UK rapper Central Cee confirms conversion to Islam and reveals new name during livestream

British rapper Central Cee has publicly confirmed he has converted to Islam and changed his name, sharing the news directly with fans during a livestream.

The 27-year-old artist, born Oakley Neil Caesar-Su, disclosed the decision while speaking on a livestream hosted by PlaqueBoyMax. During the broadcast, Central Cee told viewers: “I just changed my name and took my shahada, I am a muslim now,” before adding that he has changed his first name from Oakley to Akil/Aqeel. The Shahada is the Islamic declaration of faith, marking a person’s formal entry into Islam.

The moment was understated. Friends present on the livestream congratulated him quietly, and there was no extended explanation or religious commentary from the rapper himself. Central Cee did not expand on when he converted or what led to the decision, framing it instead as a personal step rather than a public statement. Members of the Muslim community later welcomed the announcement online, with many praising the low-key way in which he chose to share it.

Before this, Central Cee had never gone on record about his religious beliefs. However, some fans had speculated in recent years after he posted with a caption in Arabic text on Instagram in 2023, a phrase translating to “I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil,” prompting questions about whether he had already embraced Islam privately. Until now, he had not addressed those assumptions.


However, hints of that shift had surfaced earlier in his music. On “Booga” (2025), Central Cee raps, “Lord, forgive us as I'm a sinner, repent and pray, you accept our sunnah,” a line that nods to repentance and Islamic practice while reflecting on his upbringing and past life in west London.


Raised in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, Central Cee grew up with his mother and two younger brothers after his parents separated when he was seven. His background includes an English mother and a father of Guyanese and Chinese heritage. He first appeared on a now-deleted episode of Fire in the Streets in 2014 at the age of 16, later featuring on the Ain’t On Nuttin Remix in January 2015. His breakthrough arrived with Day in the Life in June 2020, before his rise accelerated sharply in the early 2020s.

By 2021, Central Cee had become one of the defining figures in modern UK rap, blending drill foundations with melodic hooks and accessible storytelling. Tracks including Sprinter, Doja and BAND4BAND helped make him the first UK rapper to surpass one billion global streams. He has since collaborated with international artists such as Drake, J. Cole, 21 Savage and Ice Spice, and in 2024 was reported to be the most-streamed UK rapper worldwide. His reported net worth has been estimated at between $6 million and $10 million.

Away from music, Central Cee has spoken candidly about the pressures that come with his profile. In an interview with Complex last year, he admitted: “It’s only really starting to sink in now, I’ll be honest. I’ve been moving so fast for so long that I haven’t had time to take it all in.” He also described ongoing anxiety about being constantly on the road, saying he worries about his family’s safety and the toll that non-stop work can take on his mental state.

Despite that, he has said he is not fearful of his fame eventually fading, calling it inevitable and something he thinks about strategically. “How are we gonna manoeuvre and what’s the exit plan?” he said, adding that he wants the transition to be “as graceful as possible when that time comes.”

Islam is one of the world’s fastest-growing religions, with more than two billion adherents globally. Around a quarter of the world’s population identifies as Muslim, including roughly six per cent of people in the UK. The Shahada, which Central Cee said he had taken, is the core declaration of Islamic faith and marks formal entry into the religion. Islam has also been highly visible in hip-hop culture for decades, sometimes described as the genre’s “official religion”, with artists such as DJ Khaled, French Montana, Ice Cube, Akon, SZA, Yuna and Dua Lipa all having Muslim backgrounds or openly referencing the faith.