Politically driven rapper hits critical and commercial spot

Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

Despite the emergence of major acts like Rejjie Snow and Denise Chaila in recent years, Irish hip hop stills feel fresh-faced and romantic. There are fewer expectations or tropes to conform to because, by in large, we are still coming up with concrete definitions for the genre.

It’s an ambiguity and a freedom of expression that has facilitated artists that would rather shy away from specific labels and assumptions – some of whom, like Dublin rapper JyellowL, seem capable of generating critical and commercial acclaim with a sound that is uniquely their own.

Boasting an emphatic flow and a floating, variable cadence, JyellowL, or Jean-Luc Uddoh, is as capable of writing impassioned, socially conscious anthems as he is intimate, personal verses – often he blurs the lines between the two.

His debut album, Division 2020, was released last November and received the established nod of a Choice Prize nomination.

It was mainstream recognition for an artist that pours himself into everything he does and he has finally been able to schedule an appropriate celebration for the debut LP with a national tour planned for the end of the year. On October 14, he is booked to play Galway’s Róisín Dubh.

“I’ve been looking forward to playing the album live since before it was released,” Jean-Luc admits.

“We had to keep rescheduling and looking at the best possible way to make it happen. We’ve been able to lock some dates in for the end of the year and I’m just excited to be able to experience the album with people in real life.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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