Central Cee

Central Cee's parents separated when he was seven, after which he lived in Shepherd's Bush with his mother, Rachel Caesar, and two younger brothers. He also has a half-brother. His brother Juke Caesar appeared on 23 under the name Lil Bro. Central Cee has described his father as Guyanese and Chinese and his mother as English.

Central Cee dated Madeline Argy, a TikTok creator and host of the Pretty Lonesome podcast, for more than two years. Their relationship ended in July 2024. In February 2026, he announced that he had converted to Islam and changed his first name to Akhil.

Central Cee began writing poetry and raps as a child and started taking music seriously after visiting a recording studio near Wandsworth Bridge at 14. He left school at 16. His first public appearance came on a 2014 episode of Charlie Sloth's Fire in the Streets, where he used the name Central C, which later became Central Cee.

He appeared on the 2015 "Ain't On Nuttin Remix" alongside J Hus and other British rappers, and released the "StreetHeat Freestyle" that same year. His early projects included the EP 17 and the EPs Nostalgia and CS Vol. 1. He later released the "Next Up?" freestyle in 2019.

After meeting his future manager YBeeez in 2019, Central Cee moved away from the auto-tuned hip-hop style he had used earlier and adopted a sound influenced by UK drill. His 2020 singles "Day in the Life" and "Loading" established him as a prominent new voice in the genre, with "Loading" reaching the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart.

Central Cee self-released his debut mixtape, Wild West, in 2021. It reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK R&B Albums Chart. The mixtape followed the singles "Molly," "Loading" and "Commitment Issues," while "Obsessed With You" became one of his most successful early singles after reaching number four in the United Kingdom.

His second mixtape, 23, was released in February 2022 and became his first UK number one. Its success was followed by "Doja," which peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, and the EP No More Leaks, which included "One Up" and "Let Go." Central Cee became the first UK rapper to achieve one billion Spotify streams in a single year in 2022.

In June 2023, Central Cee and Dave released the collaborative EP Split Decision. Its lead single, "Sprinter," became Central Cee's first UK number-one single and remained at the top of the UK rap chart for 10 weeks. He later appeared on the 2023 XXL Freshman Class and signed with Columbia Records.

Central Cee released his debut studio album, Can't Rush Greatness, in January 2025. The album became his second UK number one and reached number nine on the Billboard 200, making it the first UK rap album to enter the chart's top ten. The album included or was associated with songs such as "Band4Band," "Gen Z Luv" and "GBP." "Band4Band," recorded with Lil Baby, reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest position then achieved by a UK rap single.

His later collaborations included "On the Radar Freestyle" with Drake, "Too Much" with The Kid Laroi and Jungkook, "Wave" with Asake, "Did It First" with Ice Spice and "GBP" with 21 Savage. He supported Can't Rush Greatness with a world tour.

Central Cee's sixth overall EP, All Roads Lead Home, was released in March 2026. It included "Iceman Freestyle" and "Slaughter," a collaboration with J Hus.

Central Cee's music combines elements of UK rap, trap and UK drill. He began his career in British hip-hop, moved toward trapwave in 2016, and adopted a melodic, more upbeat approach to UK drill in 2020. He has cited Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Jay-Z, YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Skepta as influences.

His public style is associated with tracksuits, puffer jackets and skull caps. He launched the streetwear brand Syna World in 2023, later collaborating with Paris Saint-Germain on a custom kit and with Nike on a Tech Fleece tracksuit and Air Max 95 release. He also modeled for Drake's Nike Nocta collection and fronted a Jacquemus campaign.

Central Cee appeared on the cover of British Vogue's July 2024 Style & Sound issue, alongside a second cover featuring model Mona Tougaard. He was also selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 entertainment list for Europe in 2023.