Chiedu Oraka

Born from the belly of the beast in Hull’s council estates, Chiedu Oraka is here to disrupt the reign of London-centric grime. His bars can fill the dancefloor as capably as they serve as social poetry, portraying the Black, working-class experience from the frontlines of a largely white, economically deprived region of the north. Delivered in his city’s distinct accent with lashings of colourful slang for good measure, Oraka is a fierce representative of a new sound and an amplifier of stories yet to be told. Oraka is a titan in the northern arena, but his successes chart on a national - and global - scale. His breakthrough hits 'Darcy', 'Men Behaving Badly' and 'Flex' garnered streams in the millions and found champions in The Guardian, Mixmag, i-D, The Quietus and TRENCH alongside BBC Radio 1, 6Music, 1Xtra and Reprezent. The collision of his personality-driven floor fillers, diaristic lyrics and high-octane stage presence has earned him support slots with Stormzy, Novelist, Akala and US hip-hop legend KRS One. Oraka has performed across the length and breadth of the UK with his debut headline tour this autumn, and is primed to take his sound trans-Atlantic from the streets of North Hull to the dusty planes of Austin, Texas at SXSW next year.