The second single ‘Departed feat. Tony Bontana‘ from the upcoming ‘Irish Hash Mafia‘ mixtape sees Rory Sweney link with legendary Birmingham MC and producer, Tony Bontana on an emotionally charged track, fit with lush harp samples and chopped and screwed vocals.
Tony is equal parts infectious and adventurous in his collaboration with this project, and blurs the lines between psychedelia, punk, rap and experimental music while carving out his own territory in the underground along the way.
Bontana’s charged production with its intensely manipulated samples and hypnotic beats has made for more than 30 brilliant albums of his own and countless production credits for everyone from the cryptic hip-hop of Cities Aviv and billy woods to the bombastic cloud rap of Lil B, smooth sounds with Grime veteran Novelist and Goya Gumbani’s meditative jazz rap – no matter who he’s working alongside, Bontana’s fluid sound slots him comfortably anywhere he goes.
Irish Hash Mafia (to be released 17th May 2024) will make Hip Hop history this year as the first mixtape showcasing the versatility of Irish rap today. Produced over 2 years, the album is a love letter to Memphis rap projects, and the collectives that were formed from 90’s-00’s like Three 6 Mafia and 10 Wanted Men.
Ireland has not yet seen a similar underground movement in rap culture, with artists such as Curtisy, Ahmed, With Love., EMBY and Rory Sweeney paving ways for next generations of MC’s and producers through wide ranging and experimental sounds, humour and collaboration. As noted by Curtisy’s interview with John Barker (Tilt) ‘there’s room for everyone’.
On Sunday 26th May, to celebrate the release of the project, the IHM will be hosting a listening party in the Button Factory with DJ MOONCUP on support, and solo sets from Curtisy (his first Dublin show since touring his #1 album ‘What Was The Question’) and legendary MC Tony Bontana. There will be a live performance of the full ‘Irish Hash Mafia’ album with all the collaborators involved: Curtisy, Ahmed, With Love, Yeire13, EMBY, Tony Bontana, Rory Sweeney, Keanu The Pilot, Smokey, Owin, Lonely Chap and E THE ARTIST. This is a once off show, so if you miss it, you miss it forever.
General Sale via Eventbrite.
Presave Irish Hash Mafia now for an early listen before it drops next Friday May 17th.
