In a column for RTÉ, Darragh MacManus argues that Ireland holds one of the strongest and most vibrant music scenes globally, driven by an astonishing amount of talent within the domestic rap genre.
MacManus highlights three emerging acts leading this musical wave: deathtoricky, SKAGABOO, and Curtisy. The critic first encountered deathtoricky performing live at Pawn Shop in May 2025. With only four singles on Spotify at the time, the artist delivered a concise, high-energy set that defined his catalog.
“Here for a good time, not a long time,” describes the ethos of deathtoricky’s tracks, which typically clock in under two minutes. His self-produced EP, pre life, opens with the track ‘lemon haze’ and blends ethereal synths with jerk-style beats and braggadocious lyrical claims.
SKAGABOO unites Enniscorthy’s Lil Skag and the D12 drifter Sugabooo. “I used to get catfished on Viber / I used to put tunes out on WhatsApp,” Sugabooo told RTÉ regarding his early methods of sharing music. Their self-titled debut EP includes tracks such as ‘Carrick-On-Shannon’ and ‘LAVA’, featuring beddyminaj. Meanwhile, Dublin rapper Curtisy anchors the country’s introspective rap output.
Following minimal soul samples on WHAT WAS THE QUESTION and haunted undertones on BEAUTY IN THE BEAST, his latest project Get a Life! features production from owin. The album explores mature themes, notably on the track ‘Sonny’, where the artist reflects on life lessons for his younger nephew. MacManus points to this honesty as the defining feature of the new generation shaping Irish hip-hop.
Worth a look