Kneecap (band)

Kneecapare an Irishhip hoptrio from WestBelfast, Northern Ireland, composed of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí,the stage names of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and J.J. Ó Dochartaigh, respectively.They rap in a mixture ofEnglishandIrish, and their lyrics often containIrish republicanthemes. Their first single "C.E.A.R.T.A." (Irish for "Rights") was released in 2017, followed by their debut album3CAG, in 2018.Their second albumFine Artwas released in 2024, and abiographical film about the groupwas released later the same year.
Their first single "C.E.A.R.T.A." was  loosely based on Móglaí Bap's experience.  On the day before theIrish Language Actmarch in Belfast, Móglaí Bap went out with a friend of his and spray-painted the word "Cearta" on a bus stop. ThePolice Service of Northern Irelandfound 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.
In late 2017their song "C.E.A.R.T.A." was banned from the Irish-medium radio stationRTÉ 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".
The group's first full-length album,3CAG, was released in 2018. The title references the drugMDMA: 3CAG meanstrí chonsan agus guta('three consonants and a vowel'), slang for the substance. The group's name was thetraditional woundinginflicted 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".The release was retrospectively described inThe Skinnyas "an irresistible collection of raucous hip-hop that fused the Irish and English languages with a wicked sense of humour."It was retrospectively described inThe Guardianas "self-aware and swaggering in equal measure as it flipped between nights on the town to the everyday reality of growing up in post-Troubles Northern Ireland."
In February 2019, they received condemnation from South BelfastDemocratic Unionist Party(DUP)MLAChristopher Stalfordafter 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 thenDuke of Cambridgeand the thenDuchess of Cambridgehad visited the same venue.
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."The trio also revealed on Instagram that Móglaí Bap's mother had died of suicide before the song was ready for release, and that all proceeds from the song would be going to theSamaritans.
In early 2023, the group began filming a motion picture, also titledKneecap, depicting a fictionalised account of their rise to fame. Released in August 2024, the film was directed byRich PeppiattwithMichael Fassbenderin a supporting role.
In February 2024, the group was awarded a grant of £14,250 from theMusic Export Growth Scheme, which was then blocked by theDepartment for Business and Trade.Business secretaryKemi Badenochsaid that the grant should not be awarded to "to people that oppose the United Kingdom itself."The group filed a discrimination case against the UK government, winning the case and receiving the total grant amount in November 2024.They split the grant to two youth organisations who work withProtestantandCatholiccommunities in Northern Ireland.
The 2024biopicfilmKneecap, in which the band members play themselves alongside more experienced actors includingMichael Fassbender,Josie Walker, andSimone Kirby, is set in the West BelfastGaeltacht Quarterin 2019. The film premiered at theSundance Film Festivalon 18 January 2024, being the first film in theIrish languageat the festival.
In August 2024, theIrish Film and Television Academyannounced that they had selectedKneecapas their official submission to represent Ireland in the International Film Category at the 97th annualAcademy Awards.On 17 December 2024 Kneecap were shortlisted for twoAcademy Awardsfor theBest International FeatureandBest Original Songwith their song "Sick in the Head".
Kneecap are heavily associated with the ideology ofIrish 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 likeArlene 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.
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"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".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!".
In 2020 Kneecap publicly supported an independentPalestineby flyingPalestinian flagsat concerts and pledging toboycotttheState of Israel.They also have close links with a volunteer gym in theAida Refugee Campin Palestine, having helped raise funds for it and promoted it on their Instagram, and in 2022 Irish writerManchán Maganreleased a cover of Kneecap's song "C.E.A.R.T.A" to raise money for the gym.
As part of their on-stage personas, members of Kneecap often wearbalaclavas, which are associated in Ireland with theProvisional IRA.The Guardianhas suggested that Kneecap's earlier work focused on asserting Gaelic identity and merging it with hood culture.However, journalistMalachi O'Dohertyhas 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."