POSTS TAGGED : Hip-Hip

Introducing: Kneecap

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Regular patrons of the site will be aware of my fondness for music of Welsh origin, and especially that performed in their native tongue.

Given this predilection, it gave to wondering about Ireland’s own native language and the comparatively scarce amount of contemporary music performed as Gaeilge. Now, that is a topic for another day and deserving of more attention and further examination (thesis anyone?) but it did bring my attention to Kneecap; a satirical hip-hop trio from Belfast who perform in Irish.

The three members; Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Provaí combine a fluency in Irish with an amazing delivery and a wry sense of humour to produce one of the most unique homegrown records of 2018.

Over eight tracks, their mixtape 3CAG offers a satirical take on life for young people, with a particular west Belfast slant. If like me, your command of Irish leaves a lot to be desired, it doesn’t matter a jot. The beats are superb and so infectious, and the flow and lyrical skill on show is second to none, with plenty of laughs thrown in for good measure – anyone who might be skeptical to begin with will be easily won over, just press play on ‘Amach Anocht’, ‘Cearta’ or ‘Tá na Baggies ar an Talamh’ below.

You can listen to mixtape 3CAG in full here; and like mentioned above, it is one of the most unique homegrown records of 2018.

Kneecap have also announced an Irish tour for February 2019 – you can check the dates near you here.

CZARFACE Announce New Album ‘A Fistful Of Peril’ & Share ‘Two In The Chest’

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CZARFACE – the collaborative trio of Wu-Tang’s Inspectah Deck, 7L & Esoteric – are back, and back with a bang!

The trio are gearing up to unleash their new, and third album, A Fistful Of Peril on the world. Ahead of the album’s November 4th release, Czarface has shared ‘Two In The Chest’, yet another piece exciting of Hip Hop gold from the superhero themed hip-hop ensemble. Energetic and banging, ‘Two In The Chest’ is a seamless collaboration, featuring their recognisable chemistry as the two emcees trade lines, razor-sharp lyrics and a fair bit of humour over 7L’s stellar production. This is Czarface at their finest, to be fair, the trio don’t do anything other than exceptional. Really excited for the new album, the first two were great, expecting the same with this one.

A Fistful Of Peril is out on November 4th but you can listen to ‘Two In The Chest’ now.

Ghostpoet – ‘Sorry My Love, It’s You Not Me’ (Ghost Culture Remix)

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As much as Ghostpoet’s – London-based Obaro Ejimiwe – talent and skills are without question, his style tends to lend itself to a darker, more morose tone.

Stepping in on remix duties, London producer Ghost Culture, demonstrates his wizardry, serving us with an exquisite re-framing of Ghostpoet’s enormously bittersweet current single, ‘Sorry My Love, It’s You Not Me’, from his most recent LP, Shedding Skin. It is a refreshing, upbeat synth-lead rework, with Ghost Culture injecting plenty of bounce, rhythmic energy and some serious pep-to-its-step. A sprawling six-minute plus thing of wonder, that builds and builds, through world of cool grooves with all the clinical precision, delicious crispness and burbling synthesizers that make Ghost Cuture’s self-titled debut record the treasure that it is. A marvelously smooth rework, no doubt about it.

You can listen to Ghost Culture’s remix and Ghostpoet’s original below – and/or check out Ghostpoet’s recently released third studio album Shedding Skin here and Ghost Culture’s superb self-titled debut here.