Rí Rá

Posted on 21st May 09 by Paddy Murphy | 5

Irish hip-hop has had an unjustifiable stigma labelled over it for quite a while but hopefully that’s all about to change with the current crop of rappers appearing on the live circuit up and down the country. Former Scary Éire frontman RíRá is without doubt Ireland’s greatest rapper with almost everyone in the current scene citing him as an influence. Drop-d was in an terribly nervous state when he agreed to the interview…… never talk to your heroes, or so they say…..

His old group Scary Éire have long been held in high esteem since their hay-day in the 90′s. The album was shelved by the record company (bastards!) and didn’t see the light of day until 2007, after a twelve year wait. How and ever RíRá is back with his debut solo record Horses Work for Donkey’s Wages, Drop-d had a chat with him about the simply awesome album (seriously it’s one of the best hip-hop records I’ve ever heard), the Irish hip-hop scene and the best weed he’s ever smoked.

Drop-d: Congrads on the new record, it’s been tearing up my iPod since I got it. Obviously you’re happy with it, how long was it a work-in-progress? Give it a plug and tell us about everyone involved?

RíRá: I’ve been trying to put an album together for a while now but most of the tracks that ended up on there were written and recorded in about three months. There’s a couple of songs seven or eight years old, but all the tracks went through the same process before the final result so they all sound up to scratch. I’ve got Exile Eye and Alias Irish on a track, both reigning from Cork. The Rubber Bandits from Limerick do a skit. Mek and Tuki on the cuts. Great production from a Waterford based producer called Mook. Brothers Joe and Richie play live. A girl from Dublin, with one of the greatest voices I’ve ever heard, called Íse. And the RaggamanBob throws his wisdom on there, it’s a solid mix of artists.

The Irish accent is loved worldwide, we shouldn’t disguise it

Drop-d: What are you gonna do to promote the record man, got any gigs lined up that we should be going to?
RíRá: I want to get the album out and about there first, but everything’s ready to go now. I’ve got a few top musicians on rotation, it’s working well. I should be out gigging shortly.

Drop-d: “Horses Work for Donkey’s Wages” The Rí-session, how many titles had you come up with before you settled on this?
RíRá: “Horses Work For Donkeys Wages” was something I wrote down in my teens, even before I came up with ‘ScaryÉire‘. I was always gonna use that title for something, it’s still relevant today, probably more so. It sums up the working class day to day. The Rí session is a sub title for what the album is, not because of the times.

Drop-d: It’s a bit of a hard one to answer but where do you take all your inspiration from?
RíRá: Apart from all the great music, I take inspiration from meeting different people. I love different accents, different slang. There’s so many languages within a language. The dialects in Ireland alone are so varied, it’s the reason we’ve produced some of the greatest writers ever known. We don’t need to go too far to hear the most imaginative statements, most of them come from a direct translation of Gaelic, that’s how poetic the Irish language is, and that’s why nobody uses the English language like we do. So for me every conversation is lyrical fodder.

Drop-d: What and who got you into hip-hop in the first place. Who were your biggest influences in those years? Do you still listen to those groups?
RíRá: Some of the earliest rap tunes I heard would’ve been Melle Mel, The Sugarhill Gang, I still listen to those records, they’re timeless. Rakim was always a favourite. Big Daddy Kane, KRS. The first real change of direction for me came when I heard the London Posse. They were chatting ’bout every day things going on this side of the world, in their own accents. That’s when I first started writing about things relevant to me, rather than just battle rhyme styles, ya know.

Drop-d: Something many people admire you for is that you absolutely refuse to rap in a different accent to your own. It must piss you off to hear young rappers spitting in fake yank/brit accents?
RíRá: To be honest the only Irish rappers I’ve heard with fake American accents these days are just starting out. It depends on who you’re listening to when your learning, your obviously gonna want to sound like someone you like the sound of, but you need to be true to yourself, record it, listen back, that’s not you. The Irish accent is loved worldwide, we shouldn’t disguise it. The only one I’ve heard with a fake British accent is Terry Wogan, or is that fake Irish?

Drop-d: Who are you listening to in the scene?
RíRá: I’ve been listening to the The Rubber Bandits a lot, I think they’re fuckin’ deadly, best thing I’ve heard in about 15 years. Funny as fuck, with the sharpest wit your likely to hear. They should have they’re own TV show, they gave one to Ed Byrne for Christ’s sake.

Drop-d: New groups are bringing Irish hip-hop to new audiences like Super Extra Bonus Party, Rubberbandits both bring a sense of fun and partying (they appear on a skit on your record) and Captain Moonlight brings some political commentary, but you’re still here RíRá and what are you gonna keep bringing to the ring to show everyone that you’re still the godfather of Irish hip-hop?
RíRá: ‘The Godfather of Irish Hip Hop’?, c’mawn man, get a grip. I’ll put my hand up to being the longest running Irish MC still doing it, that’s true, but Godfather?, although I do share my birthday with James Brown, maybe that’s the link? Really though, I’m looking forward to recording again. I’m not sure what direction it’ll take me next, but I’ll go with it.

I’m happy enough to come through it almost intact with the experience and the knowledge that fame is the loneliest past time

Drop-d: When you got into hip-hop which one/two artists made you think to yourself “fuck, i could do that”?
RíRá: The Fat Boys beatboxer…..ha ha. No seriously, I never listened to someone and thought “fuck, I could do that”, I used to rap along to Steady B and think “fuck, I’m doing it”….

Drop-d: You love the reefer? What’s the best smoke you’re ever smoked?
RíRá: I’d have to say ‘Green Blue Berry‘. It leaves you talking to yourself for hours and tastes like jam, perfect.

Drop-d: Paddies & Biddies, is something that no other Irish rapper can ever use now because you’ve stamped it as your own, was that intentional. Like we all call ourselves Paddies, but where did the Biddies come from? Did you have a thing for Biddy in Glenroe? Ha!
RíRá: You don’t know any Biddies?

Drop-d: Right let’s get serious now man, how is Irish hip-hop gonna cross over into the mainstream? Do you want it to? Or will some pop-hop come along and the good stuff will just stay underground and maintain it’s high standard?
RíRá: I think an Irish Kanye or Jay-Z is inevitable, some poor gobshite’s gonna fall for the dollar, next thing ya know, we’ve got a rapping Hal Roach. But there’s enough solid talent here to maintain the credibility. I’m waiting for some MC to come along and blow everything off the surface, it’ll happen, we’re known for it.

Drop-d: In Scary’s hayday, you must have felt that ye were on the cusp of a massively important wave but then the record didn’t come and it didn’t happen….looking back now, would ye have done anything differently?
RíRá: No, wouldn’t change a single thing. We got to live like the other half do for a while, but if we were living like that ’round the clock, fuck, I don’t think I’d be here to tell the tale. I’m happy enough to come through it almost intact with the experience and the knowledge that fame is the loneliest past time.

Drop-d: Finally RíRá, what’s next man? Where do you wanna be musically in the coming years? Will there be more material coming in the next few years?
RíRá: Well, I live for the now, and right now I’m still writing, so as long as it keeps coming to me I’ll keep releasing it, I have to. They say your either in it for life or for a laugh, I’m in it for both.

RíRá’s album, ”Horses Work for Donkey’s Wages” The Rí-session is available from myspace.com/maddaxxe and from Freebird Records, Temple Bar, Dublin.

RíRá Myspace

Scary Éire Myspace