Oakley Caesar-Su

Oakley Neil Caesar-Su, professionally known as Central Cee, is a British rapper from Shepherd's Bush, London. Regarded as a leading figure in UK rap, he rose to prominence in 2020 with the release of his UK drill singles "Day in the Life" and "Loading". His debut mixtape, Wild West (2021), reached number two on the UK Albums Chart, while his follow-up mixtape, 23 (2022), debuted at number one.

Caesar-Su was born on 4 June 1998 in Ladbroke Grove, London, to an English mother and a father of Guyanese and Chinese ancestry. After his parents separated when he was seven, he moved to Shepherd's Bush with his mother and two younger brothers. As a child, he wrote poetry and raps, and listened to hip-hop, reggae, and dancehall. He attended school alongside rapper Digga D and left at age 16. Having developed an interest in pursuing music at age 14 after visiting a studio, he briefly worked at a shoe store and sold drugs before focusing on his musical career.

Beginning his career in 2014 under the name Central Cee, he performed on freestyle platforms and featured on remixes alongside artists like J Hus and Dave. Initially performing British hip-hop and trapwave with auto-tuned vocals, he shifted toward UK drill after meeting his manager YBeeez in 2019. His breakthrough singles "Day in the Life", "Molly", and "Loading" gained significant traction in 2020, with "Loading" entering the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart.

In March 2021, Central Cee self-released his debut mixtape, Wild West, which topped the UK R&B Albums Chart. His second mixtape, 23, was released in February 2022 and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. Later that year, his single "Doja" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and became the most-streamed UK rap song on Spotify at the time. In 2022, he also became the first UK rapper to achieve one billion Spotify streams in a single year.

In June 2023, Central Cee collaborated with Dave on the single "Sprinter" and the joint EP Split Decision. "Sprinter" became his first UK number-one single and spent 10 weeks at the top position. That same year, he signed with Columbia Records. In May 2024, he released "Band4Band" with Lil Baby, which reached number three in the UK and number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the highest-charting UK rap single in Billboard Hot 100 history.

His debut studio album, Can't Rush Greatness, was released in January 2025 through Columbia Records. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number nine on the Billboard 200, becoming the first UK rap album to reach the US top ten. He subsequently announced the Can't Rush Greatness World Tour and released his sixth EP, All Roads Lead Home, in March 2026.

Outside of music, Central Cee is recognized for his streetwear fashion style. He launched the brand Syna World in 2023 and has collaborated with brands such as Nike and Paris Saint-Germain. In his personal life, he dated creator Madeline Argy until July 2024, and in February 2026, he announced his conversion to Islam and changed his name to Akhil.