Their mural of a burning police van had politicians of all stripes up in arms. But they say they want to provoke thought, not violence. Fifteen hundred miles from home, the Belfast hip-hop provocateurs are still processing the events of the previous weekend.
For many, the mural was Banksy-lite political art or, at a push, a regressive publicity stunt. For others, including Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie, it had more inflammatory connotations. The unveiling at the Hawthorn Bar, just off the traditionally nationalist Falls Road, was warmly received by locals. By the time the cyber-outrage spilled over into the national press, Kneecap were long gone, en route to play Hungarian festival Sziget.
It may be breaking news to many but Kneecap β named after the paramilitary practice of shooting perceived perpetrators in the knee β have wielded satire from the off. Bellicose one bar and incisive the next, songs like Amach Anocht Out Tonight tackled the overlap between youth culture and intergenerational trauma, as well as living in a working-class, dual-language world. I think that sums up what we stand for. Some people are more worried about a piece of art than the effigies of real politicians hanging off bonfires.
We want people to be thinking. Underscored by a recent UK tour and their booming cross-community fanbase, Kneecap are on a mission to spread the gospel of Gaeilge hip-hop. Their power lies in refusing to march to the beat of inherited bigotry. I turned around and suddenly there were like 14 young loyalists singing along. I ended up drinking Buckfast with them. This article is more than 2 years old.
Brian Coney. View image in fullscreen. Read more. Reuse this content. More on this story. Belfast rappers Kneecap to contest pulling of funding over political views.
