Chiedu Oraka

Hailing from North Hull Estate and ‘Best Newcomer’ at the 2025 Northern Music Awards, Chiedu Oraka is redefining UK rap with his dynamic sound. In Aug 2025, Oraka opened for Coldplay, also performing ‘We Pray’ with the band on the Hull dates of their Music of the Spheres tour that attracted critical acclaim. Oraka’s acclaimed mixtape Misfit (released via Launchpad+ EMI North in 2024) earned critical acclaim from NME, Clash, Wonderland, DJ Mag and The Telegraph to name a few, with strong support from BBC Radio 1, 6Music, and 1Xtra. Single "Helly Hansen 6" landed on BBC 6Music’s C List for four consecutive weeks, and Oraka became BBC Radio 1’s first-ever Future Flex freestyle performer. Known for his electrifying stage presence, Oraka has performed across the UK and internationally, including his debut Glastonbury 2024 performance on the BBC Introducing stage, a sold-out headline UK tour, and SXSW 2024 in Austin, where he supported Skepta for the British Music Embassy. His high-energy performances have also earned him support slots with Stormzy, KRS-One, Casisdead and Akala. Oraka is one of the founding members of music collective Lockdown; through their independent label ROOM 73 the collective have released a number of hit songs, including ‘Men Behaving Badly’, ‘Flex’ and ‘Darcy’, which garnered streams in the millions. In 2025, his fashion collaboration with ACRA was featured in both GQ and Vogue, reflecting his cultural influence beyond music.