Kneecap, a popular Irish hip-hop trio, have found themselves in hot water after footage emerged of them telling fans to ‘kill their local MP’ and that ‘the only good Tory MP is a dead one’.
The West Belfast-born group make music predominantly about anti-colonial sentiment, rapping in a mixture of Irish and English and being outspoken critics of the British government.
As a result of the controversy, which has been a major news story in the last week, some fans have come across a film starring the trio as themselves that can be watched on major streaming networks in the UK and US.
Where did the Kneecap controversy come from?
Kneecap drew attention recently after broadcasting the words ‘Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people’ at Coachella.
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A message displayed during their set read: “It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crime”, as well as "F*ck Israel / Free Palestine."
This came just a day after their attempts to broadcast a similar message had led to the festival cutting the feed for their performance and leading chants of ‘Maggie’s in a Box’, referring to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
While the band received backlash for their statements on Palestine, with names such as Sharon Osbourne speaking out against them, it was met with rapturous applause by a young crowd at Coachella that were largely pro-Palestine.
This, however, led to videos resurfacing of the group making far more controversial statements.
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One, from November of last year, saw band member yelling ‘Up Hamas, up Hezbollah’ at a gig, both of whom are recognised as terrorist organisations in the UK.
A second, from November 2023, saw the group saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”
What has the reaction been like to Kneecap's statements?
The group have faced criticism from both the government and members of the opposition, notably Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
This was not Badenoch’s first clash with the Irish band; he previously pulled funding for the group, leading to them sue the British government and winning. She took to Twitter to denounce the group and their statements.
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In addition to this, families of murdered MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess have called on the group to apologise for their statements.
The group issued an apology to social media, specifically apologising to the families of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess and affirming that they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah.
Kneecap did however stand firm in their belief that ‘establishment figures desperate to silence [Kneecap] have combed through hours of footage and interviews, extracting a handful of words from months or years ago to manufacture moral hysteria’.
The band’s apology was not met well by the families of Cox and Amess however, with Jo Cox’s husband and Sir David Amess’ daughter both calling for personal apologies from the group.
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In addition to this, the band have had gigs cancelled in Germany as well as by the Eden Project as a result of their comments.
Fans finding Kneecap movie following the controversy
One unexpected side effect from the situations has been fans coming across the film Kneecap.
Starring Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí as themselves, the film follows their formation as a band, focusing particularly on their work to keep the Irish language alive.
One fan tweeted shortly after the controversy began, giving the film a five star review saying: “Kneecap (Netflix) is a particularly interesting watch with Sinners dominating pop culture rn.
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“But to the person who tweeted about this film, I hope all the good things that happen in life, happen to you.”
The film received a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes with Mark Kermode saying: “In the great pantheon of pop biopics, I think this is one of the most distinctive offerings.”
Kneecap is available to watch on Netflix in the US and on Prime Video in the UK.
Topics: Film, Politics, TV and Film, UK News
Michael Slavin