| Born | 4 June 1998 (age 28 years), Ladbroke Grove, London, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Full name | Akhil Neil Caesar-Su |
| Record labels | Alternative Distribution Alliance, Columbia Records, CC4L |
| Religion | Muslim |
What religion is Central Cee?
Central Cee is a British rapper who publicly converted to Islam in early 2026. During a livestream with PlaqueBoyMax, he confirmed that he adopted the Muslim name Aqeel and took his Shahada, stating, “I just changed my name and took my Shahada; I am a Muslim now.”
Central Cee first gained recognition for his recordings with London drill and UK hip-hop artists in the early 2020s. He has had success with such artists as Dave, Lil Baby, Ice Spice, Drake, and J Hus, racking up numerous top-20 hit songs in the process. In 2025, Central Cee released his first studio album, Can’t Rush Greatness, which debuted atop the UK Albums Chart and reached the top ten on the US Billboard 200.
Central Cee has produced several hit singles, including “Day in the Life,” “Loading,” “Commitment Issues,” “Obsessed With You,” and “Doja,” which became a massive international viral sensation. His record-breaking 2023 collaboration “Sprinter” with Dave became the longest-running number-one rap single in UK chart history, followed by global crossover hits like “BAND4BAND” featuring Lil Baby and “Did It First” with Ice Spice. Central Cee has also worked with artists including Skepta, RAYE, Asake, Young Miko, and Lil Durk, among many others.
Early life
Oakley Neil Caesar-Su, known professionally as Central Cee, was born on June 4, 1998, in Ladbroke Grove, London, to an English mother and a father of Guyanese and Chinese descent. He has described himself as a devout Muslim, having publicly taken his Shahada in February 2026. His brother, Juke Caesar, known as “Lil Bro,” is a musical artist who appeared on his mixtape 23. His parents separated when he was seven years old, leading him to be raised by his mother alongside his two younger brothers in Shepherd’s Bush. Oakley developed an interest in rap and hip-hop music as a young boy, heavily influenced by his father playing American hip-hop and attending the Notting Hill Carnival. He started writing raps at age eight and began recording as a teenager, which helped to lay the foundations for his music career.
Early Musical Beginnings
When he was 14, Caesar-Su made his first song appearance on the “Ain’t On Nuttin Remix” alongside J. Hus. He subsequently became a notable name on underground platforms, releasing his “StreetHeat Freestyle” in early 2015. In late 2015, Caesar-Su appeared on the influential music platform BL@CKBOX, performing verses over classic Tupac instrumentals alongside MoWest. A year later, he released the track “Pull Up” in 2016, followed by his debut EP, Next Up, in 2017. Also in 2017, he released the auto-tuned single, “No Cap,” on his YouTube channel. He followed that with the EP Nostalgia in late 2019. Around that time, Caesar-Su gained further attention when he shifted away from auto-tuned UK wave to a hard-hitting drill sound, setting the stage for his breakout single “Day in the Life.”
Global Breakthrough
Central Cee released his debut mixtape, Wild West, in 2021. The project debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK R&B Albums Chart, dominated the weekly streaming numbers, and was later certified Gold. His sophomore effort, 23, arrived in 2022 and went a step further, debuting at #1 in the UK.
In 2023, he released “Sprinter” with Dave, a record-breaking single that spent 10 consecutive weeks at number one. The track again smashed records as the longest-running rap song in UK chart history, earning multi-platinum certifications. It is widely considered one of the defining UK rap tracks of the 2020s.
He continued the streak with his debut studio album, Can’t Rush Greatness, in 2025, which topped charts across the UK and Europe with over 42,000 units sold while peaking at #9 on the US Billboard 200. By this point, Central Cee had established himself as one of the few British rappers capable of consistent international commercial dominance while successfully introducing UK drill to the American mainstream.
Personal Life
Central Cee was in a high-profile, on-again, off-again relationship with his girlfriend, Madeline Argy, a British TikTok creator and podcast host. The couple officially parted ways in July 2024 following public infidelity allegations surrounding his collaborative single “Did It First.”
