Kneecap: rap meets Fontaines DC

After a headlining tour of the United States, selling out the Bowery Ballroom in New York, the Irish rap trio Kneecapincreasingly in the limelight not only in Europereleased his debut single through Heavenly Recordings, “Better Way To Live.” The song, produced by Toddla T, features the collaboration of Fontaines DC frontman Grian Chatten, who brings his visceral and magnetic timbre to Kneecap’s incessant and engaging flow. Kneecap have been in the spotlight for several years, but only recently are they reaping what they sow: Belfast rap group, born in 2017, seamlessly blends Irish with English, satire with socially conscious lyrics and reality with absurdity. They often take anti-imperialist, pro-republican, or close to, political positions Irish instances critical of the English Crown, in support of tormented populations such as the Palestinian one. The trio presents itself as a voice that comes from too often disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland and who speaks in a language too often ignored.

The result is a unique and electrifying blend of “explosiveness, humor and relentless charm that remembers the first Eminem“, as some journalists wrote. Talking about the new song, accompanied by a video directed by Peadar Gill and shot in Madden’s Bar, Belfast (where Grian and Kneecap met for the first time), Kneecap, who raise the bar with this song, declared: “’A Better Way To Live’ is about finding that little spark of joy in the monotonyin everyday things that are barely noticed. Between the moments of repeatedly raising your beer or lighting a cigarette, there is an opportunity for bliss. Beneath the constant noise, there is a silence that can breathe new life and inspiration through the mundane.” “Better Way To Live” is taken from their upcoming album, scheduled for release in 2024.

In recent months Kneecap have sold out in Ireland and the United States: they recently completed a US tour after playing to 10,000 fans at Belfast’s Fall Park and two sold out shows at Dublin’s 3Arena. Furthermore, the biopic “The Kneecap”, written and directed by Rich Peppiatt and starring Michael Fassbender, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, allows us to understand their birth. Kneecap are Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and Dj Próvaí. Their first album, “CEARTA” from 2017, was banned from several radios due to “references to drugs, politics and swearing”. The ban did not affect the production of the in any way band that today is one of the most interesting realities of the Irish music scene, and beyond.