Moglai Bap (left), DJ Provai (center) and Mo Chara (proper), members of Irish band Kneecap, pose for a photograph on the Nationwide Resort in Havana, on March 20, 2026.
Yamil Lage/AFP through Getty Photographs/AFP
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The Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap received their begin rapping about medication and their ire towards the British authorities. They’re nonetheless doing that. However in keeping with member Mo Chara, their new album, Fenian, is a bid to be taken extra critically as musicians, to “not simply be seen as a parody act.”
Given the album’s subject material, it is easy to think about Kneecap has made progress on that entrance. The music “Palestine,” that includes Palestinian rapper Fawzi, is a message of Irish solidarity amid Israel’s conflict in Gaza. One other observe, “Irish Goodbye,” honors one of many bandmates’ moms, who died by suicide. “Carnival” particulars Mo Chara’s authorized troubles final 12 months, full with actual recordings of followers shouting “Free Mo Chara” exterior the courthouse.
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Fenian is the group’s third album, and on it, they’re reclaiming a phrase from their native tongue. “Fenian” initially referred to an historic Irish warrior. Then, within the 18th and nineteenth centuries, the phrase was embraced by Irish rebels preventing for freedom from the British. Extra just lately, it advanced right into a pejorative time period.
“In fashionable instances, it was used as a derogatory slur in opposition to Irish individuals within the North,” says Kneecap’s Móglaí Bap, referring to the divide between Irish republicans and British loyalists in Northern Eire, which is a part of the U.Ok. “When you’re Irish and referred to as a Fenian, it was such as you have been backwards or uncivilized.”
The ability and politics of language have all the time been on the heart of Kneecap’s work. The Belfast-based group raps primarily in Irish, with English woven all through.
“I do not suppose lots of people know that younger individuals in Belfast communicate Irish willingly, and I feel that is an enormous a part of our music, is that this identification that must be seen and heard,” Móglaí Bap says.
Kneecap’s political messages lengthen past Eire. The trio is maybe finest recognized for his or her pro-Palestinian activism — and for being outspoken critics of Israel.
“The Palestinian trigger may be very near the Irish individuals’s hearts, for apparent causes in my view,” Mo Chara says. “After 800 years of colonialism, we watch what’s taking place within the Center East and we relate to it.”
The group has endured backlash for his or her viewpoints. A number of international locations, together with Canada and Hungary, have banned them from coming into or performing there.
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There’s additionally been authorized hassle. Whereas recording Fenian, Mo Chara hung out in court docket in London over a terrorism cost for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag throughout a present. He denied the cost, saying he picked up a flag that was thrown onto the stage with out realizing what it represented. The case was in the end dismissed.
Mo Chara says his authorized issues disrupted the making of the album — but additionally formed it.
All Issues Thought-about host Juana Summers sat down with Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap to debate what drives Kneecap to maintain making music.
This interview has been evenly edited for size and readability.
JUANA SUMMERS: Who’re your musical influences? What did you take heed to rising up that is helped you sort of make your individual sound?
MÓGLAÍ BAP: Eire is such a small nation, like we’re sort of influenced by so many various genres. One of many genres can be insurgent music, which is a sort of people music that is geared in the direction of insurrection, which is an enormous factor in Eire. In fact, there is a band referred to as The Rubberbandits, which have been a hip-hop duo from Limerick, who have been one of many first hip-hop teams to make use of Irish accents and Irish colloquial phrases of their hip-hop. In order that was undoubtedly an enormous affect once I was rising up in my teenagers, of like, how can we rely on our personal tradition, on our personal craic, to create music?
MO CHARA: Everyone who was rapping in Eire on the time have been utilizing American accents or emulating American tradition. So [The Rubberbandits] have been the primary to do it that wasn’t all braggadocious. As a result of I do not understand how a lot , however Irish individuals … we’re very, very self-deprecating. We are the reverse of braggadocious. So like, as a lot as we love hip-hop and storytelling, being braggadocious isn’t one thing that comes naturally to us. Subsequently, at any time when we have seen The Rubberbandits having the ability to speak about… [how] horses are extra superior than automobiles and stuff that have been Irish, that was one thing that we gravitated in the direction of very, in a short time.
SUMMERS: I do know that on the time you have been creating this album, Mo Chara, you have been coping with some authorized challenges, terrorism expenses. What was it like creating new music whereas additionally dealing with that kind of authorized stress and uncertainty?
MO CHARA: It was incredible. No, I am joking. There was lots of stress, as you’ll be able to assume. It was a hindrance. Lots of bands are capable of lock themselves away for a load of weeks and make an album that they’ve already [written]. However for us, we needed to cut up [those] seven weeks in half and go to the Magistrates’ Court docket in London. We additionally had, as one other hindrance as we put it on the time, an enormous gig in Wembley [Stadium]. In hindsight, they weren’t hindrances in any respect. They have been truly large inspirations and influences for the album. We have been capable of go to the court docket and get samples from exterior the court docket [of fans saying] “Free Mo Chara.”
SUMMERS: What do you say to the critics on the market who recommend that your music “amplified political violence,” as a Canadian Parliamentary secretary mentioned final 12 months whenever you have been banned from coming into Canada?
MÓGLAÍ BAP: I feel they’re very quick to criticize us and never so quick to criticize all these factories that create weaponry that’s utilized in Israel. And I feel [weapons manufacturers] are the most important individuals who must be criticized, not bands. However I feel [government officials] wish to take a look at bands as an alternative of trying on the precise individuals who profit from this. There is a large revenue being made on this conflict, and [weapons manufacturers are] the individuals who needs to be criticized.
SUMMERS: Your band has change into well-known amongst followers in addition to critics in your outspoken feedback about Israel’s conflict in Gaza, the plight of the Palestinian individuals. Are you able to speak about that? Do you’ve any regrets about being so vocal?
MO CHARA: What would I remorse?
SUMMERS: I imply, you guys have seen penalties, for instance, dropping your North American visa sponsor. There’s been media scrutiny.
MO CHARA: That by no means occurred. We did not lose our North American visas. There’s large miscommunication and misinformation about that. What occurred is, we did have our promoters on the time, and we sort of determined, , mutually to maneuver alongside to a different promoter. After which we determined, OK, let’s not apply for visas proper now. We have been by no means denied visas or had our visas stripped. However you must perceive, and I feel what I am about to say could also be very, very laborious for People to grasp this, however we’re Irish. And we grew up as Britain’s first colony. We had 800 years of colonialism. On the finish of the day, we perceive colonialism. We’ve been topic to compelled hunger, which was referred to as a famine, the identical factor that we witnessed a couple of years in the past in Gaza and nonetheless witness. That’s one thing that, as an Irish particular person, it sparks one thing in your DNA. It is not in your nature and you are not prepared to remain silent and watch this occur to a different individuals. So you must perceive, we’re not doing this for no cause. We watch what’s taking place within the Center East and we relate to it. Possibly it is not on the very same stage due to how expertise has superior. We have been by no means bombed from the skies. However I’d push People to no less than try to grasp the place we’re coming from there.
Editor’s observe: Israel has denied accusations that its insurance policies have led to hunger in Gaza and says restrictions on meals assist have been designed to stop it from falling into the palms of Hamas militants.
SUMMERS: Politics are so current all through this album. I wish to ask you concerning the music “Palestine.” It includes a Palestinian rapper and lyrics that say, partly, “We cannot cease till everyone seems to be free.” Inform us about that music.
MÓGLAÍ BAP: Palestine has been one thing that we have been concerned with, like, earlier than Kneecap, and rising up as an adolescent, we used to go to protests and stuff. In 2018, we helped my brother who began a health club on the Lajee Middle, on the Aida Refugee Camp in Palestine, within the West Financial institution. We helped, with different bands, to lift cash for that health club. So then he met his fiancée there. She’s from Ramallah and she or he was buddies with [the rapper] Fawzi. He had a music referred to as “Castro” that we preferred quite a bit. Clearly we speak about Palestine and different worldwide solidarity, nevertheless it was essential for us to have a Palestinian on the album as a result of they know higher than anybody else. And to provide them a possibility to make use of our platform. So it was essential for us to make that connection. We have not met Fawzi but, however on-line, on the web, we had conversations with him and we have been capable of make that connection. Once more, it is to indicate the parallels between Irish historical past and Palestinian historical past. To listen to them each facet by facet, I feel, is a really highly effective factor.
SUMMERS: What do you suppose individuals misunderstand about Kneecap?
MO CHARA: We get that query quite a bit. And for me personally, I do not like to consider that an excessive amount of. I feel individuals prefer to be outraged. I feel individuals get extra of a kick out of being outraged than the kick they get out of regarding anyone. No matter what I say on this interview or any interview, the identical individuals will probably be upset and outraged. And what? Folks have a proper to disagree. Folks have a proper to protest. And that is comprehensible. For me, I simply hope individuals perceive … [we were] buddies lengthy earlier than this band. We consider in what’s proper and we do what we will. And now that we’re fortunate sufficient to have a platform, we use that platform for what we consider is sweet and simply and proper [and] sadly, we consider that sure mainstream media, for instance, want to painting us in a sure different means. That is not who we’re as individuals. I feel if you happen to scratch on the floor, you may get to know who we’re from interviews basically. However yeah, I prefer to not dwell on different individuals’s opinions an excessive amount of as a result of I do not suppose it is helpful to anybody.
SUMMERS: Do both of you’ve a favourite music on this album?
MÓGLAÍ BAP: Oh. Hmm. That is a tricky one. I’ve a couple of.
MO CHARA: “Irish Goodbye” is one of the best. However I can not provide the description why.
MÓGLAÍ BAP: That is as a result of I am on it.
SUMMERS: Inform us about “Irish Goodbye.”
MÓGLAÍ BAP: So we have been within the studio with [producer] Dan [Carey] and anyone despatched me a documentary, which featured us as youngsters with my mother and father. And it was the primary time I seen my Ma in, like, a video with us as youngsters. In order that sort of impressed the thought of “Irish Goodbye.” She’s been lifeless a couple of years now, however I feel it is solely after a couple of years that you simply get to course of dying and look again at enjoyable instances or simply regular instances. And the music is sort of a mirrored image on [how] it is not all of the loopy moments you miss in life with individuals — it is the mundane, boring stuff you miss, like sitting after dinner, speaking after dinner, strolling to the store or strolling across the park. So it is sort of reflecting [on] how a lot you miss the mundane stuff in life whenever you share it with anyone that you simply love.
SUMMERS: I do know that final 12 months you all needed to cancel a deliberate North American tour with lots of sold-out dates that lots of people have been excited to see. You’ve such an enormous fan base right here in the USA. Do you see your self having the ability to come again and tour in the USA anytime quickly?
MO CHARA: In fact we’ll be again. Look, I imply, it is value remembering: No member of Kneecap has ever been convicted of any crime ever. We aren’t what the media portrays. So there is not any cause why a authorities needs to be stepping in and saying what the American listenership ought to eat. I simply do not suppose it is a good place for governments to begin stepping in and telling individuals, which is seemingly the land of free speech, of what they need to be capable of take heed to.
