Enjoying the same crossover success in the alternative rock space as hip-hop acts like Joey Valence & Brae, Denzel Curry and Bob Vylan, Irish language/English bilingual hip-hop trio KNEECAP have been rising through the ranks of the underground rap scene since their debut back in 2017. Now, on their debut full length, the West Belfast three piece are here to kick down your door, snort a line of ket off your nan’s forehead and headbutt her teeth in for being an imperialist British pig.
KNEECAP fit a pretty tight niche, blending some of the most aggro hip-hop out there with a no-nonsense punk attitude and a touch of traditional Irish folk via sampled flutes and drumbeats. If you’re discovering KNEECAP for the first time then the opening tracks of Fine Art will make a perfect introduction with opener ‘3CAG’ setting the scene, painting a picture of a lively but run down Belfast pub combining choppy beats with traditional Irish folk and lilting vocals from Lankum singer Radie Peat, before the title track ‘Fine Art’ hits you like a brick with hardcore hip-hop chaos and samples of TV pundits decrying KNEECAP for their politically motivated outbursts. It’s instantly impressive how fluidly rappers Mo Chara and Moglaí Bap shift between English and Irish Gaelic, adding an extra dimension to their music even for those who aren’t fluent in both languages, the single ‘Fine Art’ demonstrates this lyrical mastery with an intelligent wit and cheeky sense of humour.
“It's instantly impressive how fluidly rappers Mo Chara and Moglaí Bap shift between English and Irish Gaelic”
While the term “Concept Album” often brings up images of pretentious prog rock double records full of warlocks and hobgoblins, KNEECAP manage to carry an engaging story through Fine Art while staying down to earth and keeping the pace up. Avoiding the trap that a lot of old school hip-hop albums fall into (looking at you Wu-Tang Clan), the album’s six interludes stay tight and simple, telling the tale of a drug fuelled night at the pub that moves from Belfast to London and back, flying further and further off the rails. Despite not being the most grandiose story, Fine Art’s narrative is fun enough to remain engaging throughout and provide a handful of standout moments.
In amongst all the braggadocio come a few moments of quiet introspection which hit so much deeper between all the hard partying and political outrage. The track ‘Better Way To Live’ stands out with its slower paced, melancholy instrumental and lyrics surrounding mental health and alcoholism, the track’s darkly memorable chorus, led by Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten, feels like a regretful dirge in comparison to some of Fine Art’s more upbeat moments. The following track ‘Sick In The Head’ continues this introspective trend but with more of a self-deprecating wit alongside punchy yet ominous 90s style hip-hop production. These darker moments do little to derail KNEECAP’s rowdy energy while providing a more serious contrast to all the bangers about craic and cocaine.
“Despite not being the most grandiose story, Fine Art’s narrative is fun enough to remain engaging throughout and provide a handful of standout moments.”
Fine Art clocks in at almost forty minutes throughout its eighteen tracks, keeping up the pace that long is a herculean task even for an act like KNEECAP. While they do an admirable job of keeping the party going there are a couple of tracks where the energy slips just enough for them to feel a little superfluous, songs like ‘Parful’ with its repetitive rave inspired beat and ‘Love Making’ which leans a little too heavily into the R&B vibes stick out as two of the weaker tracks which keep the album from being as tight as it could be. Thankfully none of the tracks break the four minute barrier with most of them barely making it past three, even when the vibe is brought down a little KNEECAP are prepared with something else to bring it back up.
Irish rappers KNEECAP prove unstoppable on their ambitious debut album Fine Art, confidently swaggering between styles while solidly establishing their own unique identity. Keeping the party atmosphere intact while exploring this many genres and heavy topics isn’t easy but KNEECAP demonstrate their uncanny ability to keep the craic going anytime, anywhere.