British-Nigerian Rapper Dave's Debut Album 'Psychodrama' has Won the Mercury Prize

British-Nigerian rapper, Dave, released his debut album Psychodrama in March this year and it was certified gold in just three months. The album entered the UK charts at number and has sold over 100 000 copies to date, according to the BBC. Alongside the likes of British-Nigerian MC Little Simz, the experimental rock group Black Midi and Nao, Dave was nominated for this year's Mercury Prize at the end of July. This year's judging panel included artists such as Stormzy, Jorja Smith and Tshepo Mokoena, among several other notable individuals.

Yesterday, Dave took home the prestigious Mercury Prize for his debut album which has since been dubbed "the boldest and best British rap album in a generation."

Psychodrama has received critical acclaim since its release. It's lead single, "Black", caused quite a stir among certain listeners after it played on BBC Radio 1. The track, which talks about how Black people are generally perceived in the UK, caused some to feel that it was "racist towards White people". However, one of this year's Mercury Prize judges, Annie Mac, defended it saying that, "If you are genuinely offended by the idea of a man talking about the color of his skin and how it has shaped his identity, then that is a problem for you."

In his acceptance speech, Dave thanked his fellow nominated artists Little Simz, Nao and Slowthai and paid tribute to his brother, Christopher, who is currently in prison.

Speaking after the ceremony, Dave described the moment saying that, "This is surreal. It is a massive honor and I am glad that I've been able to repay the faith that a lot of people have put in me." He added that, "I have good days and bad days, but you see the team around me, my friends, my family, they kept me strong through this process."