Warning: This article contains language some readers may find offensive.
Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap are no strangers to controversy, as evidenced by their recent legal woes, which eventually saw the charges against member Mo Chara dropped, with the UK government losing its appeal.
However, beyond the headlines, they can back up their engaged verve with artistic mastery, as their new album ‘Fenian’ can attest.
However, Transport For London (TfL) doesn’t seem to be letting them off the hook.
The band’s manager has said that the posters for ‘Fenian’ had to be censored as the local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London would not allow them.
Daniel Lambert has claimed that they had to censor the promotional posters, which originally featured the album artwork, the title, and review pull quotes – including one from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who branded Kneecap as “completely intolerable”.
Lambert revealed on X that the design was not permitted by TfL and that they had to submit amended versions that censored both the word ‘Fenian’ and the Keir Starmer’s name.
TfL shared a statement with Belfast Telegraph, claiming that they had only ever received the censored version, and did not ask the band’s management to make any adjustments.
“The redacted style of the poster reflects the version that was submitted to us for approval. We did not request any changes to the artwork before the current advertising campaign commenced,” a TfL spokesperson told the outlet.
However, Lambert claims that the band was rejected when they put forward the non-censored design.
“The company we book London tube ads with confirmed our original artwork was NOT accepted by TFL & ‘FENIAN’ had to be removed,” he wrote. “We then provided a redacted poster – took a week for approval and deadlines missed. Delay was then TFL making the decision to even approve redacted one.”
Lambert added in a subsequent post: “The facts here are pretty clear. I said they ‘only accepted with them blanked out’. Which is true and accurate”.
The post included a screenshot of an email with the subject “KNEECAP Tube Ads’ with a response that read: “I can confirm TFL will not allow the word FENIAN to be displayed unfortunately. All ads have to be completely impartial and non-political of any movement.”
Despite their criticism of England, Starmer and the UK justice system, what could possess TfL to ban the image?
It could be something to do with the word “Fenian”, which refers to the 19th-century Irish revolutionaries who fought to overthrow British rule to achieve an independent Irish republic.
The term has been used as an insult. However, the album ‘Fenian’ sees Kneecap reclaim the word.
In the informative, tongue-in-cheek and foul-mouthed liner notes for ‘Fenian’, the band provide some context for the word: “Origin: name of an ancient Irish people. Historical: Irish Republican revolutionaries that fought for Irish independence from the British Empire (and the church). Modern: Member of a secret socialist society of sound cunts active globally. Offensive: A derogatory term for an Irish nationalist – ‘You Fenian cunt’.”
Released on 1 May, Euronews Culture called the album “engrossing”, “incredibly catchy” and “a masterful album”.
“Yes, they rap about “international law they were abusing”. Yes, they’ve provoked tabloid outrage. And yes, they’ve released ‘Fenian’, a masterful album which proves they know exactly what they’re doing, and that they have the range to match their verve.”
Read the full review here.
This is not the first time that an advert for the band has been banned in London.
Last year, the trio said that they were “banned” from advertising one of their posters on the London Underground.
TfL deemed the Kneecap poster, showing their frequently used logo depicting a balaclava, “would likely cause widespread or serious offence to reasonable members of the public”.
In an Instagram post, the group shared a picture of the offending poster.
“[It] has been rejected because: ‘it is likely to cause widespread or serious offence to reasonable members of the public on account of the product or services being advertised, the content or design of the advertisement, or by way of implication’,” they wrote. “See it. Say it. Censored.”
The group, longtime supporters of Palestine, suggested at the time that they had been repressed for speaking up about the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“Speak out against genocide and they’ll use every single angle they can to silence you. Join the IOF [pejorative term for the Israeli Defence Force], murder kids, fly to London and nothing happens – you’ll be welcomed and applauded.”
Kneecap’s ‘Fenian’ is out now.