The controversies around the Kneecap, the Northern Rap Trio that for years transforms the anger and historical memory of the conflict in Northern Ireland into visceral performances, do not appease. This time, however, the cross fire comes from both sides of the Atlantic: in the center of the vortex, the anti-Israel writings that appeared during their recent performance at the Coachella and some phrases of the past-in particular references to Hamas, Hezbollah and a controversial “The only good Tory is a dead Tory” pronounced on English soil-who have unleashed political reactions, police investigations and involvement and involvement. British anti -terrorism.
In response, Kneecap has released a press release that tries to relocate the narrative within more complex coordinates: the refusal of violence against civilians, the implicit condemnation of attacks on October 7, and an explicit distance from any form of support to armed organizations. A line of clear demarcation, which the three rappers trace remembering their background marked by the Troubles and by a long history of sectarian violence. “It is a principle that we know well,” they write, letting the weight of the Northern Collective Memory transpare.
But it is the second part of the press release that strikes more for tones and content: the group denounces what calls “a wave of moral hysteria” fed by the establishment, which would have dug in the archives in search of decontextualized phrases to paint the collective as an instigator of hatred. “They want to make you believe that words do more damage than a genocide”, accuse, in an attempt to overturn the media frame and bring attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where – according to the Kneecap – “two million Palestinians are reduced to hunger” and “at least 20 thousand children were killed”.
The press release closes with a passage full of ambivalence: the apologies to the family of Jo Cox and David Amess, two British parliamentarians killed in distinct attacks, which however are not enough to appease the accusations made by a part of the public opinion. “Ours has always been a message of love, inclusion and hope”, say, claiming an artistic identity that knows no boundaries and that, according to them, continues to unite generations, classes and cultures.
But the echo of their words to Coachella – where they have openly criticized the US administration – had a boomerang effect in the United Kingdom, triggering violent reactions and a wave of political indignation. “The real crimes you do not find them in our performances: they are in the silence and complicity of those who hold power. Shame,” they conclude, with the raw tone that distinguishes them.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
