To understand just how far Central Cee has taken UK rap, you have to go back to where it all started.
British rap has been developing for decades, but the sound that would eventually become grime began taking shape in East London in the late ’90s and early 2000s, growing out of UK garage, jungle, pirate radio and the crews surrounding stations like Rinse FM. Wiley, Dizzee Rascal, So Solid Crew, Skepta, Kano and countless others helped turn those underground frequencies into a movement of its own.
Fast forward a couple of decades, and the scene has evolved considerably. But if you’ve followed Central Cee’s career, you’ll know that his rise has been anything but accidental. From the early mixtapes and breakout singles that first put him on the map to becoming one of the UK’s biggest musical exports, Cench has spent the last few years turning momentum into something much bigger.
The journey really accelerated with his mixtapes ‘Wild West’ and ‘23’, before singles such as “Doja” and the Dave-assisted “Sprinter” took things to another level. The latter spent 10 weeks at number one in the UK, while his growing list of accolades eventually saw him become the most decorated artist in MOBO Awards history.
His global reach has continued to grow, too, with Cench recently becoming the first UK rapper to surpass 10 billion streams on Spotify. And throughout it all, he’s never been shy about where he believed this was heading.
On “Top Freestyle”, track six from his critically acclaimed debut album ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’, Cench casually predicted that he would get a number one album “easy”. Naturally, when the album arrived, it went straight to the top of the UK Albums Chart, turning what could have sounded like pure bravado into another prediction proven right. The album was widely praised for capturing the contradictions of his new life, balancing the confidence that comes with global success with the realities that sit underneath it.
But music is only one part of the Central Cee story. Alongside the records, campaigns and world tours, he has built a world around himself through fashion. In 2023, he launched SYNA World, his own streetwear label, which quickly developed a cult following through limited drops, word of mouth and a deliberately low-key approach to marketing.
That ability to move between music, fashion and culture is exactly what makes Central Cee such a compelling figure. His music has the substance to sit alongside some of the biggest artists of his generation, while SYNA World has carved out its own identity in an already saturated streetwear landscape. Cench has built an ecosystem around himself, establishing a blueprint that extends well beyond the music and making him the long-needed global poster boy for UK rap. And he’s not stopping there.
Central Cee has now turned his focus to football. He’s a loud-and-proud Chelsea fan, regularly spotted at Stamford Bridge and appearing in the club’s campaigns. “My family are Chelsea fans, so I basically came out of the womb as a fan. I didn’t really get a choice,” he told us.
Now, Cench’s latest move around the beautiful game sees him team up with Coca-Cola for "Taste Every Second," the brand’s new Premier League campaign, alongside an original track titled “The Team”. The song is designed to soundtrack the emotional rollercoaster of a Premier League season, from the anticipation of opening day to the chaos of the final whistle. Cench also stars in a cinematic film for the campaign, following the highs and lows of a season from pre-season optimism through to the final day.
Ahead of the release, we sat down with Central Cee to talk about the journey so far, the thinking behind his latest move, football, fashion, ambition and what comes next.
Football has clearly played a big role in your life. What does the Premier League mean to you personally, and what made you want to be part of Coca-Cola’s 'Taste Every Second' campaign?
I’ve always liked football, but I’d say I’ve become more of a proper fan over the last six years. When things started going well for me, I had more space to actually watch it. Forming friendships with some of the players, like Cole Palmer, made me get more involved too.
The Premier League is just part of everyday life in London anyway. Everyone’s got a team, everyone’s got an opinion. When you’re from London, football is just a part of life, whether you’re a fan or not.
'Taste Every Second' made sense to me because that’s football all over. You can’t predict it. One minute it’s calm, the next minute the whole game has changed.
You’re from West London and have spoken about your connection to Chelsea before. What does supporting Chelsea mean to you, and how did that relationship with the club start?
My family are Chelsea fans, so I basically came out the womb a fan. I didn’t really get a choice.
Being from West makes the link stronger. Growing up, I’d pass the stadiums all the time and that was inspiring in a mad way, because there’s a real difference between how we were living and the money and success sitting right there on our doorstep.
Controversial one, people also clock my QPR tattoo and comment on it. I don’t support QPR, but everything on my body means something. Loftus Road was closer to me than Stamford Bridge, it’s in Shepherd’s Bush. I grew up around those match days. It’s a huge stadium in the ends, so it’s part of my story in the same way Carnival is, for instance.
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What is it about football that inspires you?
Football’s a UK ting. It’s deep-rooted in the culture, so it’s around you whether you’re into it or not.
Then there’s the ambition. I respect ambition in any form. It’s also a sport where most of the players come from nothing. It’s not a nepo baby ting. Where I’m from, people grow up thinking it’s football or rap, those are the two doors.
So when you hear those stories about someone coming from a normal upbringing and making it, it means something.
Then there’s the mentality on top of that. You can have all the talent in the world, but you’ve still got to perform when the pressure’s on. A win isn’t guaranteed.
The new track, 'The Team', is designed to capture everything from the nerves of pre-season to the chaos of the final day. Which part of a Premier League season do you enjoy the most?
Every season’s different, that’s the thing. Some years it’s a proper battle right to the end, some years someone’s clear by Christmas, and then even that can change.
The small rivalries are what I find interesting. Two teams going at it when neither of them are anywhere near the top. That’s funny to me.
Football fans are just different. I’ll hear two of my friends debating, calling each other after a match to have a dig, and it makes me want to know what’s going on. Next thing, I’m keeping up with teams I don’t usually follow.
You’ve now crossed over into so many different worlds through music, fashion and sport. Does working across those different spaces change the way you approach your own creativity?
It’s changed me. Might be premature saying this, but for the last six years, my main driving force might have been money.
Then I got around people in fashion and sport, and a lot of them are earning well but they’re doing it mainly for the love of it. It rubbed off on me. I’m not as money-orientated now as I was. I’m driven more by the creative now.
I relate to the footballers as well. You see the work they put in and all the sacrifices they make. They actually work hard consistently. I had to do the same to get where I am, and I’m still working.
You’ve recently become the first UK rapper to surpass 10 billion Spotify streams. When you look at a number like that, does it actually sink in, or are you already thinking about the next goal?
Ten billion. When you say it out loud, it sounds mad. It’s a huge milestone and I’m always grateful. But my head goes to what’s next pretty quick.
Celebrating isn’t second nature to me. The fans have heard me say this before, I don’t really celebrate. Number ones, awards, none of it. I’m awkward at award shows. Having things to celebrate is still new to me and I ain’t got used to it yet.
Maybe that’s a good thing though. Maybe that’s what keeps me humble and striving for more. I understand what these achievements mean, even to others. What it does for people coming up, for my peers, how it inspires the fans. The same way I’m inspired by people outside of my industry.
You’ve achieved things that would have felt impossible when you were starting out. Is there a particular moment in your career where you realised, “This has actually gone global”?
Travelling and hearing people who don’t really speak English knowing every word, even as far as Asia. Numbers on a screen are one thing, but the feeling on stage thousands of miles away from home is a bit different.
But if I’m honest, it still doesn’t feel global day to day. I still go places where nobody knows who I am, and the way I move, I’m not bombarded by anyone. So maybe I’m more famous than I think I am.
I don’t zoom in on the people that do know me either. There are groups all over the world that don’t, and that’s not me saying I want to go and conquer those groups. I’m just pointing out the fact that they exist.
If you could soundtrack one iconic Premier League moment from your own life, what would it be and why?
Can’t lie, it wouldn’t be a Premier League moment. It’d be Chelsea winning the Champions League in 2021.
I dropped 'Wild West' that March, which is still a lot of people’s favourite project of mine, and then a few months later, a team from the ends won the Champions League. I’d soundtrack that. Great year for West London.
