Identity of thriller rapper and footballer DIDE ’emerges as ex-Liverpool participant’

AI software has possibly revealed the secret identity of incognito rapper DIDE.

The mystery musician, who wears a mask during his performances, set tongues wagging last year when he claimed to be a Premier League footballer following the release of his hit song ‘Thrill’. Fans have been desperate to find out who’s under the mask ever since, with the likes of Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah, ex-Crystal Palace ace Wilfried Zaha and Chelsea’s Noni Madueke all touted.

But according to AI speech recognition software, provided by GitHub, DIDE is most likely former Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo, who’s currently on the books at Cardiff City. A clip from a recent interview he conducted with Sky Sports was run through the software, which projected an 89% likelihood that Ojo was under the mask.

READ MORE: Masked rapper who claims to be ‘Premier League player’ drops hint over true identity

READ MORE: Fans think they know who anonymous Prem rapper is – who promises to reveal identity

Nketiah was the next likeliest candidate, with a 61% chance of being DIDE, while his Gunners team-mate, Reiss Nelson, had a 51% chance. Fulham’s Alex Iwobi – previously of Arsenal too – was next with a 42% likelihood of being the masked man, while Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey had a 29% chance.

“Using AI speech recognition which uses deep neural networks to determine pitch, tone, speed of speech to match voice recordings software, we have managed to narrow down the potential professional footballer behind the mask,” Head of PR for Best Payout Online Slots, Liam Solomon, explained to Daily Star Sport.

Do you think DIDE is Sheyi Ojo? Let us know in the comments section below.

“The AI has given a 89% match to Cardiff City player Sheyi Ojo,” Solomon added. “He seems like a prime candidate with players heading to the Euros ruled out of contention and recently finishing a loan spell in Belgium.”

Fans have been scanning for clues regarding DIDE’s identity in his lyrics, the locations of his music videos and live performances, and even by microscopically analysing bits of occasionally exposed skin on his neck and arms.

Many were convinced Nketiah was the man in question, firstly because DIDE is an anagram of Eddi, but also because his lyrics, released last year, include lines like “my team stay winning” and “every game is like a final” – possibly referring to Arsenal’s title race with Manchester City.

And while AI software doesn’t rule necessarily Nketiah out of the running, the probability of DIDE being Ojo is hard to ignore.

The 26-year-old was born in Watford but joined Liverpool’s academy in 2011 aged 14. He made his debut for the senior team in 2016, however, spent the bulk of his Anfield career out on loan. He left the club permanently in 2022, having made just 13 appearances and scored one goal for the Reds.

Ojo was then snapped up by Cardiff, who had taken him on loan two years prior, but he spent just one season in south Wales before joining Belgian outfit Kortrijk on loan for the 2023/24 season.