Irish hip hop - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Irish hip hop is the response to the hip hop

Hip hop

Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

cultural movement that originated in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

in the 1970s which, at that time, was most popular with members of the African-American community. In the 1980s, breakdancing and graffiti

Graffiti

Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....

were the first elements of hip hop to find their way to Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

and, around the same time, an underground scene of hip-hop music began to emerge.

1990s

In 1993 Irish hip hop came into view. The two main artists at this time were Marxman

Marxman

Marxman were a four-piece Marxist hip-hop group with two MCs formed in London in 1989.Their lyrics expounded socialism and an end to economic and social injustice...

and Scary Éire.

Marxman

Marxman were a four-piece Marxist hip-hop group with two MCs formed in London in 1989.Their lyrics expounded socialism and an end to economic and social injustice...

were two Dubliners (MC Hollis Byrne and electronic musician Oisín Lunny) and two British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

ns (rapper MC Phrase and scratch mixer DJ Kay One) who brought out the album 33 Revolutions Per Minute on Talkin' Loud in 1993. The album exercised Irish traditional music

Folk music of Ireland

The folk music of Ireland is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres in Ireland.-History:...

within a hip hop framework. It featured collaborations with Irish folk music guru Dónal Lunny

Dónal Lunny

Dónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician. Lunny has been at the forefront of the evolution of traditional Irish music for more than thirty-five years and has participated within the renaissance of traditional Irish music in that time period...

(father of group member Oisín Lunny), Sinéad O'Connor

Sinéad O'Connor

Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....

(who had also worked with McLyte on the track "I Want Your (Hands on Me)"), DJ Premier

DJ Premier

Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...

(who produced "Drifting"), trad group Storm, and several others. They gained notoriety for the track "Sad Affair," which protested against the presence of British troops in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

; the track was banned by the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

and most other UK radio stations for featuring lyrics such as "A six-county state is a bastard state / Why oh why can't we all integrate". This was followed in 1994 by an EP titled The Cynic, which cut down on the traditional influences and included some mellow instrumental tracks influenced by Massive Attack

Massive Attack

Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...

). In 1995 they released the Time Capsule LP on the More Rockers label, which was received without too much fuss. The band called an end to the project in 1995.

Since then the group has branched out to do other work, including introductory music for the Irish television channel Teilifís na Gaeilge, running their Pawnshop label, Oisin Lunny's soundtrack work, and recording under the name Minatone on Howie B's Pussyfoot label.

Scary Éire

Scary Éire were pioneers of hip hop in Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. Headed by front man Rí-Rá, they have toured with U2

U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...

(as did Marxman

Marxman

Marxman were a four-piece Marxist hip-hop group with two MCs formed in London in 1989.Their lyrics expounded socialism and an end to economic and social injustice...

), and opened for acts such as Gang Starr

Gang Starr

Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...

, Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....

(with whom they also toured Europe), House of Pain

House of Pain

House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...

, and Public Enemy. They had a track ("Lost for Words") on the 1993 album Planet Rap from Tommy Boy. They recorded a debut album that included production from Howie B, Tricky, Cutmaster Swift, DJ Mek and Sam Scuttery-Eye; they were then dropped by Island Records

Island Records

Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...

, who kept the rights to the album but did not release it. In 1995 Scary Éire reappeared on London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

independent label 11 Records and released "Dole Q"/"That's No Good To Me" on 12". The former song is about their various encounters on dole day and the latter a rugged, frenzied cypher. In March 2007, the group released The Scary Era - a collection of songs from the pre-Celtic Tiger

Celtic Tiger

Celtic Tiger is a term used to describe the economy of Ireland during a period of rapid economic growth between 1995 and 2007. The expansion underwent a dramatic reversal from 2008, with GDP contracting by 14% and unemployment levels rising to 14% by 2010...

years which had been 16 years in the waiting.

Rap Ireland

Rap Ireland first appeared in the mid-2000s as a printed publication covering both Irish Hip-Hop and Hip-Hop culture as a whole within Ireland. Having enjoyed early successes and developing offshoots into Concert events and DJ Schools, Rap Ireland has become established as the most popular urban brand in Ireland. Dedicated to the development and exposure of new Irish artists, Rap Ireland (through the RapIreland.com website) also cover Hip-Hop from around the world, through a staff of over 20 writers.

TERAWRIZT
AKA Andy Brady is an Irish Rap Artist who's albums include Written in Stone and Re-visited.Terawrizt is also a member of Dublin rap supergroup Class A'z along with Redzer,Collie, Nu-Centz and Rawsoul.

DJ Wool (aka Glen Brady)

Irish hip hop failed to break into the mainstream until the 1998 release of Optic Nerve (EP) by Exile Eye. Third Eye Surfers brought their own sound to Irish hip hop with their critically acclaimed album Filthy Folklore, released in 2001 and produced by DJ Wool (aka Glen Brady). Band members DJ Wool, Lisa Dee, Big Al, Richie C and MC Poetic quickly received recognition on the Irish hip hop scene and followed their album's success with a 12" vinyl titled Third Eye Mindstate, which landed them a Best Newcomer Award at the Smirnoff Dance Awards in the Temple Theatre, Dublin. Touring Ireland, Third Eye Surfers began to build a solid fan base, supporting such names as Public Enemy, Jurassic 5

Jurassic 5

Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...

, The Pharcyde

The Pharcyde

The Pharcyde are an alternative hip hop group based in South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani , Slimkid3 , Bootie Brown and Fatlip . DJ Mark Luv was the group's first DJ, followed by producer J-Swift and then J Dilla...

and Sugarhill Gang. The band called it a day in 2002. DJ Wool is now a founding member of New York-based punk-funk/electronic outfit The Glass and is signed to Stretch Arm Strong

Stretch Arm Strong

Stretch Arm Strong is a hardcore punk band from Chapin South Carolina, and the flagship band for We Put Out Records. They have been active since 1992. Several of the band members are outspoken Christians, but they prefer not to be classified as a Christian band in some cases. They do prefer to be...

's Plant Records. He and The Glass are constantly touring the world and releasing records and remixes by the likes of R.E.M.

R.E.M.

R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...

, INXS

INXS

INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...

, Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

, Just Jack

Just Jack

Jack Christopher Allsopp , known by the stage name Just Jack, is an English musician from Camden Town, London. He first came to prominence with the release of his 2007 single "Starz in Their Eyes", which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart...

, Howie B, Ghostface Killah

Ghostface Killah

Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...

and Killah Priest

Killah Priest

Walter Reed, better known as Killah Priest, Iron Sheik from the Middle East, or Masada, is an American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan affiliate who was raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant & Brownsville neighbourhoods in Brooklyn. He is known for intensely spiritual lyrics loaded with metaphors and religious...

. In 2008 DJ Wool engineered and mixed the Billboard Charting Baltimore Club album 12 Steps by Tittsworth, featuring appearances by Kid Sister

Kid Sister

Melisa Young better known by her stage name Kid Sister, is a rap artist based in Chicago, Illinois, well known for her single "Pro Nails", featuring Kanye West.-Background:Melisa Young was born July 3, 1980 in Markham, Illinois...

, DJ Assault

DJ Assault

Craig De Sean Adams , better known by his stage name DJ Assault is a hip hop musician from Detroit, Michigan. Collecting 12" and 45's since age 7, he would go on to be one of the most recognized DJs and producers of Detroit Dance music.-Biography:Together with producer Mr...

, The Federation

The Federation (group)

The Federation is a hip-hop group from Fairfield, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. The group consist of Doonie Baby , Stressmatic, and Goldie Gold, along with their producer Rick Rock...

, Nina Sky

Nina Sky

Nina Sky is an American musical duo composed of identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino .-Early life and career:Albino's parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico and were divorced when the girls were younger...

and others. His remixes of "Broke Ass N*gga" (featuring DJ Assault) and "WTF" (featuring Santogold and Pase Rock) featured widely on popular music blogs, including Discobelle, The Music Slut, and Brookly Vegan.

Messiah J & The Expert

Messiah J & The Expert are a rapper/producer duo from Dublin, Ireland

Republic of Ireland

, originally part of three-piece Creative Controle with DJ Mayhem. Their first release, the single "First Place", came out in September 2003, quickly followed by their debut album, What's Confusing You? Over the years, they have supported Public Enemy, The Street

The Street

The Street may refer to:*The Street , a drama shown on BBC One in 2006, 2007 and 2009*"The Street" , by H. P. Lovecraft*The Street , a 1946 novel by Ann Petry...

, Gang Starr

Gang Starr

Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...

, De La Soul

De La Soul

De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...

, Jurassic 5

Jurassic 5

, Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...

, Buck 65

Buck 65

Richard Terfry , who uses the stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian experimental artist, MC and turntablist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, rock, folk and avant garde influences.Terfry is also a radio host,...

, The Pharcyde

The Pharcyde

, El-P, Jeru The Damaja

Jeru the Damaja

Kendrick Jeru Davis, known as Jeru the Damaja is an American rapper and recording artist who has worked extensively with Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr, whom he has known since high school.-Biography:...

and others. In March 2006, they released a 12" single featuring New York rapper C-Rayz Walz

C-Rayz Walz

Waleed Shabazz, better known by his stage name C-Rayz Walz, is an MC from The Bronx, New York. He is currently a member of the Legendary NY hip hop Syndicate Stronghold. C-Rayz Walz has been a fixture in the New York hip-hop scene for years. He hosts many hip-hop shows and events, has appeared on...

, entitled "When The Bull Gores The Matador", on their own label, Inaudible Records. This was followed in September 2006 by the release of "Something Outta Nothing". In October 2006 they released the album Now This I Have To Hear, which was nominated for a Choice Music Prize

Choice Music Prize

-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...

in January 2007. In October 2008 they released From The Word Go, which was nominated for a Choice Music Prize in January 2009.

The Rubberbandits

The Rubberbandits are the award-winning comedy hip-hop duo of Blindboy Boat Club and Mr. Chrome from Limerick, Ireland. Primarily a satirical stage and television act, they have performed throughout Ireland, the UK and USA with shows at events such as Electric Picnic Oxegen and the Bulmers...

are comedy rappers and producers from Limerick City who perform anonymously in costume. Having started off making prank phone calls, they ventured into hip hop in 2008. They have supported Ice Cube

Ice Cube

O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...

and Alabama 3

Alabama 3

Alabama 3 are a British band mixing rock, dance, blues, country, and gospel styles, founded in Brixton, London, in 1995. In the United States, they are known as A3, allegedly to avoid any possible legal conflict with the country music band Alabama...

. Their track "Bags of Glue" became an underground hit in 2008. Another track, "Up Da Ra" (a satirical song about Irish history) created much controversy on YouTube

YouTube

YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

and MySpace

MySpace

Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

. Nialler 9 of State magazine

State (magazine)

State.ie is an Irish website and formerly a monthly music magazine, which launched in March 2008 and folded in January 2009 having published a total of nine issues...

has listed the Rubberbandits as his number two international act "to watch for 2009."

The Infomatics

The Infomatics are an Irish hip hop musical ensemble from Dublin. They consist of Bugs, BOC, Steo and Mr. Dero. Steo's brother, Damien Gunn, was lead vocalist and saxman with DC Nien, a 1970s band who at one stage rivalled U2....

are an Irish hip hop musical ensemble from Dublin. They consist of Bugs, BOC, Steo (aka Konchus Lingo) and Mr. Dero. Steo's brother, Damien Gunn, was lead vocalist and saxman with DC Nien, a 1970s band who at one stage rivalled U2.

The Infomatics have released one album titled Kill or Create. They participated in interactive music television series The Raw Sessions in 2009, winning the overall series. Since winning they have been dubbed "the loudest voice in Irish hip hop".[1] They have been awarded the title Sony Ericsson Artist of the Year.

"The Irish Undaground"

The Irish Undaground has evolved through various forms, including an eColumn authored by Kounter Kulture that first appeared in 2003, and an extensive album collection of Kounter Kulture's personal songs, collaborations, radio interviews, music videos, a documentary and Ireland's first Top 10 chart show for Irish hip hop, which began on 1 April 2006. On 20 April 2010, the Irish Undaground launched a radio station that plays Irish hip hop all day.

External links

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