Rapper Dave from Streatham gives shoutout to South London before calling prime minister racist at Brit Awards 2020

The Brit Awards were set alight with political statements and a shoutout for South London from an award winning rapper on Tuesday evening.

Dave, a grime and hip hop artist from Streatham, blew audiences away with a performance of his song Black which spoke of British black history, racial inequality and hope.

In an added verse at the end he called prime minister Boris Johnson a racist. 

“It is racist, whether or not it feels racist,” he sang. “The truth is our prime minister’s a real racist. They say you should be grateful we’re the least racist. I say the least racist is still racist.”

He echoed the sentiments of Croydon-born grime legend Stormzy from the Brit Awards two years before in calling out the lack of housing provisions for victims of Grenfell.

At the end of his rap, Dave rapped: “We want rehabilitation, that would be amazing, our Grenfell victims still need accommodation. And we still need support for the Windrush generation, reparations for the time our people spent on plantations.”

Dave also included an emotional tribute to the London Bridge terror attack victim Jack Merrit: “Rest in peace Jack Merritt, you’re my brother in arms, there’s tears in our eyes and love in our hearts.

Dave also picked up his first Brit Award at the show winning the Best Album Of The Year award for his album Psychodrama giving a shoutout to South London saying: “Everyone that comes from the place that I come from. All my people from South London. All my young kings and queens that are chasing their dreams. I am no different from you.”

But the South London representation didn’t end there. Stormzy picked up his third Brit Award at the O2 Arena in Greenwich winning the Male Solo Artist Award, a category Dave was also nominated in.

Mabel, the daughter of Battersea resident and singer Neneh Cherry, was nominated for the Song Of The Year with her hit ‘Don’t Call Me Up’.

D-Block Europe, a rap collective from Lewisham received a nomination for Best British Group.

And Joy Crookes, from Elephant and Castle was nominated for the Rising Star Award.