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Kneecap (band)
Kneecap are an Irish hip hop trio from West Belfast, Northern Ireland, composed of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and J.J. Ó Dochartaigh,[1] with the stage-names of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí respectively.[2][3] They rap in a mixture of English and Irish, and their lyrics often contain Irish republican themes. Their first single "C.E.A.R.T.A." (Irish for "Rights") was released in 2017, followed by their debut album 3CAG, in 2018.[4] Their second album Fine Art was released in 2024, and a biographical film about the group was released later the same year.[5] HistoryTheir first single "C.E.A.R.T.A." was loosely based on Móglaí Bap's experience. On the day before the Irish Language Act march in Belfast, Móglaí Bap went out with a friend of his and spray-painted the word "Cearta" on a bus stop. The Police Service of Northern Ireland found that and arrested his friend, although Móglaí managed to escape. The friend only spoke Irish at the police station, and spent a night there, refusing to speak English. Following this incident, "C.E.A.R.T.A." was written.[6] In late 2017[7] their song "C.E.A.R.T.A." was banned from the Irish-medium radio station RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta (RnaG) for "drug references and cursing". Fans started a petition which garnered 700 signatures to put the song back on air. Kneecap defended the song as "a caricature of life in west Belfast" and "a satirical take on life for young people, particularly in west Belfast".[8] The group's first full-length album, 3CAG, was released in 2018. The title references the drug MDMA: 3CAG means trí chonsan agus guta ('three consonants and a vowel'), slang for the substance. The group's name was the traditional wounding inflicted on alleged drug-dealers by paramilitary Irish Republicans. Móglaí noted that the irony is intentional, as they are "talking about things that would get us kneecapped".[9] In February 2019, they received condemnation from South Belfast Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MLA Christopher Stalford after videos of the trio were posted online, showing them chanting 'Brits Out' at a concert performed in the Empire Music Hall in Belfast. The concert took place the day after the then Duke of Cambridge and the then Duchess of Cambridge had visited the same venue.[10] In 2021 Kneecap released their single "MAM" as a tribute to their mothers; the song was acknowledged as a shift away from their usual style saying that they wanted to do something more "real". Mo Chara stated in an interview that they wanted to show that "we can 'roundhouse' you off the stage but we can also give you a hug afterwards. We wanted to do something a bit sentimental, we don't wanna just box ourselves in with masculinity all the time."[11] The trio also revealed on Instagram that Móglaí Bap's mother had died of suicide before it could be released and that all proceeds from the song would be going to the Samaritans.[12] In early 2023, the group began filming a motion picture, also titled Kneecap, depicting a fictionalised account of their rise to fame. Released in August 2024, the film was directed by Rich Peppiatt with Michael Fassbender in a supporting role.[13][14] In February 2024, the group was awarded a grant of £14,250 from the Music Export Growth Scheme, which was then blocked by the Department for Business and Trade.[15] Business secretary Kemi Badenoch said that the grant should not be awarded to "to people that oppose the United Kingdom itself."[16] The group filed a discrimination case against the UK government, winning the case and receiving the total grant amount in November 2024.[17] They split the grant to two youth organisations who work with Protestant and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland.[18] FilmThe 2024 biopic film Kneecap, in which the band members play themselves alongside more experienced actors including Michael Fassbender, Josie Walker, and Simone Kirby, is set in the West Belfast Gaeltacht Quarter in 2019. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 18 January 2024 the first film in the Irish language to do so.[19] In August 2024, the Irish Film and Television Academy announced that they had selected Kneecap as their official submission to represent Ireland in the International Film Category at the 97th annual Academy Awards.[20] On 17 December 2024 Kneecap were shortlisted for two Academy Awards for the Best International Feature and Best Original Song with their song "Sick in the Head".[21] Political views
Kneecap are heavily associated with the ideology of Irish republicanism, advocating for the reunification of Ireland and opposing British rule in Northern Ireland. Kneecap refer to themselves as "Republican Hoods" and their fans as "Fenians". Their music, performed in the Irish language, promotes the use of the language as a tool of resistance. The group critiques the PSNI, the UK government, and political figures like Arlene Foster, often highlighting issues such as class inequality and working-class struggles. Kneecap’s approach combines political commentary with social issues, and their music often addresses themes like addiction and mental health.[22][23][24] Móglaí Bap has stated "Republicanism is so vast and on a spectrum. We like to toy with it. We like to take the irony on, and also not be dictated about what kind of republicanism we’re going to believe in"[25] and "So we’re political, but it’s very tongue-in-cheek. We wanted to take the seriousness and the sting out of it and incorporate elements of life that we as young people enjoy — like partying and taking Class A drugs. We’re political, but it’s not like a political party. We’re political with small p’s".[26] Mo Chara has stated “I think because of where we’re from, everything has to be about politics. We’re a band, for fuck’s sake. We make music. Obviously, we do things that are political. But I worry that just because we’re a band from Belfast that raps in Irish, any kind of political crisis, they’re like, ‘Oh, let’s fucking ask Kneecap what they think!".[27] In 2020 Kneecap publicly supported an independent Palestine by flying Palestinian flags at concerts and pledging to boycott the State of Israel.[28][29] They also have close links with a volunteer gym in the Aida Refugee Camp in Palestine, having helped raise funds for it and promoted it on their Instagram, and in 2022 Irish writer Manchán Magan released a cover of Kneecap's song "C.E.A.R.T.A" to raise money for the gym.[30][31] Personas and public imageAs part of their on-stage personas, members of Kneecap often wear balaclavas, which are associated in Ireland with the Provisional IRA.[23][24] The Guardian has suggested that Kneecap's earlier work focused on asserting Gaelic identity and merging it with hood culture.[23] However, journalist Malachi O'Doherty has called in question Kneecap's authenticity, stating Kneecap "have worked diligently at presenting themselves as worthless layabouts. There's a dishonesty at the heart of that" and "Maybe what their success suggests is that hood culture and provie [Provisional IRA] culture are both now parodied rather than preserved with any integrity."[23] DiscographyAlbums
Singles
Other charted songs
Notes
References
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