UK rapper Central Cee to perform at Hey Neighbour festival alongside Doja Cat and Leon Thomas

UK rap sensation Central Cee is gearing up for his debut performance in South Africa. 

He'll be sharing the stage with global superstars Doja Cat and Leon Thomas at the 2-day Hey Neighbour music and cultural festival, which is set to take place in August.

The "Doja" hitmaker will take the spotlight on Saturday, August 30, where he will showcase his unique style and talent.

Then on Sunday, August 31, Doja Cat and Thomas will set the stage alight. 

Cee, who exploded onto the music scene in 2021 with his mixtape "Wild West," quickly amassed over a billion Spotify streams within that year.

With subsequent mixtapes, including the chart-topping "23", Cee has solidified his place among the leading voices of his generation, earning him several nominations across various awards and a loyal global fanbase.

This year, he bagged three Brits nominations, including Artist of the Year, Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act, and Song of the Year for "Band4Band".

Although he didn't take home any trophies, Stormzy, who won the Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act award, acknowledged Cee as the rap artist of the year. 

Cee has also been nominated for other awards, including at the BET Awards and MTV Europe Music Awards. 

Known for his expressive streams of consciousness, Cee's music resonates with listeners through its paradoxical themes, ranging from romantic to realist, and hard-hitting to reflective. In an online interview, he described his sound as "ignorantly conscious".

Long before success knocked on his door, Cee's musical journey began at the tender age of eight, inspired by his mother's poetry. This prompted him to rap about his desire for the things he didn’t have: a phone, a bike and clothes, among other things.  

At 13, he started making music with little outside influence beyond 2Pac’s Ghetto Gospel on MP3.

He worked regular jobs, by which he mostly means dealing drugs.

“When you’re coming from where I’m coming from, everybody from all walks of life, nine times out of 10, they had to do that. It’s like learning to ride a bike. In my little radius of Shepherd’s Bush, there’s like six, seven phones ringing all day long, making like £2,000 a day.

"Who do you think is making this money? It’s little kids," he shared during the interview.

“That’s why, this music thing, I find it quite strange. Because I’m telling my brothers’ stories. I’m telling all my people’s stories. They are just as important as me. You’re fascinated about my story. I don’t know why, because it’s all of ours.”