won his third Ivor Novello Award in August 2021. He continued producing for other artists and won Best British Hip Hop/Rap/Grime Act at the 2022 Brit Awards. His single “Starlight” debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart in March 2022, breaking multiple records.
Dave won Songwriter of the Year at the 67th Ivor Novello Awards in May and headlined numerous festivals, becoming the youngest solo headliner at Reading and Leeds Festival. In June 2023, he released “Sprinter” with Central Cee, which debuted at number one on the UK singles chart. The track was followed by the EP “Split Decision.”
Dave made his modeling debut at the 2023 Paris Fashion Week for Pharrell Williams’ Louis Vuitton collection.
Personal life
Shortly after Dave’s birth, his father was deported to Nigeria due to visa issues, having mistakenly believed he was on a missionary visa rather than a visitor’s visa. Dave’s mother fled with his brothers to avoid deportation, reuniting with Dave three months later. During this period, the family experienced homelessness and lived on buses in South London.
Dave is also a passionate supporter of Manchester United F.C.
Net Worth
Estimated to be over 5 million dollars