As much as hip-hop music (rap) is a Black American construct, the globalization of this genre has not only allowed the transformation of the culture but also the importance of infusing indigenous elements. For anyone listening outside the UK, Irish rapper Malaki has etched his name in the Irish rap scene with his profound style, fusing his Irish roots with pop and hip-hop in a single breath.  His latest release, “Saoirse,” is a call to action and also a homage to the name and its liberating meaning. The title is a popular Irish name for women, which also means freedom, and Malaki embodies it with all his might. Bolstered by a heavy punk rock backdrop featuring electric guitar licks, rugged drums with booming basslines, the rapper explores pain, loss, childhood memories, happiness and ultimately freedom in the true sense of the word with lines like

“On the tracks of the train/What’s inside her is the masses of pain/But when you’re 16 only cared bout your mates/Didn’t care about my grades but a minute past 8 I was late/I was late”

The track is inspired by Malaki’s younger days spent in Dublin and finds him reflecting on the power of nostalgia, youthful exuberance and the yearning to be free of social and parental constraints, all constants that we can relate to.

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