The rap group Kneecap is embroiled in controversy over an old concert video where a member seemingly urges fans to “kill your local MP.”
Downing Street has condemned the band for the clip, captured at a 2023 performance. In it, one of the members can be heard saying: “They’re f****** Tories. The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has critiqued the inflammatory footage, suggesting that their remarks could warrant prosecution.
The trio, consisting of Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, have dismissed “any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual.”
On social media, the Belfast-based artists argued that the video was manipulated to distract from their outspoken views on the Gaza-Israel conflict, reports Belfast Live.
“An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action. This distortion is not only absurd – it is a transparent effort to derail the real conversation,” they stated.
Although maintaining their stance of non-violence, Kneecap has extended apologies to the families of Conservative MP Sir David Amess and Labour MP Jo Cox, who were tragically killed in 2021 and 2016, respectively.
“To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies, we never intended to cause you hurt,” they expressed.
However, prior to the controversy, the band had just achieved a major milestone, taking home a prestigious BAFTA Film Award for their 2024 biopic, aptly titled Kneecap.
The film, which premiered the previous summer, is a comedy-drama that chronicles the trio’s meteoric rise to stardom, with the hip-hop group starring as themselves alongside talented actors Simone Kirby and Michael Fassbender.
A synopsis reads: “When fate brings Belfast teacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed ‘low life scum’ Naoise and Liam Óg, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish, they lead a movement to save their mother tongue.”
Upon its release, Kneecap garnered widespread critical acclaim for its unflinching portrayal of Northern Irish identity and biting social commentary, earning a remarkable 96 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In terms of accolades, the film received an impressive six BAFTA nominations and scooped up the award for Best Outstanding Debut for writer-director Rich Peppiatt.
Prime Video subscribers can stream Kneecap now at no extra cost.