Funky Friday shootsDave to pole position

It has been suggested that South London rapper Dave came from nowhere to number one on the UK singles chart. Nothing could be further from the truth.He may only have been on the music scene since 2015 but 20-year-old Dave, full name David Omoregie, has been writing raps since he was 11. He won the Best Newcomer MOBO Award in 2017 and had already enjoyed a couple of top 20 hits before Funky Friday, which also features fellow London rapper Fredo, shot straight to pole position.Yet Dave’s life could have been very different. Academically gifted, he may well have now been at university studying for a law degree.“My mother wasn’t too happy about my career choice,” he smiled. “I did well in my exams and got a place at university. My mother was thrilled. She so much wanted me to go into the legal profession. It had been her gradual plan for me throughout my life.“700,000 YouTube views wasn’t a currency she could understand. Her reaction was that I’d be throwing away the means to a good, well paid job for all the uncertainties of music. She slowly came round to the idea during the summer before I would have gone to university.”Dave’s mother began to think he may have made the right choice a few months later when superstar rapper / singer Drake created a remixed version of her son’s single, Wanna Know.“He put it on his OVO Sound Radio. We’d got tickets to see a Drake concert for a friend’s birthday. But then his management called me saying Drake wanted to remix Wanna Know. We ended up meeting Drake. The whole night was a blur.”Drake’s promotion of Dave’s song saw Wanna Know become his first hit. It peaked at number 51 on the UK singles chart and number nine on the R&B chart. The video also drew more than six million views.This was just the start of Dave’s association with Drake. He co-wrote one of the tracks on Drake’s More Life commercial mixtape and performed in concert with him at London’s O2 Arena.“Drake’s involvement definitely helped my career and my home life. My mum realised I must be doing something good if an artiste like Drake is taking an interest in me. It was the same with music fans. More people wanted to hear my songs.”Unlike most rappers who tend to only be lyricists, Dave is also an accomplished musician.“Mum bought a piano when I was 14. I became obsessed with playing it. I’d play almost non-stop all night after school. I was self-taught. I’d listen to movie themes or video game soundtracks and try to play them. I don’t play quite so much now but I’d practice for seven or eight hours per day while I was in the process of learning to play.”Also unlike most rappers, Dave freely admits a liking for all kinds of music.“I listen to so many different things. I’ve always felt it was right to be open to a wide variety of musical styles. But I’ve always been particularly into rap thanks to the influence of my brothers.”Dave’s first video, Blackbox Cypher, was released in 2015. He had not performed in public at that time. Signed on the strength of the video, his management secured a support slot for Dave at Kano’s London concert in March, 2016.“I was so nervous that I instantly lost my voice. The only sound I could make were really high-pitched notes. It wasn’t the easiest debut that any artiste has ever had.This experience has proved to be nothing more than a bump in the road to success. Like Drake, Dave’s UK peers also recognise the quality of his work. A J Tracey, J Hus and MoStack are just three of the artists with whom he has collaborated.He has also been recognised by the British music establishment. Earlier this year, Dave became the youngest person to win the Best Contemporary Song Ivor Novello Award for his politically charged track, Question Time.“I felt so honoured to win the Ivor. Question Time wasn’t a chart hit but people who matter in the music business obviously appreciated the honesty and the message in my song.”His lyrical artistry is displayed again on Funky Friday. The track is unstructured in the sense that it has no chorus. The verses are simply bounced around between Dave and Fredo.“I don’t believe songs necessarily need to have a chorus. Funky Friday still has a hook but the track is all about the words. I want people to listen to what we’re saying.”Dave’s debut album should be issued at some time next year. It follows two releases, 2016’s Six Paths and 2017’s Game Over, which were officially listed as EPs but the number of featured songs really qualified them as mini albums. Indeed, the running time of Game Over is longer than many full albums.“Hangman is the only other single I’ve released this year. I want to put some more songs out before dropping the album. I also have tours to do. I’m excited about performing my first European tour next month. The Amsterdam show sold out in less than one hour, I couldn’t believe it. The album will be coming, I’m just not sure when.”