Mr Raw

Mr Raw, whose real name is Okechukwu Edwards Ukeje, is a Nigerian rapper from the country’s South-east. Formerly known as Dat NIGGA Raw, he became famous in the early noughties after his early songs, sung in pidgin English and Igbo, were played across the country. His songs were one of the first songs in an indigenous language to find widespread acceptance.

Mr Raw was raised in Enugu and played a few gigs at the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu. His influences include US rappers Big Daddy Kane, Red Man and Naughty by Nature and ‘a couple of Nigerian songs’. He started songs in 1992.

Raw's rise in the industry began when he placed second at a regional talent hunt competition and then won the nationwide competition. The talent hunt show, Benson & Hedges Grab the Mic, was halted in 2002, after Raw won. The same competition had discovered twin pop stars P-Square.
In the same year, Mr Raw with his friend Klint Da Drunk, a comedian, participated in the maiden edition of Star Quest, a popular Nigerian talent show. The duo came in second place. One of their songs ‘Obodo’ established Raw as a rapper and Klint as a comedian. Another duo KC Presh won the competition. The group was for the competition and afterwards Mr Raw and Klint remained friends but each followed a different path.

He has released three albums, the last ‘End of Discussion’ coming in 2010. The first 'Right & Wrong' was released in 2005. 'Everything Remains Raw' showed up in 2007. In 2015, he released the song ‘Odi Okay’ with younger Igbo rapper Phyno.