Do we like Central Cee?
Our score: 7 out of 10. A clean harm record and no court trouble, but the verified good deeds are thin and the record is short.
Oakley Caesar-Su grew up around Shepherd's Bush in West London, and by his own account he started writing raps at eight. His dad played the brothers old-school hip-hop, and the house had reggae, jazz and dancehall going too. That mix explains a lot about why his drill sounds a bit more tuneful than most.
The rise was quick. He broke out in 2020 with “Day in the Life” and “Loading”, and in 2022 became the first UK rapper to hit a billion Spotify streams in a year. His first UK number one, “Sprinter”, came in 2023, and his debut album Can't Rush Greatness debuted at number one in January 2025.
On company, the standout is Drake, who he has worked with more than once. That is a big name, but we didn't find a pattern of him teaming up with people who push harm. We didn't find any court cases or credible reports of him mistreating staff or fans either. A fair chunk of what turns up is gossip and spam pages, which we've ignored.
The latest big personal news was in February 2026, when he said on a livestream he had changed his name and taken his Shahada. LADbible reported it, and its reporting doesn't mention any backlash. Faith is never a mark against anyone here. Since then it has been music: the EP All Roads Lead Home and a MOBO for Best Hip-hop Act.
The good stuff is thinner than we'd like. Awards are easy to find, but we couldn't open a solid report of charity work, so we're leaving that out. Nothing new on him lately that changes the picture, and that's honestly the whole list.