Mr Raw

Okechukwu Edwards Ukeje, better known by his stage name Mr Raw (formerly Dat N.I.G.G.A. Raw), is a rapper from Abia State in Southeastern Nigeria.[1] He is a pioneer of Igbo rap, a genre that now appeals to a broad, mainstream audience.

This article is about the Nigerian rapper. For men surnamed Raw, see Raw (disambiguation).
Mr Raw
Birth nameOkechukwu Edwards Ukeje
Also known asRaw
BornEnugu, Nigeria
GenresIgbo rap
Occupation(s)rapper
Years active2001–present
LabelsRaw Deal

Early life

Born and raised in Enugu, he gained prominence during the early 2000s rapping in the Igbo language and Pidgin English.[2]

Career

Raw's debut studio album, Right & Wrong, was released on 7 August 2005. A second album Everything Remains Raw followed in 2007. His third studio album End of Discussion was released in October 2010. The album yielded the hit song "O! Chukwu" whose music video won Best Afro Hip Hop Video at the NMVA Awards that year.[3]

In 2010, Raw announced that he would change his name from "Dat Nigga Raw" (an acronym of "Dat Nigerian Guy Anakpo Raw" which means "that Nigerian guy called Raw") to "Mr. Raw", stating that the negative connotations associated to the word "nigga" resulted in his name being censored abroad and prevented people from purchasing his music online.[1][4]

Raw has collaborated with numerous other musical artists including Flavour N'abania, Duncan Mighty, Phyno, Illbliss, 2Face, M-Josh, Hype MC, BosaLin and Slowdog.[4]

Personal life

Ukeje is married, but has cited that he prefers to keep his family life private. In August 2021, he and his driver were hospitalised due to a fatal car accident.[5]

Discography

Studio albums
  • Right & Wrong (2005)
  • Everything Remains Raw (2007)
  • End of Discussion (2010)
  • The Greatest (2012)

References
  1. "Why I changed my name from 'Nigga Raw' to 'Mr Raw' – Ukeje Edward". Vanguard. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  2. "Marriage is Good for Me - Nigga Raw". Daily Independent. 15 January 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2015 – via AllAfrica.
  3. "Nigeria Music Video Awards – NMVA 2010 – Winners & Photos". Bella Naija. 2 December 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  4. Kanu, Ahaoma (27 August 2010). "Nigga Raw set to rebrand self with new name". Nigeriafilms. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  5. "Rapper, Mr Raw, driver hospitalised after Abuja crash". Punch Newspapers. 2021-08-16. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
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