Kneecap rappers on their unlikely big-screen stardom: ‘If we get an Oscar, we’ll go to Cash My Gold’
“I feel sorry for all these people who’ve spent thousands of pounds going to drama school,” muses Kneecap’s DJ Provai. His bandmate Mo Chara finishes his sentence. “They must be raging after getting all their daddy’s money – thirty grand for their diplomas, and we just mosey on in and maybe get nominated for an Oscar.”
DJ Provai and Mo Chara are two thirds of the republican Irish-language rap trio Kneecap, the unlikely followers of musical greats such as Freddie Mercury, Sir Elton John and Whitney Houston as the focus of a big-screen music biopic.
What’s rare about this one is they play themselves, despite having no previous acting experience – and are seeing their story brought to cinemas as relative newcomers, rather than after decades of mainstream success. “We know we’re very lucky because mostly [musicians] are dead whenever they get films made about them,” says Chara.
The bandmates play themselves in the film, also called Kneecap. Pic: Curzon Film
The band have smashed out of west Belfast and into headlines around the world – although not all positive. They were banned from Irish public service broadcaster RTE for their references to drug-taking, and criticised by some unionists and former British Tory government members for songs such as Brits Out (which they say is a tongue-in-cheek poke at government rule, not all British people – “it only meant British soldiers and the British state out of Ireland, to leave Ireland be in charge of its own affairs”, says Chara).
Likened to Trainspotting, 8 Mile and 24 Hour Party People by critics, the film also stars Irish-German actor and Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender. It started really as a bit of fun the band hoped would be enjoyed by their ever-growing music fanbase.
Expectations have been surpassed. In January, Kneecap won the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival, an internationally recognised showcase for independent cinema; earlier this month, the film was named as Ireland’s official submission for the best international feature film shortlist at the 2025 Oscars.
Kneecap goes to Hollywood?
Michael Fassbender stars as Moglai Bap’s father in the film. Pic: Curzon Film
“It gives the film real legitimacy, I think, for an international audience,” says Chara. “We’re obviously over the moon. I can’t wait to go and see all the pissed-up celebrities, hopefully, if we get to the Oscars.”
“Get the nice goody bag with the Rolex in it,” jokes Provai. “And if we get the Oscar, take it back to Cash My Gold, get it melted down, make some Claddagh rings for our fans.”
On screen, on stage, and in interview, Kneecap play for laughs. But theirs is a serious story, one that encompasses the impact of the Troubles on the generation of “ceasefire babies”, their desire for a united Ireland, a lack of opportunities for working-class people – or “low-life scum”, as they are called in the film – as well as the campaign to have the Irish language recognised in Northern Ireland.
Kneecap drew huge crowds to two sets at Glastonbury earlier this year. Pic: Sky News
Fewer than 6,000 people in the country speak Irish as their first language, according to the 2021 census. But numbers are rising, especially among younger people – and Kneecap and other artists and films that have brought the language to the fore in recent years have played no small part in this.
“We get loads of messages about it,” says Chara, who is speaking to Sky News on Zoom from just outside Belfast, alongside Provai. The third member of their trio, Moglai Bap, could not make the call. But in fact, Chara says, Bap received a message about this very subject that morning, from an old friend now having a baby. After watching the film, the decision has been made to send the child to an Irish-speaking school.
The film’s director Rich Peppiatt started taking classes himself after meeting the band. Earlier this month, Irish singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey said they had inspired him, too.
‘People think it’s a gimmick – it’s not’
Kneecap’s fanbase has been growing over the last few years. Pic: PA – Electric Picnic 2022
Chara says he feels happy to be having “any kind of effect” on future generations.
“I feel like it’s a duty we all kind of have now to keep the language alive, considering the families in the west of Ireland never started speaking English, they continued to speak Irish against all odds.”
“People think it’s some kind of gimmick,” adds Provai. “It’s not, this is the daily language we use, it’s how we communicate with each other.” When they first decided to make music – “a good way to get free tickets to Glastonbury and Electric Picnic and [other festivals]” – not rapping in Irish was never a consideration, “because that’s the way we live our lives”.
‘You don’t have to understand everything – just the vibe’
The Kneecap bandmates knew from the start it was “not a good business model, doing music in a language that nobody really speaks”, as Chara puts it. “You’re kind of shooting yourself in the foot there.” But business was never the point. “We just did it for us and for the craic at the start, and then there was a demand for it.”
They are signed to the independent Heavenly Recordings, “a proper label”, he says. You might imagine some industry bosses would have had thoughts on the mass appeal of their language choice. Heavenly never interfered. “We didn’t need to have the conversation… I’m sure major labels would have us doing songs in English, if they could.”
Plus, he adds, having two dictionaries to choose from when it comes to writing lyrics can make songwriting easier. “If we run out of words to rhyme it kind of opens up this whole other pathway, basically, in the brain. Also, you think differently. If you’re speaking in Irish, you’re in a different mindset than when you’re speaking English, in my opinion.”
Director Rich Peppiatt, actor Michael Fassbender and the Kneecap bandmates pictured at the UK premiere, opening the Sundance London Film Festival. Pic: PA
Chara cites K-pop stars BTS as perhaps the biggest example of how music has smashed through language barriers in recent years. “You don’t have to understand everything, you just understand the vibe of it… a lot of people understand our feel, the energy, at our gigs, rather than understanding the lyrics, and that’s perfectly fine with me.”
Now, he says, rapping in the Irish language has opened more doors than it’s closed. “It’s niche and I think people are into niche things now. I listen to Arabic hip-hop and don’t understand a word of it. It just sounds good.”
Kneecap, the film, is out now. Next stop, more touring – and then, potentially, the Oscars.
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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial judge dismisses juror after five weeks of evidence – over ‘concerns about his candour’
A juror has been dismissed from the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex-trafficking trial after hearing five weeks of evidence.
Judge Arun Subramanian said he had “concerns” about the jury member’s “candour” and made the decision after it emerged the man – Juror 6 – had given inconsistent answers about where he lives.
This could indicate he potentially had an agenda, that he wanted to be on the panel hearing the Combs trial for a purpose, the judge said, and there was nothing the juror could say that would “put the genie back in the bottle”.
Diddy trial: Day 24 – as it happened
Combs hugged one of his lawyers as he arrived in the courtroom. Pic: Reuters/ Jane Rosenberg
Questions over whether the juror, a black male, resided in New York or across the Hudson River in the state of New Jersey first arose at the end of last week – but defence lawyers argued dismissing him would disrupt the diversity of the jury.
However, the judge rejected this argument ahead of the start of Monday’s court session, excusing the juror and replacing him with one of the alternates, a white male.
A review of the juror’s answers to questions about his residency during jury selection, along with his subsequent responses to similar questions, revealed “clear inconsistencies”, the judge said.
“Taking these all together, the record raised serious concerns as to the juror’s candour and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the jury,” Judge Subramanian said.
Leaving the juror on the panel could threaten the integrity of the judicial process, he added.
“The court should not, indeed cannot, let race factor into the decision of what happens. Here, the answer is clear. Juror number six is excused,” Judge Subramanian said.
Special agent and paralegal testify
Following the juror’s dismissal, the sixth week of the trial began – with testimony from a paralegal specialist and a special agent, who both gave evidence as summary witnesses.
This means they were not involved in the criminal investigation into Combs, but were tasked with reviewing some evidence, including charts, phone records and data. In court, the aim is to provide context to the testimony heard so far and how it relates to the charges against the hip-hop mogul.
During paralegal specialist Ananya Sankar’s testimony, the court heard about texts appearing to reference “freak offs” – sexual encounters with male escorts which former girlfriends Cassie Ventura and “Jane”, two of three alleged victims to give evidence during the trial, both say Combs forced them into.
Cassie was in an on-off relationship with Combs from 2007 to 2018, while Jane – a pseudonym – dated him on and off from the beginning of 2021 to his arrest in September 2024.
Cassie Ventura gave evidence against Combs during the first week of the trial in May. Pic: Reuters/ Jane Rosenberg
Chicken soup and $4,000 cash
In messages from March 2016, Combs’s then chief of staff Kristina Khorram appeared to ask an assistant to set a hotel room up, with items requested including Gatorade, water and chicken noodle soup. “He wants you to go right away now please,” a message said.
In another text, Khorram asked workers to fetch $4,000 in cash and to ensure a male escort was given access to the hotel room, the court heard.
The court also heard about messages sent around the time of the bombshell civil lawsuit filed against Combs by Cassie in November 2023 – which was settled within 24 hours for a then undisclosed sum, revealed to be $20m during the trial.
By this time, Combs was seeing Jane. According to an audio file of a conversation, Jane told Combs after finding out about Cassie’s lawsuit: “I don’t know what I’m feeling… this is so word for word, it is crazy and it just feels sick to my stomach.”
On 28 November 2023, about two weeks later, Jane told Combs she felt he exploited her with their “dark and humiliating lifestyle”.
The following month, the court heard Jane said in a message to Khorram: “He said he would expose me and send videos to my baby daddy… I am traumatised by my time with him.”
Diddy at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2023. Pic: Evan Agostini/ Invision/ AP
Jane said she would not normally involve Khorram in such matters, but told her she needed help as Combs was having one of his “evil-ass psychotic bipolar” episodes.
Jane told Khorram that she was heavily drugged in the tapes.
Although it was not clear exactly what she was referencing, a message sent to Combs by Khorram around the time of the lawsuit seemed to show some friction between the pair.
“If you cannot be honest with me this doesn’t work,” she told him, according to the messages. Combs “keeping things” to himself put them in the “situation we are all in right now”, she added.
Towards the end of the court day, videos entered into evidence under seal were played by the prosecution. This means the jury and lawyers could see and hear what was happening, but members of the public in court could not.
Read more:
Everything you need to know about the trial
The rise and fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
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Prosecutors have said they expect to conclude their case later this week. After this, Combs’s defence team will begin theirs.
Last week, Kanye West turned up at the court in Manhattan, New York, to support the rapper, spending about 40 minutes in the building watching proceedings on a monitor in an overflow room.
Combs’s mother, Janice Combs, and several of his children have also consistently shown up throughout the hearing.
Diddy denies charges of sex-trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy.
The trial continues.
Liam Gallagher has criticised a Scottish council for suggesting Oasis fans were “drunk, middle-aged and fat”.
The remarks were revealed following a freedom of information request that was sent to Edinburgh council – ahead of the band’s three sold-out shows in Scotland this August.
The documents expressed concerns that the Oasis Live ’25 tour would clash with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – the world’s largest performance arts festival.
Liam Gallagher (left) and Noel Gallagher. Pic: PA
One note warned that there would be a “substantial amount of older fans”, and that because “middle-aged men take up more room”, age and size should be considered in crowd control planning.
Another note suggested “medium to high intoxication” should be expected at the concert.
An additional remark said there was some “concern about crowds of Oasis on weekends as they are already rowdy, and the tone of the band”.
The Fringe is one of the world’s largest performance arts festivals. File pic: PA
It also expressed concern for the “safety” at the Edinburgh Fringe – including for its performers.
“Many performers are considering not attending for that weekend,” one note read.
Liam Gallagher was not impressed – and left the following message for the council on his social media.
“To the Edinburgh council I’ve heard what you said about Oasis fans and quite frankly your attitude f****** stinks I’d leave town that day if I was any of you lot.”
In a second post, he said: “I’d love to see a picture of all the people on the Edinburgh council bet there’s some real stunning individuals.”
Liam Gallagher said the council’s attitude towards fans ‘stinks’. Pic: AP
David Walker, from the Oasis Collectors Group, has described the comments as “a nasty, sneering stereotype”.
“It’s a jaundiced view,” he added.
Local councillor Margaret Graham said that it is usual practice for the council to “prepare extensively” for major city events.
The culture and communities convener also said: “We’re very proud to host the biggest and best events in Edinburgh throughout the year, which bring in hundreds of millions of pounds to the local economy and provide unparalleled entertainment for our residents and visitors.
“As with any major event which takes place in the city, we prepare extensively alongside our partners to ensure the safety and best possible experience of everyone involved – and Oasis are no different.”
Noel Gallagher (left) and Liam Gallagher at Wembley Stadium in 2008. Pic: PA
Around 210,000 fans are expected to attend the three Edinburgh gigs.
Oasis made their comeback announcement in August last year – ahead of the 30th anniversary of their debut album Definitely Maybe, released on 29 August 1994.
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Liam and Noel Gallagher’s return also marks 15 years since the last time the brothers performed together before their infamous fallout – which was prompted by a backstage brawl before a Paris festival in August 2009.
Liam damaged one of his elder brother’s guitars, causing Noel to dramatically quit – ending the partnership that had propelled them to fame and fortune.
“It is with some sadness and great relief… I quit Oasis tonight,” Noel later said in a statement. “People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.”
The feud continued over the years, with the pair exchanging insults publicly – Liam on social media, Noel more when asked about his brother in interviews – but reportedly never speaking in person.
When his documentary As It Was was released in 2019, Liam told Sky News he had wanted to “break [Noel’s] jaw” after he apparently refused permission for Oasis music to be featured in the film.
But after 15 years, they have now made amends – giving thousands of Oasis fans the chance to see them play live once again.
Their top hits include Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back In Anger, Stand By Me, Lyla and The Importance of Being Idle.
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