RISING IRISH HIP-HOP ARTIST USNA SHARES NEW TRACK ‘REPRESENT’
LISTEN HERE / WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
If you’ve been sleeping on Irish hip-hop, now’s the time to sit up and pay attention as USNA drops his brand new track ‘REPRESENT’. Teasers for the tracks have ignited interest in the independent, underground artist, with fans comparing the track to the likes of Tyler, The Creator, Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem.
‘REPRESENT’ commands a place amongst such artists, with USNA infusing a core alternative hip-hop sound with the vibrant warmth of live saxophone and piano – and as he has joked on social media, dropping sax into a hip-hop track feels like a cheat code for making a hit. Between his slick flow and his soulful melodic vocals, USNA’s voice more than matches his production skills as he reflects on leaving his small hometown and a country where hip-hop is a relatively niche concern for the bright lights and bustling streets of London. It’s a track that’s nostalgic for everything that he has left behind, but also optimistic for what may come next.
USNA says, “‘REPRESENT’ embodies the universal experience of leaving behind the familiar in pursuit of personal growth and self-discovery. It’s a reflective journey that I think many people will be able to relate to – of rediscovering the innocence of youth while navigating the complexities of adulthood. I hope ‘REPRESENT’ offers a unique perspective on the Irish childhood experience.”
USNA goes back to his roots with the accompanying video, which was filmed in and around Enniskillen. It’s a snapshot of a typical Northern Irish youth experience: biking around the rain-drenched countryside, driving aimlessly around town, and drinking pints of Guinness in the local pub. It’s a keeping-it-real video made in typically enterprising DIY fashion, with USNA calling in favours from some of his talented friends to help bring it to life. Watch the video HERE.
‘REPRESENT’ gets a new era underway for USNA, a 24-year-old originally from County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. Last year he dropped his debut mixtape ‘OOSHNA’ (a reference to the phonetic pronunciation of his name) and its lead track, ‘BOO’, achieved a first wave of attention. The track was named as a BBC Introducing Track of the Week before landing Radio 1 airplay from Jack Saunders and Gemma Bradley, his growing reputation leading to a set at Radio 1’s Big Weekend. It also featured in the second season of ‘One of Us Is Lying’, a Netflix series from ‘Elite’ co-creator Darío Madrona.
Following that encouraging introduction, USNA relocated to London to seek new opportunities while also working relentlessly on a new catalogue of songs from the sanctuary of his bedroom studio to fire up the next chapter of his career. ‘REPRESENT’ is only the beginning. It’s the title track from his upcoming EP, a set of first hand stories that emerge like a mini memoir with a sound leaning into live instrumentation and especially his classical training in piano. He also hopes that it can inspire other creatives in Ireland to follow their passions, particularly those in genres that the country isn’t so well known for.
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