Kelly strikes a chord with election rap

WHAT’S billed as Ireland’s first election rap song has already become an internet sensation.

Labour’s European election candidate in Ireland South, Senator Alan Kelly, will launch the four-minute rap in Cork at 10am this morning on Lapp’s Quay boardwalk.

Titled Don’t Make The Wrong Choice – Vote Alan Kelly, it went live on the internet – on Facebook, YouTube and on Kelly’s own election website alankelly.ie – at about 10am yesterday.

Within two hours, it had registered more than 200 hits.

Kelly’s backroom team said it will not be released to radio stations. They are instead hoping that its popularity will grow through online communities.

Written and performed by Cork DJ Garry McCarthy (GMC) with State of Jay, the catchy ditty slates Fianna Fáil’s performance on jobs and the economy.

It urges people to tell Fianna Fáil candidates to “go home when they knock on your doors”.

“See their name, Fianna Fáil; no fada, spells Fianna fail,” GMC says.

“Where’s the money, the jobs and the tiger, we need a politician with the mind of MacGyver,” he continues before urging people to vote Labour and vote Alan Kelly.

The rap also highlights Kelly’s pledges on job creation, and on securing EU funding to support Irish business.

Kelly and McCarthy are good friends and when the DJ offered to lend his support, Kelly jumped at the chance.

“It is a very entertaining, humorous song but with a very serious message portraying the anger that many people are feeling but also looking at using Europe as a mechanism to create jobs, so that we can get ourselves out of this recession,” said Senator Kelly.

“GMC has done an amazing job getting to the heart of a real issue in a way that is entertaining to young people who would not always have an interest in political matters.”