Michael Dapaah, is best known for the portrayal of Big Shaq, the fictional character who had viral success with the song MAN’S NOT HOT. The smash hit record achieved UK Top 3 chart success and has garnered over 410 million views on YouTube, and 2.21 billion streams to date. The single remained in the charts for 25 weeks and received attention from the likes of Drake, Liam Gallagher and the UK Parliament.
Born in South London in 1991, Michael first gained attention as the star and creator of the hugely popular YouTube mockumentary series SWIL (Somewhere in London), which follows four characters, including Big Shaq, and their journeys to success. The two seasons have amassed over 12 million views. Michael has been an ambassador for a number of nationwide campaigns He also has made appearances at the BET, MOBO and BRIT Awards. Michael’s other accolades include a nomination for Hero of The Year for NME Awards and wins for GUBA’s Rising Star Award and GRM Daily Rated Awards Personality of the Year, where he presented the 2021 ceremony alongside model Jourdan Dunn.
In 2021, Michael launched a brand new fitness entertainment online series Belly Must Go, produced by his production Company Dapaah Ent, which he noted in Forbes was created to amplify authentic and positive voices and projects. The 12-episode series saw Dapaah, alongside his trainer, invite a number of celebrity guests to the gym and put them through a number of workouts and challenges. Guests included TV personalities Maya Jama and Chunkz, rapper and TV host Big Narstie and comedian, Munya Chawawa, and was listed as The Sunday Times 28th Influential creator.
In 2022, Michael joined the cast of the BBC One drama, Noughts + Crosses. The series is an adaptation of the Malorie Blackman OBE bestselling novel and returned to the BBC screen following the hugely successful first series. Michael stars as Mensah, a powerful and influential TV personality. Described as “vital viewing” by The Guardian, Michael’s performance in Noughts + Crosses has been hailed a “must-see.” Other notable appearances include; Celebrity Gogglebox.
