are any irish rappers making it??

Ay Cee

Oh yeah, as a side note. I turned down a deal with Sony a few years ago.

spacecoyote

just out of curiosity, what age are you Kristok?

Samantha Mumbas brother was 10 or something and he came out singing Skee-lo's "i wish" which can hardly be classed as an attempt at launching a hip-hop career. that was just louis walsh making some quick cash off the back of the kids name. the mere fact that Spin Fm is your reference point for decisions on top rappers says enough for me.

Ay cee, theres no point in continuing an argument with him over it, you are obviously wrong. if you don't drive an escalade with 24" rims and have a "crib" in the Hamptons you obviously have no talent and are definitely not making it!

Ay Cee

I know

But I have been on Spin FM (am I a top rapper now?) and Today Fm and 2Fm and FM 104.

Another side note, I was the first Irish rapper played on daytime Spin, all that without a deal! I'm so untalented

spacecoyote

yeah i think that gets you up the first rung of the ladder on your way to becoming a top rapper. but in order to be THE top rapper you have to 1st create your own clothing line, then release your own line of Reebok trainers and then your own jewelry line. Until then, i think the technical term for you is "wanksta" or some other such invented drivel like that

Ay Cee

Ah OK, so what you are saying is I need to do all those things which have absolutely nothing to do with music and then when I make money off them THEN I'm a successful RAPPER?!

I was just concentrating on making songs. Kristok was right...I am an idiot!

spacecoyote

Now you're getting the hang of things. Maybe you could invent a life story thats really cool and gangsta, and then star in the movie about it too!!

But seriously, fair play to you and everyone else putting their necks and reps on the line to promote hip-hop in Ireland. look at the U.S. back in the late 70s adn early 80s, if it hadn't been for Kool Herc, grand wizard theodore, flash, etc...pioneering the industry Kristok wouldn't have his 50 cents, etc... to listen to. even if you guys don't have all the success you might hope for, you're paving the way for future Irish artists to make names for themselves hopefully

Ay Cee

Well I grew up in a council estate and I'm from a broken home. That's instant street cred right?

Cheers dude.

The thing people like Kristok don't understand is that despite (or maybe in spite of) what people like him say, it's not going to stop us. Well certainly not me anyway.

We do don't do this to get rich. Sure if we could make some serious money off it that would be great, but if we don't we're not just gonna stop.

It's called doing it for the love of it. Doing it becuase you can do it. Doing it because when you get off stage and some one says "it's great to hear Irish rappers with Irish accents talking about things I can relate to" that drives you on.

I don't make music to try and convert people or to make them like me. I've had I don't know how many diss tracks aimed at me. I make music because I want to. If no one ever heard any of my material, I'd still make it.

Executive Steve

Ay Cee wrote:

We do don't do this to get rich. Sure if we could make some serious money off it that would be great, but if we don't we're not just gonna stop.

It's called doing it for the love of it. Doing it becuase you can do it. Doing it because when you get off stage and some one says "it's great to hear Irish rappers with Irish accents talking about things I can relate to" that drives you on.

I don't make music to try and convert people or to make them like me. I've had I don't know how many diss tracks aimed at me. I make music because I want to. If no one ever heard any of my material, I'd still make it.

well i must say, this thread has made me want to go straight home and check out some of your stuff mate, i'll have a scout around all the links etc you have lying around here and i'll give you some feedback once i've checked it all out.

you do many gigs in dublin?

Ay Cee

All of our gigs up until the last couple of months were in Dublin, The Village, Crawdaddy etc.

We started out the opposite of every other band. All other bands start out playing the local venues and hopefully get to play those venues. Being a hip hop band we started out supporting the American MC's and nobody knowing locally that we were doing it.

We played in a local pub on Saturday night which would be more along the lines of Fibber Mc Gee's rock/ indie/ covers bands. The place was wall to wall! We'd to do two encores. Once people get used to it they'll accept it. I even had doubts that the owner would pay up once he seen what we did but he did and he wants back again.

www.thegudmen.com has all the latest audio and some live video footage too.

Kristok

spacecoyote wrote:

just out of curiosity, what age are you Kristok?

Just out of curiosity why should that matter ? if im six or sixty its none of your concern. Why do you keep bringing up that I like 50 cent ? ive already said I do maby you should get over it your like a broken record.

Im laughing my ass off reading all that rubbish, you turned down a deal with sony then yes your a fool in that case, or maby the deal was so bad because they didnt think you had any talent but just incase they offered you some slave type deal which luckly for them you didnt sign cause as we can see years later your not really doing much other than arguing how great you are on a message board. And your converting 50+ year olds thats it you must be amazing cause we all know how in touch with youth culture people old enough to be your father can be.

Make a demo tape of your best work and get a good record deal and get regular spins in clubs and on the radio and become something until then you can talk about how great you are till the cows come home but as the orignal question of the thread asked. No there are no irish rappers making it, period. If im wrong show me make it big, oh wait youve tried for years and noone wants to listen to you.

And yes maby I was a bit harsh calling all Irish rapper idiots, apart from your childish name calling you dont come accross as an idiot so sorry for stereotyping your people, I know id hate it if you thought of Finglas as being a kip full of skangers, not that anyone other than people from the south side of the liffy would even say something as stupid as that :rolleyes: . What I should have said is Irish rappers are talentless and deluded for thinking they are going to make it.

spacecoyote

just figured you were quite young because of the attitude you've been displaying, the fact you've been quite personally insulting towards people and you're quite immature opinions on the criteria which qualify a rapper as talented or good!

Ay Cee

I think it's fairly obvious how immature he is SC. The fact that he can't see past his nose is blatant proof of that.

Kristok say what you will, I tried to put my points across in a mature fashion. It's as blatant as your hatred for all things Irish in Hip Hop that you're never going to admit you're wrong or accept any point of view that disagrees with your own.

Where's Mak when you need him

Kristok

I love the guys going around calling names like kids on a playground instead of making any attempt at replying calling me immature. Want me to admit im wrong ? how many records are you selling ? def jam ringing your phone off the hook ? I dont need to admit anything no one cares about irish rap most people laugh when they hear anything like that on the radio and the ones who dont are in shock when they hear it. People like me are not holding you back the lack of interest is.

Ay Cee

"most people laugh"

I keep forgetting you know most people.

You just went and proved my point.

Kristok

Ay Cee wrote:

"most people laugh"

I keep forgetting you know most people.

You just went and proved my point.

And you have just proved mine you cant discuss anything you just try to make little funny remarks and dont make any points.

thirtysix

I think to realisitically examine Irish hiphop and indeed any other sort of hiphop that cannot be considered mainstream, one much examine it as a niche market. Within the realms of language/accent/historicial divisions, outside its local market Irish Hiphop is an export and will can only help to fufil a certain niche, how many units does French/UK/German etc rap shift outside their potential power bases? foreign hiphop works much the same way as underground hiphop, it doesnt make as much money becuase its not as heavily marketed, comparing the number of modern underground artists CD's such as zion i, madlib planet asia etc etc to the number of foreign hiphop CD's such as Kool Savas, Saian Supa Crew, MC Solaar in a typical CD store such as HMV and their really isnt a large amount of difference, most disparity being made up by a language barrier which is somewhat mellowed by the increase in English hiphop recently.

To claim Irish artists are not respected for acting like gangsters etc is plain silly, of course their not, however then again not many Irish artists do, in England and France this is much more understandable due to the heavy level of guncrime and violence that play a part in the council estates and Baniliues of the respective countries. Ireland's rappers are possibly 20 odd years behind England and Frances, this is for a number of reasons, not least due to immigration, this is reflected between the disparity in numbers again between northern and southern artists, immigration is only flourishing now into the North now that violence has ceased.

i'll pos tof more of my arguement later, but im kinda inna rush now, by the way check my stuff, rough demos mostly but an ep is on the way, no gangsterism's or grimy beats besides one for a battle

www.myspace.com/mes

Shaymin

Now that I've landed allow me to hit the ground running [my mouth that is]. First and foremost I can't say I'm on the inside of the scene over there in Ireland because I'm over here in America. This next line is for all the negativity I'm viewing. Now I've networked with a lot of Irish Rappers and Irish Hip Hop Scenesters in Ireland and I've received nothing but respect. So I want to take this opportunity as an outsider and say that Irish Hip Hop has real potential. I'm thoroughly impressed with a lot of emcees I've heard. Collie, SDK, Ammunition, Mes, Barfly Records, Urbanize, etc..Their is some real potential and talent and isn't it funny that most who flap their gums in a negaitve fashion usually are possessers of no talent. Stop guzzling the Haterade because I'll tell all of y'all this much. My grandmother originally came from Ennaskillen and as long as I have Celtic Blood running through my veins I'll do whatever I can to help Irish Hip Hop get the credibility it deserves. I've already sent some of my tracks via email over to Iamstop to be considered for remixing, I've networked heavily and have plans to collaborate with SDK within the next year, I think Give It Up by Collie is some of the most original stuff I've heard,Man!! I could go on and on as far as having good to say. Yet this negativity I've viewed is all to familiar in the sense that the scene over here in Boston, Ma. is very similar. So if anyone wants to network come see me here, Irishhiphop.com,myspace.com/shaymin, and shaymin_1@hotmail.com Hip Hop at it's finest is a movement that can only stop itself.So let no obstacles stop you. No matter where you live!! Straight Up........

Collie Collins

i'd just like to say, in me own defence, that....






















my da can beat up your da!!!

Makaveli

Kristok wrote:

I know id hate it if you thought of Finglas as being a kip full of skangers, not that anyone other than people from the south side of the liffy would even say something as stupid as that :rolleyes:

Do you honestly think southsiders care one little bit about Finglas Westsiiiiide?
But you know well done on trying to play down one generalisation you made only to turn around and make another one in the same paragraph.

You're ignorance to Hip-Hop shines through once more with your nuggets of wisdom about how Irish people have nothing to rap about, unless they are on the dole and even then they can get by comfortably in life. You don't have to come from the hood/ghetto/have no money/be homeless/sell drugs/take drugs/shoot people/get shot at/fight/wear bling/pimp women/drive an suv sitting on 24s etc to rap. Just because the rap you listen to deals with this subject matter doesn't mean it all does. Fair enough it is your choice as to what you listen to but where do you get off telling people what they can and can't do?

As to are Irish rappers making it, in the sense of major US artists clearly not, but as said by thirtysix it's a niche market and it's really in it's infancy. Why are they not signed by the artists that they support at gigs? Well they're artists not presidents or c.e.o.s they got a chance to play as support the more they do that the bigger their name gets. How many one hit wonders are out there? Just because you're not snapped up straight away doesn't mean you can't be signed at some stage. It's not even about being signed, plenty of American artists have started their own labels and sell their own music online or at gigs they are making it but because they don't have a music video on MTV you would debase that fact.

AyCee has already said it, he'd love it if he could live off his music but even if he can't he's not going to stop making music. You do it for the love not for the money, anybody who starts out looking to make a quick buck will fail miserably, if you have no heart for it you wont last.

spacecoyote

here here

ciaran13

if you did (which i seriously doubt) turned down a deal wit sony ur a fukn idiot.


but anyway, irish hip hop is ****. you can not rap with an irish accent.full stop

the only stuff that could be considered listenable is rob kelly and metabolix,and even thats just for novelty effect really.

Ay Cee

Well Ciaran IQ of 13, do you think I said it to impress a bunch of narrow minded kids on the internet?

I post on every forum as Ay Cee. I don't go under any aliases so when I say something I'm prepared to back it up.

I know you're too young to get into any pubs or clubs so maybe after mammy tucks you in some night you can sneak out. Call in for Kristok then come and see me outside the venue.

I'll be the one with a couple of hundred euros in my pocket I just got for being a fnckin' idiot and rapping with an Irish accent on stage. We can discuss anything you might have to say to me there.

I might look a bit dishevelled however, having not being able to sleep what with worrying about what some kid on the net thinks about me. :cool:

Dragan

Kristok wrote:

No irish rapper is going to make it for the simple fact that they dont have anything to talk about, songs about the dole might get you on the radio for a few spins but not because people want to hear it but because they are laughing at you not with you. You cant come from the point of view of someone from a ghetto or tell stories of what youve seen when you live in a country with virtually 100% employment and people who are on the dole for whatever reason dont just survive they get enough money to live a nice life unlike people in america who barly get enough money to feed themselves if they dont have a job. If your rapping about how hard you are you sound like a scumbag and if you talk about selling drugs your just going to sound like a wigga.

Dude, im starting to seriously wonder about you man. Some of the best rap songs in history have had **** all to do with guns, drugs and bitches, or do you just listen to gansta rap????

And if you don't mind me asking, roughly what area do you live man? I've lived in some pretty rough places in my time and i've seen a lot of ****. I know 14 year old kids that have seen more violence in there life times than i'm willing to bet a lot of American rappers will ever see.

If you want to sit there and convince yourself that Irish rappers could not be taken seriously if they rap about violence then that your problem dude. Plenty of people experience plenty of violence in Ireland, or have you not been paying attention to the world your living in? ANd if one of those people decides to rap about there experieces then so be it, let them do that.

You can't argue your case against Irish Rap with generalities and expect people here to take it seriously.

CmX

Some of you guys get wound up too easily.
Nobody who is ignorant towards a certain genre can be forced to like it.
Just throw up some links to good Irish hiphop and if Kristok and the others want to listen to them then its their choice.
I cant see any off these people goin out and buying a gudmen or sideline project cd even if they secretly liked it.

Ay Cee

If someone doesn't like my stuff - fair enough. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

It's the blatant close mindedness and TELLING me and others we CAN'T rap with Irish accents and we'll NEVER sell because it's their opinion they expect everyone else to subscribe to it.

mountainyman

What about Man and Machine. They're pretty good.

We need hip hop that doesn't copy america even in the speech rhythyms. But we don't have the confidence to do our own thing.

It is easier for English people; Londoners know that if they are doing it in London they are doing it right.


We need that don't give a **** attitude like **** rave. And **** bassbin who likes that ****? There's **** all women there for one thing.

ciaran13

well ok explain to me so, why exactly you turned down a contract offer from sony to play a few pubs and clubs.if you have a soundclick id be more than willing to listen to it.

also no irish rapper has had any kind of serious sales

Ay Cee

No Irish rapper (that I know) does this for the sales. There's an obsession here that because an act doesn't sell (there's really only been Collie) that the individual isn't talented. The main reason for this is the labels aren't prepared to put the backing into the artist, I mean how many places did you see Collie posters? How many TV spots? Collie's mug on the side of a bus? Ok that last one might be a good thing.

The main reason I didn't sign with Sony, aside from personal reasons is because they wanted to do to me basically what's been done to young Krisma now. Promote it based in no part on what I can do but on who I am.

Even if some one is signed to a label they still play pubs and clubs. It's called getting out there, getting your music known and building a fanbase.
The difference now is we get all the money!

The Gudmen haven't even shopped a demo around to a label and already we've had two sound offers. One from the UK.

MJEX were on a small indy label but that doesn't take away from them as a group.

Like I said, if someone thinks I'm sh!t or what ever fair enough. I don't have a problem with a persons personal preferance. But don't tell me I'm **** because I rap with an Irish accent or because in your opinion people don't want to hear it. Tell me I'm sh!t because my flow is weak, tell me I'm sh!t because my rhymes are off time, tell me I'm **** because my wordplay is basic, tell me I'm sh!t because if I rap about a certain topic I go off on tangents but don't tell me I'm sh!t because I rap with MY accent.

Does Dre rap with a "Durty South" accent? No
Does KRS rap with a Compton accent? No

Does Collie rap with a Dublin accent? Yes
Does Rob Kelly rap with a Wexford accent? Yes
Do I rap with a Kildare Dublin tinged accent? Yes

Hip Hop more than any other artform is about "representing" where you're from, "keeping it real" as the cliché goes. As I've said here before, I'd rather be a real nobody than a fake somebody.

If you'd like to listen to some of The Gudmen stuff you can check out:
www.thegudmen.com
I have solo material on www.myspace.com/mcaycee or www.soundclick.com/aycee

The Gudmen are also on www.myspace.com/thegudmen and www.soundclick.com/thegudmen

Like I said man, if you think I'm sh!t for valid reasons I'm not going to argue with you one bit. Not to your taste? No problems here pal.

Dragan

Ay Cee wrote:

The main reason I didn't sign with Sony, aside from personal reasons is because they wanted to do to me basically what's been done to young Krisma now. Promote it based in no part on what I can do but on who I am.

Hey folks, to anyone thinking Sony is the be all and end all of music labels then listen to this guy.

Sony will 90% of the time sign an artist to what is called a "one album, development deal". What this means is that they will put the artist in the studio ( the studio costs will often come from the artists cut in any royalties ) and Sony will cover the producers and mixers as they will just use in house techs for the first album. The artist then gets a very small percentage in royalties and might do some tv time on small shows or something. If that record doesn't sell then bang, they are gone.

This happened to three acts that i know off, knowing members in the groups personnally. And granted they were in a very different genre to rap the same deal would normally apply. Anyone who thinks that all acts get signed up to nice cushy deals and instantly move into mansions is an idiot.

One of the acts refer to got a better deal with an American Independant than they did with Sony.

Collie Collins

Dragan wrote:

Anyone who thinks that all acts get signed up to nice cushy deals and instantly move into mansions is an idiot.

u said it buddy