Octavian (rapper)

Octavian
Birth name Oliver Godji
Born 1996 (age 21–22)
Lille, France
Occupation(s) Rapper, singer
Years active 2016–present

Oliver Godji (born 1996), better known by his stage name Octavian, is a French-British rapper from London. He released his first full-length mixtape, Spaceman, on 10 September 2018, and has appeared on tracks by Mura Masa and A2. He is signed to the Sony label Black Butter.

He was born in Lille, France, from an Angolan family. After his father died he moved to London when he was three with his mother, and settled in Camberwell, South London.[1] As a teenager he won a scholarship to the Brit school, but dropped out.[2]

His first mixtape, 22, was released in 2016, followed by the Essie World EP in 2017.[1] Octavian's recognition increased in January 2018 after an Instagram video of Drake singing along to the track "Party Here" at a Golden Globes after party.[1][3]

The Fader have described Octavian's sound as a mixture of house, rap, and drill, as well as noting that his sound was influenced by Drake and Bon Iver.[4] Pitchfork have described the sound as mixing "R&B and dancehall with downbeat grime, peppy house, and UK hip-hop".[5] Critics have disagreed about how to classify Octavian's style, with High Snobiety noting that he is "Too British to be labeled trap but too American to be classed as grime".

The Guardian described his 2018 mixtape Spaceman as "a spectacular medley of the past decade of UK subgenres – the raspy-voiced rapper amalgamates elements of drill, grime and house to create something dextrous and distinctive."[2] Pitchfork described the release as "daring eclecticism".[6]

In August 2018, Octavian signed with Sony/ATV and Stellar Songs.[7]

Discography

Mixtapes

EPs

  • Essie World (2017)

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Meet Octavian: the UK rapper with a hand on his heart". Red Bull. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  2. 1 2 Mahanty, Shannon (2018-09-06). "Octavian: the rising rapper who beat homelessness and pigeonholes". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  3. ↑ "Octavian Is the Drake-Approved UK Rapper Set to Light up 2018". Highsnobiety. 2018-09-14. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  4. ↑ "Octavian found his sound, and U.K. rap is better for it". The Fader. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  5. ↑ "Octavian Is Shaping the Sound of Rap in 2018—Just Ask Drake | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  6. ↑ "Octavian : SPACEMAN Album Review | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  7. ↑ "Sony/ATV and Stellar Songs sign UK rapper Octavian to global deal - Music Business Worldwide". Music Business Worldwide. 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
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