Cork's new soul generation: Stevie G presents a showcase of the city's emerging talents
Among the artists on the bill for the gig presented by Stevie G, right, are, from top: Blakkheart, King Koko and AbbieLee.
The rise of hip-hop, R&B and related genres have brought an eclectic mix of sounds to the Irish scene. There are few artists better acquainted with this diverse range than Cork producer and singer Eimear O’Sullivan, aka Blakkheart.
She’s part of a big all-ages showcase this Saturday in Cork’s Fitzgerald’s Park, curated by Cork DJ/broadcaster Stevie G as part of the Magic Nights by the Lee series.
It’s still very much a weird time to be creating and releasing music, but for O’Sullivan, her creative process was unburdened from the weight of expectation and normality.
“Before lockdown, I think a part of me felt like ‘I'm not a functional member of society, because the way I work is not really in line with what your life is supposed to be, it's different, it's not as predictable’," says O'Sullivan, who recently released a new single, From a Dream.
"So then, when lockdown happened, and you couldn't do anything, I realised, okay, there isn't one way to live. The way you live, and the way your structure is, and what you chose to do is actually fine. So that actually cleared up a lot of bandwidth in my mind.”
While not residing specifically within hip-hop, O’Sullivan’s beat-driven work has its roots within the Leeside beats-and-bars scene - which might have something to do with the warm welcome she’s received in genre circles.
“Cork hip-hop was my first introduction to the Irish music scene. I think I was 15 or 16, and prior to that, I didn't even know the Irish music scene existed, because a lot of music I listened to was from the US, and it was primarily US hip hop.
“One of my friends used to listen to GMC and Bony and Ian Ring, and then they were being played on RedFM. And I was like, 'this is amazing. I can't believe that this is where I live.' That's where my interest in it started.”
From that environment comes Stevie Grainger - for many years a passionate advocate for the Irish oeuvre as its early, awkward roots became a growing and reaching tree of sounds and stories.
Bringing together his vast musical experience, including as a longtime genre specialist with RedFM, with his inclination for social outreach work and the power of music to affect it, Grainger has long used his abilities and reach to platform younger talent. It’s no surprise that young singers Meghan Murray and Minnie Marley are front and centre in the line-up.
“The Good Room [promoters] asked me to present a lineup, and we kept it local. There's so many artists that we could have picked, but I picked a very strong lineup, and everyone I wanted was on it.
“Some of them are from more of an afrobeats, dancehall scene, there's hip hop, soul, r&b... there is an overriding vibe to the lineup. It's just a good lineup of a good selection of people who aren't really probably getting the platform at the moment.”
The gig comes together as Grainger is launching a platform for hip-hop and soul in Cork, entitled The New Skool. Grainger emphasises the importance of a central, accessible platform for young talent in a genre that’s still rising in the Irish mainstream - as well as providing information on various issues.
“I just wanted to just start something from scratch again, really, as a widespread platform. With GMC, we're working with loads of kids, we're working with [young rapper] Abdul over in Gaza. There's also other stuff: I want to do proper workshops, but I might even break it into more soluble ways of doing it like TikTok.
“It's aimed at kids and teens, younger people in their 20s. You're not only educating them about hip-hop, but also about stuff from a racial relations perspective, consent, the environment, sexism, Traveller visibility - that would be the ultimate aim."
- Stevie G Presents… happens at 2pm on Saturday August 28 at Fitzgerald’s Park, as part of The Good Room’s Magic Nights by the Lee series. Free tickets are booked out
- Jena Keating: An emerging R&B singer flying home from London for her very first gig, Jena Keating is also a stark voice for social change - including a 2018 protest on consent on Patrick Street in the wake of the Belfast rugby trial.
- Minnie Marley: Equally comfortable in the realms of afrobeat and dancehall as in the Venn diagrams of hip-hop, Minnie Marley could well be the singular artist that helps define the Irish voice in that space - collaborations with producer Billy GRC and Irish rappers like Dubzeno have showcased her range and command of the sound.
- King Koko: “King Koko can flow between drill and other, more traditional rap styles, and she’s got bars to burn,” says Grainger. No higher praise for the young, Cork-based wordsmith, then.
- Sam Healy: At 16 years old, Sam Healy already has his first EP under his belt, ‘Cherry Cola’, utilising a wizardry with guitar to build simple but soulful pop songs. He’s also featured in a few collaborative efforts locally, and has featured in Stevie’s recent TEST SITE showcase gig among Covid-era live showings.
- AbbiLee: AbbiLee Oluchi is a young soul & R&B artist based in Cork, who, along with King Koko, is currently under Stevie G’s wing as part of the New Skool platform.
- Meghan Murray: Having impressed with early singles and recently completed her studies in music, Meghan Murray looks set to make a distinct impression - first EP ‘Out of Mind’ was greeted with a warm critical reception.
