Chart-topping rapper Central Cee selects PPL for international royalty collections

British rapper Central Cee – who, alongside Dave, recently claimed the longest-running number-one rap song in the UK with ‘Sprinter’ – has remained with the global music licensing company PPL for the international collection of his neighbouring rights royalties. He follows the recent signings of Libianca, Lewis Thompson and Isata Kanneh-Mason to the company’s roster.

Last year, Central Cee became the first British rapper to achieve 1 billion annual Spotify streams, breaking chart records with ‘Sprinter’, his number-one collaboration with Dave. This growth has continued in 2023, hitting 2.4 billion streams. His shared success with his manager, Bello, is set to be recognised at tonight’s Artist and Manager Awards, where Bello will be awarded Manager of the Year, a category sponsored by PPL. Central Cee’s success has been reflected in his neighbouring rights royalties from PPL, whose reliability and expertise in collecting royalties has enabled it to retain his mandate amid considerable demand for his signature. The company will continue to collect royalties on his behalf through its network of over 100 agreements with collective management organisations (CMOs) around the world.

PPL’s Director of Music Industry Engagement, Natalie Wade, said: “Retaining Central’s Cee’s mandate is down to the quality of our team, from member services through to data and technology. This signing comes in time for the Artist and Managers Awards where PPL recognise Bello as “Manager of the Year” for his incredible contribution to Central Cee’s success. We are excited to continue our work on behalf of Central Cee making sure his neighbouring rights reflect his global success, and that he receives the royalties he is due for the use of his recorded music around the world.”

Central Cee’s manager, Bello, added: “Central Cee is one of the biggest rappers to come out of the UK; he has built a successful career in Europe and is well on the rise in the US. During this time, PPL has provided a crucial and reliable service for us, something that is especially important for Cench as an independent artist. We have faith in PPL’s abilities to collect royalties where his music is played around the world and that’s why we’ve re-signed with them. The team works hard for us and they know this part of the industry inside out. They care about artists and are great to deal with. This allows me to do my job and focus on developing Central Cee to be the biggest rapper in the world.”