Bridging the gap between drill, R&B, house, and British rap, Octavian delivers an ambitious, eclectic mix of introspection and swagger. After breaking through with his 2018 mixtape Spaceman and winning BBC Music's Sound of 2019 award, he released charting collaborations with Skepta and Future, and was additionally featured on songs by Diplo and Gorillaz.

Born in Lille, France, Octavian Godji moved to Camberwell, South London at a young age with his mother, and after attending the now famous BRIT school in Croydon -- whose previous alumni included Amy Winehouse, Adele, and Jessie J -- Octavian left to pursue his own musical style. Inspired by the likes of Chief Keef and Drake, he set about merging the sounds of hip-hop, house, and the rising drill scene in London. In 2017 he released the fragmented and woozy-sounding "Party Here," which became a homegrown hit within the scene; it wasn't long before Drake was quoting the rapper on his own social media accounts. In the following year, Octavian issued several tracks -- "Little," "100 Degrees," "Hands" -- before signing a deal with respected label Black Butter.

Octavian's debut mixtape, Spaceman, appeared in the September, and saw him perfecting his own take on the British hip-hop sound. Octavian was announced as the winner of BBC Music's Sound of 2019 award early in the year. He made an appearance on Diplo's Europa EP shortly afterward. The rapper's second mixtape, Endorphins, arrived the following June, with guests including Skepta, A$AP Ferg, and Theophilus London. Another song with Skepta, the 2020 single "Papi Chulo," became a viral hit and reached the U.K. Top 40. Later in the year, Octavian released singles with Future ("Rari") as well as Gunna and SAINt JHN ("Famous"), and was featured on "Friday 13th" by Gorillaz. ~ Rich Wilson, Rovi