Chiedu Oraka: International Showcase Fund (SXSW 2024)
SXSW 2024 – Selector Presents.. Sian Eleri (official showcase)
A leading figure in the Northern Rap and Grime scene, Chiedu Oraka, aka ‘The Black Yorkshireman’ defies genres with his blend of raw honesty and social poetry. Raised on North Hull Estate, Oraka is a titan in the northern area, his lyrical abilities creating an in-depth memoir of the Northern Black experience and his successes charting on a national – and global – scale. His breakthrough hits ‘Darcy’, ‘Men Behaving Badly’ and ‘Flex’, garnered streams in the millions and found champions in The Guardian, Mixmag, i-D, The Quietus and TRENCH alongside BBC Radio 1, 6Music, 1Xtra and Reprezent.
A strong 2023 saw Oraka sign with Marshall’s live booking agency, perform at The Great Escape 2023, headline his first Leeds show and Humber Street Sesh 2023 and play his first UK headline tour in October 2023. Oraka entered 2024 armed with his lengthiest project to date, Misfit, a 12-track mixtape signed to EMI North via Launchpad that goes deeper on both fronts – the anthems and the message – than ever before. Single, ‘Rhythm of My Pain’ taken from Misfit has alreadybeenchampionedby The Independent, Clash, Line of Best Fit to BBC Introducing, 6 Music and 1Xtra to name a few. Now, Oraka turns his focus to Austin, Texas for SXSW 2024. The PRS International Showcase Fund will support the export of his music and create opportunities outside of Yorkshire for Oraka’s steadily rising career. The award represents a significant moment, not just for Oraka’s career, but for his community also.