Kneecap Lay Into Kemi Badenoch On Newly-Released Single The Recap
Kneecap have given their politically-charged new song The Recap an official release.
Last month, the West Belfast hip-hop trio announced that they were unveiling a new track, on which they take aim at Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
The announcement came just days after it was confirmed that band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – better known to Kneecap fans under his stage name Mo Chara – had been charged with a terror offence, over months-old resurfaced clips from one of the group's concerts, in which they allegedly declared: 'Up Hamas, up Hezbollah'.
Kneecap have repeatedly claimed that the terror charge is part of a wider 'witchhunt' after they publicly voiced their support for Palestine amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The Recap was subsequently made available on Kneecap's Soundcloud page, and has now been given an official release, ahead of the three-piece's appearance at Glastonbury over the weekend.
According to The National's translation of the lyrics, The Recap largely takes aim at Badenoch, who previously blocked a government arts grant being given to Kneecap during her time as UK business secretary as she didn't feel the money should be given to 'people that oppose the United Kingdom itself'.
This decision was reversed when Labour triumphed over the Conservatives in the UK general election last year, after which Kneecap said they would split the money between two youth organisations in Northern Ireland aiming to 'create a better future for our young people'.
Badenoch has since voiced the opinion that Kneecap's performances should not be aired on the BBC, alleging that doing so is comparable with 'rewarding extremism'.
On The Recap, the group can be heard rapping:
'Grab a handful and we'll stroll to the bank
'Get me Kemi's money and give her my thanks,
'We'll call it reparations Badenoch ya wank,
'Tried to take my money but I came and collected it back.'
Elsewhere in the song they brand Badeoch a 'wally', while also making disparaging remarks about former UK leader Margaret Thatcher, declaring: 'You like to think that you're fooling everybody but you're not, Just like the iron lady, your career is gonna rot.'
The song ends with one last dig at the Conservative leader, which says: 'Good effort, Kemi, hard lines in the elections.'
'Onwards and upwards,' they then conclude. 'Free Palestine.'
Earlier this week, UK prime minister Keir Starmer backed calls for Kneecap's Glastonbury set to be cancelled in light of Ó hAnnaidh's terror charge, claiming it was not 'appropriate' for their performance to go ahead.
The band responded on Instagram: ''You know what's 'not appropriate' Keir?! Arming a fucking genocide…'
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A post shared by KNEECAP (@kneecap32)
Responding to the news of Ó hAnnaidh being charged last month, Kneecap said in a group statement: 'We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.
Prior to that, the band said they had been made the subject of a smear campaign, while insisting: 'Let us be unequivocal. We do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay.'
Kneecap's Glastonbury set will take place on the festival's West Holt stage on Saturday 28 June.
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