To coincide with our interview with Jafaris this month, Dean Van Nguyen takes a brief look at three rising stars of Irish hip-hop.
7th Obi
Released last year, the Waterford rapper’s debut album Taxi Club hasn’t received one-tenth of the attention it deserves.
Produced entirely by LHK, Taxi Club is a lurid set of sinister keys, rattling drums, and 7th Obi’s hazy, autotune-drenched vocals.
Nealo
This ex-punk musician’s pivot towards rap saw him nail down a jazzy, slow-burning aesthetic on last year’s strong October Year EP.
Recently released single Just My Luck, though, has seen the Dubliner work in more melodic R&B influences too.
Why-Axis
Completely out of step with anything else out there right now, Why-Axis blazes a madcap sound build on tweaked-out electronics, strange melodies and tweaked-out vocal croons that sit somewhere between rapping and singing.
Words: Dean Van Nguyen
