The Rise of Kneecap
The Irish-language rap scene has been taken by storm by a group of three men who essentially invented it. And in the process, they’re increasing worldwide interest in learning Irish.
With a garish blend of controversial lyrics, enticing beats and unabashed showmanship, the West Belfast band Kneecap has exploded into the rap industry and proved that the Irish language is alive, active, and up for capturing a modern urban experience. The trio of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí have drawn the ire of politicians and media outlets, while endearing themselves to fans around the world.
The year 2024 saw not only the release of Fine Art, their second album, but soon also a semi-autobiographical film based on their origin, having already been the first Irish-language film to have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. While not afraid to be provocative, Kneecap has also promoted the Irish language as something that can be taken up by anyone, regardless of political beliefs.
The Origins of Kneecap
In 2017, a day before a march to support the Irish Language Act, Móglaí Bap (whose real name is Naoise Ó Cairealláin) and his friend were spray-painting graifítí (graffiti) in Belfast. They were writing the word cearta (“rights” in English) on a bus stop when they were spotted by local authorities. Móglaí Bap got away, but his friend didn’t. It became inspiration for their first song, “C.E.A.R.T.A.”
Kneecap released the song “just for craic,” without any plans to complete a full album. The song was immediately popular, but eventually banned from RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta (RnaG) because of its profanity and drug references. A petition to reinstate the song on the airwaves received over 700 signatures.
The experience did not make the group any more restrained in their approach to music. In 2018, Kneecap released their first album. It was titled 3CAG, which stands for trí chonsan agus guta “’three consonants and a vowel”). The reference is to the drug MDMA.
The Belfast Gaeltacht
Perhaps like some of the best rap, the music (and viewpoint) of Kneecap came out of a specific experience and political backdrop. The band describes themselves as “Good Friday Agreement babies,” being born after the Troubles had more or less ceased.
From the late 1960s to the signing of the agreement in 1998, violence erupted in Ireland, with much of the conflict occurring in Belfast. In brief terms, the nationalists and republicans sought a united sovereign Ireland, while the unionists and loyalists wanted to keep Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom. Today, the city remains largely divided into the nationalist West Belfast and the unionist East Belfast. Spurred by political motivations, the “Gaeltacht Quarter” has risen in West Belfast, where Kneecap is based.
As the band states themselves, the fact that they hadn’t experienced the same violence that their parents had faced has given them the distance to approach life in West Belfast satirically, instilling humor and flippancy into the situation in a way that previous generations couldn’t.
The Controversies of Kneecap
Those who know Kneecap are also familiar with their penchant for conspóid (controversy). In 2019, for example, they played in the Empire Music Hall a day after Prince William and Kate Middleton visited there. At one point during their performance Kneecap chanted “Get the Brits out now!” Their current album, Fine Art, also includes a song titled “Get Your Brits Out.”
The band has received criticism for not only being divisive in their music, but also with the art used to promote it. The advertisement for their 2019 debut tour in England and Scotland featured then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Democratic Union Party leader Arlene Foster tied to a rocket over a bonfire. In 2023 the band was featured in a mural in West Belfast with the words “England Get Out of Ireland.” Kneecap has defended itself against accusations of sowing division by suggesting they only want the Tory government out of Northern Ireland, not any individuals, and asserting there was been mutual respect among the youth from both sides of the city.
A Language for Everyone
Despite being unreserved in expressing their political views, the band has also consistently asserted the universality of the Irish language. In fact, Móglaí Bap is quoted saying “We’ve always said [the] Irish [language] is for everyone. We talk about both sides of the community, we are working-class, and we all have the same kind of background and the same wants and needs.”
In other interviews, members of Kneecap have suggested that, being working class, the nationalists and unionists have more in common with each other than they do with the rich class in Ireland, and that it’s important to emphasize these similarities. They’ve also noted that their songs are sung by youth on both sides of the city.
Fine Art, the Second Album
On June 14th, 2024, Kneecap’s second album, Fine Art, was released by Heavenly Recordings. The 12-track collection was produced by Toddla T and mixes Irish and English lyrics in what The Irish Times described as “a revolutionary statement of intent lyrically, thematically, musically.” One of the early releases from the album features DC Fontaine’s frontman Grian Chatten in the upbeat song “A Better Way to Live.”
Since the release of Fine Art, the band has spent the summer touring largely in Ireland and continental Europe, as well as playing at Glastonbury. September begins their next US tour, including stops at major cities on the East Coast such as New York City, Boston and Washington DC, after which they will tour England and Scotland in October and November. The band’s full schedule can be found here.
Kneecap, the Movie
On January 18th, 2024, the eponymous movie Kneecap became the first Irish-language film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. There, it took home the NEXT Audience Award. In July of the same year, the movie won best Irish film, best Irish language feature film and the audience award at the Galway Film Fleadh. It had been 36 years since a film accomplished that feat at the festival in Galway. In August 2024, The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) announced that Kneecap was being selected to represent Ireland in the Oscar® International Feature Film category at the upcoming 97th annual Academy Awards.
Michael Fassbender takes on the role of Arlo Ó Cairealláin, the father of Naoise/Móglaí Bap, while all three rappers play themselves. To do so, they took acting lessons for six weeks before the movie started shooting. The film is a comedy-drama that follows a dramatized version of the rise of the band. Kneecap was released on August 2nd, 2024 in Ireland – click here to read our movie review.
The success of Kneecap is an interesting story, but not altogether surprising in light of the greater modern revival in the Irish language that is happening now. On the first day of 2022 Irish gained full status as an official working language of the European Union. A year later, An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) became the first Irish-language film to be nominated for an Oscar, and in the same award season Paul Mescal gave an interview in Irish for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards. Irish continues to gain cultural relevance on the international stage, the rise of Kneecap being only the latest example of the language’s momentum.
Bígí páirteach!
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