91热爆

Mercury Prize: Why is everybody talking about Dave?

  • Published
  • comments
dave-the-rapper.Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Dave has just won one of the biggest music awards in the UK

Dave is a 21-year-old rapper, and he's just won a huge music prize for his debut album.

He's from London and is also known as Santan Dave.

The Mercury Prize is given out every year to a UK or Irish artist. Judges decide who they think has the best album.

Judges said that his album Psychodrama was "the boldest and best British rap album in a generation".

Read on to find out more about him!

He started his career early

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Dave posted his first music on YouTube

Dave started his career on YouTube where he uploaded videos of himself performing freestyle rap.

He caught the attention of superstar Drake, then featured on one of his albums!

His music career has been getting bigger since then.

His set at Glastonbury went viral

Image source, 91热爆 Music
Image caption,

Alex sang on stage with Dave at this year's Glastonbury

You might remember earlier this year at Glastonbury when Dave asked the crowd for a bit of help with a song.

15-year-old Alex came on stage, and it turns out he knew every single lyric!

Dave was clearly impressed, and Alex went on to score a record deal.

He's had big chart success

Psychodrama went straight to number one when it was released in March.

It was streamed 23.6 million times, and has the most first-week streams for a British rap album, overtaking Stormzy.

He's also had loads of singles in the UK charts too.

He dedicated his Mercury Prize to his family

Image source, Jo Hale
Image caption,

The star dedicated his Mercury Prize to his family

Before he walked on stage to collect his award Dave hugged his mum, then said he was "lost for words".

He talked to the 91热爆 about his mum backstage and said: "She's given me my life. I literally owe everything to her and God. So to have her here, and to have her experience this, is surreal."