UK Rap Scene's Central Cee and Dave Release Celebratory Project 'Split Decision'

Written by Eli Gillespie

Oakley Neil H. T. Caesar-Su and David Orobosa Omoregie were born in London within a day of each other on June 4th and 5th, 1998. Twenty-five years later, Oakley and David have blossomed into two of the brightest stars in the UK rap scene under the stage names Central Cee and Dave. On June 5, 2023, this year, they surprised their fans by releasing Split Decision,  a 4-song collaborative EP, celebrating their birthdays and career accomplishments. 

Despite the two artists being the same age, Dave achieved mainstream success earlier, as his first two albums Psychodrama and We’re All Alone in This Together, reached number one on the UK Albums chart in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Central Cee began releasing music as early as 2014 but did not reach mainstream popularity in Britain until 2020. While Dave has enjoyed more commercial success in the UK, Central Cee has arguably had more crossover success in the US, as his breakout single “Doja” reached number 19 on the Billboard 200.

From a musical and thematic standpoint, Split Decision is a celebratory body of work, as most of the project’s lyrical content features the two rappers boasting about their accomplishments and exploits over boisterous, 808-heavy drill beats. 

The album’s lead single, “Sprinter” is the best example of this phenomenon, as the duo brags about accumulating generational wealth and taking exotic vacations over a bouncy drill beat that prominently features a flamenco-inspired guitar sample. While “Sprinter” delivers precisely what fans have come to expect from the two rappers, it is almost formulaic to a point with  apparent similarities to their previous efforts, such as Dave’s “Thiago Silva” or Central Cee’s “Doja.”

Another song from the project with tremendous hit potential,  “Trojan Horse,” also features a similarly bouncy beat complimented by a menacing-sounding sample from famous Japanese composer Akira Senju. “Trojan Horse” is less of a club hit than “Sprinter,” but it has immense appeal as a potential pump-up/work out song.

The track that stands out the most from the EP is “Our 25th Birthday.” Despite the song’s celebratory title, it is the most subdued and introspective song on the project as the rappers discuss the journeys that led them to the top of the UK rap scene. Dave’s verse was particularly interesting, juxtaposing his childhood of “bein’ broke” with the indulgent nature of his current lifestyle. While Dave continues to boast about his financial accomplishments and exploits with women, he ends the song sincerely, rapping, “It's time I get a life / it's time I get a wife.”

Overall, Split Decision is a fairly safe project from a musical standpoint. Dave and Central Cee primarily conformed to the contemporary drill sound that listeners have come to expect from them. That being said, several songs on the EP will constantly be in rotation for DJs this summer since Dave and Central Cee showcased their ability to make fun, catchy hits.