In recent years, Irish hip-hop has exploded in both popularity and creativity, forging an identity beyond simply rapping in Irish accents. A large part of that is owed to the tireless work of local rapper God Knows and his Narolane label, a highly prolific outlet catching a lot of attention. A prime example is “Water”, which he released collaboratively with Denise Chaila and MuRli, but today the label co-founder is ready with his own release, “Glory”, which which features South African-born, Kerry-raised soul singer Senita Appiakorang.
Produced by God Knows’ brother, Godwin Jonas, “Glory” combines hip-hop with a swirl of South African influences, including Amapiano, jazz and deep house. It’s the perfect bed for both artists’ contrasting styles; GK’s light-footed flow fits well on the jumpy club rhythms and Senita’s room-filling, almost euphoric vocals were purpose-built for the SA club energy.
For the visuals, GK’s called on another Narolane member, director Stephen Hall. Calling to mind the turn-of-the-millennium days when music videos were recorded from TV and rewatched on VHS with, let’s be honest, mixed results. It’s lo-fi, but there’s a mercurial glamour and richness that’s hard to define. A glorious rush of nostalgia for anyone old enough to remember the pre-YouTube days.
Speaking on the video, director Stephen Hall comments: “I wanted to create something that was authentically God Knows, and something that had subtle nods to his previous music videos, whilst forging a new path for his Narolane journey. It was such an incredible experience shooting this music video. I’ve never had a shoot where people listened to the song on repeat between takes when the camera wasn’t rolling, just because they couldn’t get enough of it.”
Hit play on the visuals at the top and make sure you add “Glory” to all your playlists.
