Kneecap: Redefining Drill from Northern Ireland

Drill music might be synonymous with the streets of London, but Northern Ireland trio Kneecap is flipping the script, proving the genre’s reach goes far beyond the capital. Based in Belfast, Kneecap fuses gritty beats with razor-sharp lyrics, switching between English and Irish to tell stories that feel raw, rebellious, and refreshingly different. Made up of Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, and DJ Próvaí, Kneecap’s music hits hard. 

Their tracks tackle heavy issues like political tensions, class struggles, and life in modern Ireland, but they do it with humor and a swagger that’s impossible to ignore. For someone navigating inner-city London, songs like H.O.O.D. and C.E.A.R.T.A. feel as relevant as they do to their Belfast heritage. Although explicit lyrics like "Fk the police, fk the state" have attracted interest, Kneecap's kind of drill is defined by its proud, raw sound. 

But Kneecap isn’t just about the music; it’s the message. Whether it’s spray-painting controversial slogans during their gigs or rapping in a language not heard often in music, they’re challenging what drill can be. Their Irish identity, woven into every bar, feels like a shout-out to anyone whose culture has ever been overlooked or dismissed. Of course, they’ve stirred up their fair share of controversy. Their explicit lyrics and anti-establishment tone have ruffled feathers, but in a world where drill often gets painted as a problem, Kneecap reminds us of its power to tell untold stories.