Rapper Dave breaks UK album record with latest release

Dave has become the first British rap artist to debut three albums at number one in the UK’s official chart.

His latest, The Boy Who Played The Harp, knocked Taylor Swift’s Life of a Showgirl off the top spot, and managed to fend off competition from Lily Allen’s much talked-about West End Girl.

According to the Official UK Charts Company, it also became the fastest-selling rap album on vinyl this century, with 15,500 copies sold since its release last Friday.

His previous two albums have also re-entered the top 40, making him the first British rap act to have three entries in the chart simultaneously.

The Boy Who Played The Harp features strong religious themes, and its title is a reference to the biblical king David.

When Dave announced the album’s release he said David’s “story and search for purpose” had guided him, adding that he’d “grown so much” in the four years since his previous album.

The album’s fourth track, Chapter 16, references the Book of Samuel and the moment David becomes king.

Journalist Mimi Itseli, who writes as Mimi the Music Blogger, tells BBC Newsbeat it “pays homage to why his mum named him David”.

But she also believes it resonates today.

“Right now, in my opinion, he is the king of the scene,” she says.

Mimi hopes Dave’s openness about his beliefs will encourage fans to explore their own faith.

“Somebody can look into the Bible and think they don’t have to be a certain type of way,” she says.

“The main part of it when it comes to religion is being right with God, rather than being self-righteous.”

Tola, 22, tells Newsbeat she has been a fan of Dave “forever” and agrees that the album’s perspective on faith is “really important”.

“It speaks to the place that rap has to tell stories,” she says.

Tola says she saw commentary about the album on TikTok before she’d even listened to it.

But she thinks Dave has resisted the temptation created by social media to create a a quick and catchy hook when he wrote it.

The tracks on the album range from three minutes to seven minutes and 51 seconds long.

“There’s a part of our brain that loves that quick dopamine hit, but this album is really trying to get us to listen,” Tola says.

“It isn’t so much about the melody or music, he’s telling us: ‘sit down, take those seven minutes.’

“Take a break, listen to this advice.”

Fellow UK rapper Stormzy has also had three number one albums but 2019’s Heavy is the Head debuted at number two before climbing the chart.

Mimi says Dave’s three albums have tracked his development as an artist.

“Psychodrama was the album for him to show who he is,” she says.

“We’re All Alone In This Together was the album for him to show the artist that he is.

“This album’s showing the album for himself. It was just overhearing a conversation of his deep thoughts – even conversations with him and God.”

She describes each track on the album as “different versions of him”.

“His story is amazing because a lot of people can relate from being a boy in London, to even being a child of an immigrant, to being a black boy.

“People who’ve waited four years for this should take their time to listen.”

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