Kevin Durant Names Central Cee As His RapCaviar Rookie Of The Year

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Lollapalooza Paris Festival - Day Three
PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 23: British rapper, Central Cee performs onstage during the Lollapalooza Paris Festival - Day Three on July 23, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)
The London rapper has caught the eye of the NBA star.

Kevin Durant has become a central figure in Spotify's 2023 RapCaviar Awards. Durant announced the All-Hip Hop teams last week through his media company, Boardroom. “I love the opportunity to bring the sports and Hip Hop worlds together, and getting to bring Boardroom into the mix with this year’s All-RapCaviar campaign was a no-brainer,” Durant said.

The 2023 RapCaviar teams featured plenty of upheaval compared to the 2022 list. Just five artists from 2022 appeared on this year’s lists. Drake made his third consecutive first-team appearance while Lil Baby moved up from the 2022 Second Team to the 2023 First Team. Elsewhere, Lil Durk remained on the list but fell from the First Team to the Second Team. Meanwhile, NBA YoungBoy went from the Third Team last year to the Second Team this year. Furthermore, Nicki Minaj earned her second consecutive Third Team spot. However, those five artists were the only people from the 2022 list to return this year. At the same time as the announcement, it was revealed that fans could vote on their MVP and Rookie of the Year choices. However, Durant is back to reveal his personal votes.

Durant Reveals His Rookie Of The Year

Speaking with Taylor Rooks, Durant revealed his choice for the Rookie of the Year award. While his close friend Hit-Boy chose Ice Spice, Durant picked British rapper Central Cee. The Rookie of the Year nominees were Central Cee, Destroy Lonely, GloRilla, Ice Spice, and Luh Taylor. However, the brief clip shared by RapCaviar does not show Durant giving a reason for his selection.

Of course, Central Cee has had a meteoric rise. The British rapper has been racing up the charts, including a UK #1 album with his 2022 mixtape 23. Furthermore, he also recently scored his first UK #1 single, "Sprinter" featuring Dave. Additionally, his star only appears to be growing. He recently linked up with Drake an On The Radar freestyle. Ice Spice has also teased an upcoming collaboration with him. That could see him break onto the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time. While the Rookie of the Year category is extremely competitive, KD might be on the money with this rising star poised for his US breakout.

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About The Author
Benjamin Mock (they/them) is a sports and culture writer working out of Philadelphia. Previously writing for the likes of Fixture, Dexerto, Fragster, and Jaxon, Ben has dedicated themselves to engaging and accessible articles about sports, esports, and internet culture. With a love for the weirder stories, you never quite know what to expect from their work.
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