Following recent controversy surrounding their statements in support of Palestine, the Irish rap trio have attracted support from Massive Attack, Fontaines D.C., Biig Piig and many more
Following the controversy surrounding their statements in support of Palestine at Coachella last month (April 2025), Irish rap trio Kneecap have sparked wider discussions about artistic freedom. In recent days, a number of high-profile artists have expressed their support for the group and criticised recent news that they are under investigation by UK counter terrorism police.
The controversy began with Kneecap’s Coachella performance, during which the group projected the words “Fuck Israel, free Palestine” on a screen behind them, but escalated when footage from two of the group’s prior performances were referred to the UK’s counter terrorism authorities last week. In one resurfaced video, a member of the group allegedly shouted “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a 2024 show in O2 Kentish Town, while another video filmed in 2023 depicted Kneecap shouting “the only good Tory is a dead Tory”. Responding on social media, the group argued that the footage had been “deliberately taken out of context” and apologised to the families of murdered MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess. Meanwhile, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch demanded that they be removed from the upcoming Glastonbury Festival lineup.
“The question of agreeing with Kneecap’s political views is irrelevant,” wrote the rap group’s label Heavenly Recordings on Instagram last night (April 30). “It is in the key interests of every artist that all creative expression be protected in a society that values culture, and that this interference campaign be condemned and ridiculed.” This statement moves beyond Kneecap’s initial efforts to raise awareness about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, positioning government threats against the group as a threat to freedom of expression itself. The post closes with a list of artists who support this message, including: Biig Piig, Jehlani Blackman, Idles, Bicep, Fontaines D.C., Lowkey, Kojaque, Primal Scream, Pulp, Sleaford Mods, Paul Weller, and more. Since posting the list, a number of additional figures have also expressed their support for the statement, including Jeremy Corbyn, French actor and former footballer Eric Cantona, Yard Act and DJ Paulette.
Yesterday (April 30), British trip-hop group Massive Attack also posted their own statement in support of Kneecap. “Do politicians and right-wing journalists strategically concocting moral outrage over the stage utterings of a young punk band, while simultaneously obfuscating or even ignoring a genocide happening in real time have any right to intimidate festival events into acts of political censorship?” the Mezzanine act asked. “Kneecap are not the story. Gaza is the story. Genocide is the story. And the silence, acquiescence and support of those crimes against humanity by the elected British government is the real story.” It’s worth noting that Massive Attack have long boycotted performances in Israel, and additionally refused to perform at Brighton’s Great Escape Festival in 2024 in protest of the event’s sponsor Barclays, which reportedly has investments in companies supplying arms to Israel.
Despite its significant shortcomings elsewhere, it is important to note how social media has played a key role in platforming these statements. While Kneecap’s initial comments in support of Palestine were censored from the Coachella live broadcast, they were able to successfully propel their message on their own channels, with their statement in response to the controversy accruing upwards of 300,000 likes on Instagram (the peak viewership during the Coachella 2025 live broadcast stood at roughly 400,000).
Elsewhere, Massive Attack’s post directly calls out attempts by mainstream media to steer the conversation away from the suffering of the Palestinian people. It’s an about-turn that reflects the shifting nature of the media landscape, with individuals now able to compete directly with legacy news outlets for engagement. The hope is that increasing awareness surrounding Israel’s onslaught on Palestine will lead to greater pressure on the UK government to push for sanctions against Netanyahu’s government, and increase support for aids organisations working in the affected regions.