Stevie G: Irish hip-hop looking good
The emergence of a new generation again is exciting, and deathtoricky is one such artist making waves right now.
Before and during the pandemic, Ireland came on strong.
The emergence of Denise Chaila, Kneecap, Jafaris, Reggie B, Offica, A-92, Kojaque, Any Coulibaly, JyellowL, Sello, and many others led to a situation where the media and even festival bookers were regularly featuring Irish acts.
In more recent times, Sello, Travy and Elzzz, Jordan Adetunji, and others have had chart impact here.
Khakikid, Monjola, Curtisy, Bricknasty, Strange Boy, and Citrus Fresh are just a few of the new school now making big waves.
The emergence of a new generation again is exciting, and deathtoricky is one such artist making waves right now. His recent support for Ian in Dublin got his fanbase out in force and, like many underground movements, lots of the main activity is away from the public eye.
This youngster is very much in the Carti mould, but he’s got a fresh energy that’s striking a chord with a new generation of Irish hip-hop and trap fans. Watch out for Cork’s Beddyminaj too, who is gaining momentum, while in the more traditional hip-hop spectrum the likes of Jimmy Jambons and Craic Mob are flying the flag for music here.
Another significant development has been the exposure of Irish rap to outsiders. This is one of the big things that has helped us back.
It’s possible to be a local star in Ireland and have little or no impact abroad, but things are changing.
First up, grassroots music will always have a local fanbase and there is nothing wrong with having some regional or local success. But for a small island who exports lots of music, we’ve still had only a modest success when it comes to rap.
Many of the artists who have done well internationally are from a different background, such as Irish-Americans House of Pain and Macklemore.
Kneecap, very much an Irish group, have changed things somewhat, and even the fact that Bricknasty were meant to tour the US with them was an indicator that things are gathering pace.
The Ballymun outfit Bricknasty have just released a brilliant new EP and tour Ireland this month.
Fred Again’s much-hyped Dublin visit was peppered with appearances by Reggie, Travy and Elzzz, and such a high-profile co-sign will further help these young Irish stars take it higher. Recording off the cuff raps for his stream and appearing at his shows has brought the talent of these youngsters into full focus, and many Irish and international fans of Fred Again are now gonna be on board.
Ireland has a weird colonial mindset regarding our own talent, and sometimes it takes international recognition for us to celebrate our own. This has often been the way before, and even pop acts like The Script had to make it abroad before they were respected here. Reggie, Travy and Elzzz, and many others, have been building underground momentum for years, and the Fred Again episode will hopefully propel them further.
The club scene and gig scene faces many challenges, but the underground is alive and kicking, and media and even radio sometimes supports Irish in 2025.
Festivals are full of these young acts, but I still think we need to create more bodies of work. There’s amazing singles, but sometimes we haven’t created full hip-hop albums to the level we are capable of as a country.
One artist who has done this capably a few times, Rejjie Snow, recently played a packed out show in the Opera House as part of the Jazz Festival. Rejjie’s gig that night left me feeling optimistic too. An amazing MC, one of our best, rapping live as good as he does on record, to a huge Cork crowd in one of our best venues. Irish hip-hop and trap can only go up. We are on the verge of some big breakthroughs.
