Homegrown rapper Rebel Phoenix has been keeping busy since late last year. In December he shared a new track called ‘Transcendant 2.0′, a hi-hat heavy trap beat produced by Sheltr, a follow up to his new EP ‘The Jackpot’. He’s also been slowly teasing his new LP…

Ahead of his gig this coming Friday (August 11), Rebel Phoenix sat down for a cold one while outside the city was crammed in construction work and heavy rain.

Enjoying a string of gigs, Rebel P notes it reflects a push in the scene. More are picking up on the Irish scene than ever before, and gigs “seem to be happening all the time. I’m doing a gig a week, standard.”

Gigs are being held in numerous venues around the city, so “it’s not just one spot for hip hop.” Spelling good news, he tells me “it’s hard to keep track of them all.”

Though he’s reluctant to share a release date for his upcoming album, DMTNT, for the added pressure that would bring, he says it’s coming soon.

“My first two albums were strictly boom bap, so I was thinking with this album I’m just going to do strictly trap beats, that kind of vibe.”

Once this album is released, he assures me he has “loads of boom bap in the chamber,” so expect another EP in the near future.
Rebel P tells me his music comes from “the grittier side.” In his words, he just needs a dope beat and he’s all about the lyrics.

“It’s just pure honest, and it’s raw, and it’s gully, and it’s explicit.”

The album, he says, is almost finished. ‘DMTNT’ stands for Dead Men Tell No Tales, and he says there are a “few meanings in there. DMT of the brain. TNT, blow that shit”.

In terms of mad stories at gigs, he laughs and says “it’s hard to fuckin’ remember.” Pausing, he looks thoughtful: “The craziest shit that’s happened? I can’t even think of one thing, man. Crazy shit usually goes down after the gigs, but that’s probably too explicit.”

District premiered the third single off of his forthcoming album ‘D.M.T.N.T.’ at the end of July, click here to listen to ‘Live Like That’.

Hosted by FlutterTone, Friday’s gig is held in the Sound House at the Wiley Fox, and is €5 entry. Click here for more.

Photos by Jack Farrell