Letter 12 - Irish Hip-hop: A Rocky Road (1990 - 2023)
A brief introduction and discussion of some landmark records in the genre.
Hi,
2024 felt like a significant year for Irish hip-hop for a number of reasons. There’s the obvious international success of Kneecap rapping as Gaeilge, Irish drill artists continuing to go from strength to strength with Travis & Elzzz’s album Doghouse becoming the first number 1 Irish rap album, and (most interestingly to me) the continued development of an underground DIY hip-hop scene, consisting of MCs and producers from across the island, putting out a slew of quality releases.
The environment which allowed the organic rise of this underground scene didn’t arrive overnight; it took years of frankly often bad music, immigration, stigma-breaking, two lads with carrier bags on their heads and a handful of bar-raising artists to get to this point.
So in this letter I’ve provided a brief history of the origins of Irish hip-hop, highlighted some early releases that dragged it from obscurity and mediocrity, and then discussed what I see as the milestone records released between 2018 and the end of 2023 that really elevated the genre.
Next week I’ll recommended my favourite records to come out of the burgeoning underground scene in 2024.
One of those 2024 artists that I’ll discuss next week, Curtisy, is playing in London at O’Meara on Friday 24th of January with Irish indie-pop act Fia Moon. Tickets are only £15 and it’s a good opportunity to support some grassroots music - I’ll be going so let me know if I’ll see you there!
As always, I have curated a playlist that you can listen to while you read - Apple Music - Spotify. This playlist is in chronological order from 2013 onwards.
Please like & subscribe, share with anyone who would enjoy, and let me know what you think of any of the recommendations (either directly or in the comments below).
Much love, Odhran x
Infertile Ground
Whilst US imported hip-hop generally had similar success in Ireland as in the UK, the UK had a more fertile ground for a domestic hip-hop scene to grow owing to its Jamaican immigrant population and the sound system culture that came with them. Sound system MCs were precursors to MCs in Jungle, UK garage, grime and ultimately UK hip-hop, and this vital link was missing in Ireland.
You would think that Ireland, being a nation with such strong traditions of oral storytelling, so much so that there’s an Irish word (Seanchaí) dedicated to the role, would translate into producing skilled hip-hop artists. As Irish rapper Lil Skag recently said in an interview with the Sunday World “I just think that Ireland is a country of born rappers… we’re all shite talkers and we’re storytellers”. But unfortunately the seanchaí were not the original Irish MCs, and Ireland historically had a really minor domestic hip-hop scene.
Despite this, there was one trailblazing homegrown Irish hip-hop group. Scary Éire, a DIY group consisting of Rí Rá, Dada Sloosh, DJ Mek and Mr Browne, made rap music influenced by US East Coast boom-bap rap infused with reggae, punk and Irish trad. Scary Éire signed to a major label and supported the Beastie Boys and U2, however only released one single at the time (The Dole Q) and by the mid ‘90’s were dropped by their label and disbanded - you can read more about them in this District Magazine piece on Irish hip-hop history.
It would be harsh to say the scene then died (not least as Rí Rá continues to release as a solo artist), but it certainly went deep underground for about 15 years. I’ll not discuss this period, but if you want to know more you can read about it in vol. 2 of that District Magazine piece. The poor quality of Irish hip-hop that would get made during this time contributed to a significant stigma around the genre and in particular, rapping in an Irish accent.
One thing that did begin to change during this period was an increase in immigration to Ireland from African and Caribbean countries during the Irish economic boom known as the Celtic Tiger. The lack of diversity in the scene was a limiting factor both in terms of perception and musically through limited cultural influence, but the benefit of increased immigration to Irish hip-hop would begin to bear fruit in the subsequent decade.
Horse Outside
Few serious music scenes can point to the arrival of a comedy act as a major turning point, but the influence of Blindboy Boatclub and Bobby Chrome as The Rubberbandits is important to this story.
Speaking in a short documentary (The Truth About Irish Hip Hop (2017)), John Lillis (of hip-hop group Rusangano Family) highlights how The Rubberbandit’s satirical skewering of Irish hip-hop (e.g. “It’s a Monday I got up pure early // I showed Ice Cube the proper way to swing a hurley”) held up a mirror to those rapping in Ireland at the time, showing how they weren’t making music in the “most mature or sophisticated way”.
In the same documentary, Blindboy describes Irish hip-hop at the time as “terrible” with rappers not knowing what to talk about and rapping about “being on the dole and burning holes in their tracksuit pants with joints”, and points to Kojaque as the future.
First Green Shoots
Rejjie Snow - Rejovich (2013)
The first indication that something of a decent domestic scene was forming came with Rejjie Snow’s debut EP Rejovich.
This EP included a feature from his UK hip-hop counterpart Loyle Carner on 1992. The pair were at similar stages of their careers, and the jazz-rap production on Rejovich is similar to sound that Loyle would go on to make his own through collaborations with Tom Misch and Jordan Rakei. It’s fitting that two stalwarts of UK and Irish hip-hop in Carner and Snow would feature together so early in their careers.
Some of Rejjie’s flow on this EP, whilst distinctly Irish and his own, was similar to Odd Future members at the time - in particular Tyler, the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt & Domo Genesis, who have each been influential on the key names in Irish hip-hop.
Rusangano Family - Let The Dead Bury The Dead (2016)
The next green shoot came in 2016 when Limerick’s hip-hop trio Rusangano Family (producer John Lillis and MCs God Knows & MuRli) won the Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year for their debut Let The Dead Bury The Dead.
On lead single Lights On, God Knows explicitly addresses the identity conflict he faced as a young black child in Ireland - “Thought I had to be American // thought I had to be English // everything else but Irish”, and the album stands as a testament to their proud black Irishness for future generations of black Irish children - “I just wanted to be Harlem, I just wanted to be London // I just wanted to be Trench Town, now it’s time to be Shannon // Now it’s time to be Limerick”.
It’s also worth noting that both God Knows and MuRli shout out legendary UK grime MCs JME and Wiley, and the Irish act they shout out, Limerick’s Giveamanakick, are an indie-rock/punk band. This shows the lack of viable influences in Ireland that they could look to as aspiring rappers. The group look to plug that gap themselves, introducing fellow Limerick rapper Denise Chaila on Isn’t Dinner Nice, who would go on to play a critical role in the scene.
Let the Dead Bury the Dead is an important milestone in the recognition of Irish hip-hop from domestic critics and a quality record that speaks to lived experience as immigrants in Ireland and in particular Irish hip-hop, overcoming racism and pigeonholing as artists.
However the public perception that rapping in a typical Irish accent was cringe was not entirely shaken off by the record, as both MCs spent their early childhood in their countries of birth (Zimbabwe and Togo respectively) so rapped in a blended Irish/African accent, meaning the album has a sound closer to one more typically accepted in hip-hop at the time.
Things continue positively from here:
Hare Squead appear on the scene, get signed to a major label and release their EP Supernormal (2016) which includes the hit Herside Story;
Rejjie Snow signed to a major US label (300 Entertainment) and released another Odd Future-influenced single in Black Beetle (2016) and a mixtape (The Moon & You (2017)) which included a Joey Bada$$ feature;
Dublin rapper Mango and producer MathMan get traction releasing Irish grime music; and
Kojaque and Jafaris begin to release music.
At this stage it’s clear that something is building, and that the cringe and stigma attached to Irish hip-hop for almost its entire existence was loosening its grip.
Milestone Releases (2018 - 2023)
February 2018 was relatively momentous for Irish hip-hop with Rejjie Snow and Kojaque dropping their debut full-length releases within 5 days of each other. I was 24 at the time and rinsed both of these records relentlessly. To me this is the moment that Irish hip-hop really grew up, and a significant step-up in terms of quality contrasted with anything that had come before.
Rejjie Snow - Dear Annie (2018)
Songs to try: Egyptian Luvr, 23 & Desolé.
I don’t think anyone in Ireland had ever made music that sounded like Dear Annie’s Egyptian Luvr (featuring Aminé and produced by Kaytranada) or 23 (produced by Kendrick collaborator Rakhi). At a glance I think 23 is the most streamed Irish hip-hop track of all time (excluding Goldlink’s reworking of Herside Story).
Dear Annie blends R&B grooves with lovesickness on both 23 and Egyptian Luvr, and the album has darker moments too with Room 27 openly addressing suicidal ideations. There are happier moments too on songs like Bye Polar, and generally the album represents mature lyricism for a 24-year-old.
I was desperate for more Kaytranda after his seminal summer album 99.9% (2016), so anything in that space scratched an itch for me personally and I adored this record at the time. Revisiting it 7 years on, the peaks remain strong but at 20 tracks there’s a good bit of fat that smothers some of the better tracks. Still, it’s worth checking out if you miss that mid-2010s Kaytranada/Mac Miller/FKJ/Channel Tres vibe.
Released after Snow relocated from Dublin to Brookyln, his soft and but low voice nestles into the bouncy beats that typified the R&B end of American hip-hop at the time. The album showcases Rejjie impressive experimenting with different flows and styles - his voice on Oh No! is barely recognisable to that used in Desolé.
As an Irish artist achieving mainstream success overseas, and working with top US and Canadian hip-hop producers, Rejjie showed future generations of Irish rappers what was possible.
Kojaque - Deli Daydreams (2018)
Songs to try: White Noise, Eviction Notice & Bubby’s Cream.
Kojaque’s debut mixtape is a concept record telling of the day-to-day woes of Irish deli-worker. The album opens with the self-produced White Noise, a raw and angry semi-autobiographical spewing of the worker’s and Kojaque’s inner monologues.
Kojaque demonstrates real range from this powerful opener to the after party of Last Pint with its drunken beat, and then the sadness of Love and Braggadocio contrasted to the humour in the skit at the end of the track, and ultimately to the heartbreak ballad of Eviction Notice (featuring collaborator and label-mate Kean Kavanagh on vocals).
Another critical milestone prior to this record’s release was the launch of independent record label Soft Boy Records by Kojaque, Kavanagh and Stephen Byrne, which has grown to be an important incubator for underground Irish artists of differing genres.
Where Dear Annie showed how Irish rappers can succeed with an American hip-hop sound without an American accent, Deli Daydreams laid the blueprint for how they can speak to their lived experience in Ireland with a distinctly Irish sound, whilst avoiding sounding like the rappers Blindboy referenced in that documentary.
Denise Chaila - Go Bravely (2020)
Songs to try: Chaila, Anseo & Rí Rá.
The pair were then joined by Zambian-born, Limerick rapper Denise Chaila.
Chaila’s debut mixtape GO Bravely (2020) was another continuation of this step-up in quality. Lead single Chaila hit like a rocket - a song about the misspelling and mispronouncing of her name, is as catchy and pertinent today as it was on release.
Another standout track is Anseo which still feels as fresh as it did in 2020 with its deep bouncy beat and slow build. I love her unique flow on this, it really hit with me at the time. I always loved Rí Rá with its sunny production and catchy hook, and her slightly more aggressive tone on Move.
The record demonstrates how well Chaila married rapping in her Irish accent and distinct Irish sound, with some of the themes and sounds platformed by Rusangano Family, each combined with the unique thoughtful tone to her flow. The record won the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Album of the Year award.
Go Bravely is an important milestone as the first significant Irish hip-hop release from a black Irish woman. Denise has also spoken publicly about racism she’s faced since reaching cultural prominence in Ireland, which emphasises the importance of this point.
Unfortunately she hasn’t released any music (other than an Ed Sheeran feature) since 2021, and seems to be focussing her creative efforts elsewhere. Hopefully we’ll get a follow-up from her at some point.
Kojaque - Town’s Dead (2021)
Song’s to try: Town’s Dead, Shmelly & Sex N’ Drugs.
Kojaque continued to raise the bar for Irish hip-hop - first with fellow Irish rapper Luka Palm on their collaborative mixtape Green Diesel (2019), and later on his debut album Town’s Dead, jointly released by Soft Boy Records and Different Recordings.
Another concept album, Town’s Dead tells a loose story of a sorry New Years Eve spent struggling in a love triangle set in an unflattering portrait of contemporary Dublin. Kojaque doesn’t hesitate getting to the point both in the 2nd track skit, nor on the title track where he rails against a ever-gentrifying and landlord-friendly Dublin.
The production on Town’s Dead is excellent throughout, and shows development from his initial releases. There’s also strong variation within this record, where the punk sound on the title track contrasts to the laid back jazz sax on tracks like Shmelly and Sex N’ Drugs, and to the trap beats on That Deep.
Kojaque displays many strengths here- stellar musicality, creative music videos, poignant and impactful lyricism, funny skits (“why would Dominos text ya to tell ye he loves ye?”), but what sets him apart is his ability to paint vivid imagery in his storytelling, shown on this record in his establishment of a strong sense of place and time.
Rejjie Snow - Baw Baw Black Sheep (2021) & L’Imperatrice collab
Rejjie Snow’s 2021 album Baw Baw Black Sheep had a notable peak in Cookie Chips with a posthumous MF DOOM feature, but otherwise felt a bit muddled to me, and it didn’t have the success of his debut album. It does remain notable for streaming numbers, but the wild variation in those numbers between the singles with big name features and those without is relatively telling on that front.
A final thing I'll credit to him is his 2022 feature on French disco-pop act L’Imperatrice’s single Everything Eventually Ends (2022) - who you might remember from Letter 6. This song is another important milestone in which Snow shows Irish rappers aren’t bound to the confines of this genre he helped carve out - they can use their talents and success to explore other genres and sounds. It’s a lovely track and Rejjie’s laid back flow perfectly compliments L’Imperatrice’s funky basslines and then-vocalist Flore’s angelic tones.
Snow’s 2024 album Peace To Da World is a further departure from his early releases to a more pop-y sound that I’m not hugely interested in. Hopefully his next full length release is a return to his hip-hop roots.
Kojaque - Phantom of the Afters (2023)
Different Recordings opted not to co-release Kojaque’s next album, Phantom of the Afters (2023), so Kojaque decided to self-promote and self-release it.
There’s risk in self-releasing an album without a label safety net - music is expensive to make and promote, gigs need insurance and insurers want guarantors etc. Just this week on Radio 6 Lambrini Girls’ Phoebe Lunny succinctly explained the impact major label backing (or lack thereof) has on artists’ careers, and 2 years ago Little Simz cancelled a US tour due to the risk associated with touring as an independent artist.
Phantom of the Afters is not a concept album like his previous two, but introduces the character Jackie Dandelion, who is a blend of ideas and aesthetics from anti-Irish cartoons from the 1800s, celtic tiger sleaze and the titular phantom of the afters hanging around long after the party has ended. Jackie’s an exaggerated alter-ego used both as a storytelling device and onto which Kojaque projects the album’s themes for the purposes of self-examination.
The album speaks to Kojaque’s common experience of emigrating to England as an Irish person to seek success or comfort not achievable at home. The repeated “Jackie took the soup” line on the album intro is a derogatory phrase referencing protestant churches providing soup to starving children during the Irish Great Famine on the condition they converted to Protestantism, and the name “Jackie Dandelion” itself is a reference to the Fontaines D.C. song Jackie Down the Line from their album Skinty Fia (2022), a record addressing the same theme.
The album’s first half switches between Jackie’s braggadocio on Larry Bird and Johnny McEnroe (featuring NYC rapper Wiki), nostalgia on Cabra Drive, and love and sex on Bambi and Woof (featuring London jazz collective Gotts Street Park and Irish pop artist Biig Piig respectively). The album’s deluxe version adds further machismo, this time laden with superficial Irish nationalism - “Out in London lido just to piss into the pool // If I make a couple children with some women then I'm cool // Want a baby born for each and every year of English rule // On some Wolf Tones shit // Reparations in this bitch”.
The album then flips on its head with Yoko Oh No! where Kojaque examines his depression with real bluntness and openness. With the listener still reeling from that, Jackie returns on Fat Ronaldo / Convent Gardens to dive deeper into Kojaque’s psyche - an epic song that touches on tragic circumstances of hometown friends, masking dark feelings, childhood trauma, loss of a parent and isolation in a foreign land. I love the contrast between these two tracks and the four that precede them, as it shows Kojaque’s skill as a writer of albums as broader pieces of literature.
Like his previous projects, the production on this shows real breadth of musicality, from soulful strings on What If? to trap beats on Johnny McEnroe. There’s also bars throughout this that I love, “That booty too roomy, might have to move in” makes me laugh every time, and I think about “Used to have Ronaldo touch // Yeah, Fat Ronaldo, that haircut” on a regular basis.
As it goes, Phantom of the Afters might be my favourite album of the decade so far, and the live performance which accompanied it was electric (see me living my best life pictured below). Though well received critically, and garnered Kojaque’s third nomination for the RTE Choice Music Prize Album of the Year, it didn’t have the commercial success it could have likely due to lack of major label backing, but when taken with the striking album art and its music videos, Phantom of the Afters represents another stage in the evolution of Irish hip-hop.
Thanks for reading, tune in next week for recommendations from 2024 underground Irish hip-hop scene.