Kneecap share politically-charged new single ‘The Recap’ featuring Mozey: “This one’s for Kemi Badenoch”

Kneecap have released a politically-charged new single, ‘The Recap’, featuring Mozey. Listen below.

• READ MORE: Kneecap on the cover – giving peace, protest and partying a chance

The Belfast hip-hop trio shared the “bootleg version” of the track via their WhatsApp group, where they directed fans to Soundcloud. “This one’s for Kemi Badenoch,” wrote the band’s Moglai Bap on Instagram Stories.

Badenoch, the current leader of the Conservative Party, recently shared the footage from Kneecap’s show in London last year – which was being investigated by police, and led to Mo Chara’s terror offence charge this week.

“In government I blocked Kneecap getting taxpayer funding,” she wrote. “Labour didn’t contest the legal case the band brought and they walked away with £14,250 of OUR money. Perhaps now Labour see Kneecap openly glorifying evil terror groups, they will apologise for rolling over. But I doubt it.”

The relentless and blistering new track ‘The Recap’ begins with a “breaking news” bulletin about counter terrorism police investigating Kneecap. In a breakdown of the team-up with drum and bass artist Mozey, the trio rap about Badenoch’s attempt at “fooling everybody“.

Tune in here:

Last November, Kneecap said Badenoch had “acted unlawfully” in her attempt to block the group’s funding, after originally accusing the government of trying to “silence” them, following a last-minute block. “This is now a fact,” they added, in response to a court ruling.

Kneecap went on: “They don’t like that we oppose British rule, that we don’t believe that England serves anyone in Ireland and the working classes on both sides of the community deserve better; deserve funding, deserve appropriate mental health services, deserve to celebrate music and art and deserve the freedom to express our culture.”

The band gave ‘The Recap’ its live debut during a tiny, last-minute gig at the 100 Club in London last night (May 22). Mo Chara appeared at the show with tape over his mouth – a further response to being charged with a terror offence.

Kneecap had previously called the legal action against the 27-year-old musician (real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh) a “carnival of distraction”. They said they “deny” the offence and would “vehemently defend ourselves”. “This is political policing,” they wrote, adding: “We are not the story. Genocide is.”

Óg Ó hAnnaidh is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday June 18.

Following Kneecap’s statements in support of Palestine at Coachella 2025, which supposedly “blindsided” festival organisers, counter-terror police began to assess footage from a London performance last November. It is reported that the video appears to show Mo Chara shouting: “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah” and holding up Hezbollah’s flag. In the UK, it is a crime to show support for either of these organisations.

The band have denied supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah, and stated that they would not incite violence against any individuals. They have also argued that the footage had been taken out of context.

Kneecap’s small slot at the 100 Club served as a warm-up for their headline set at Wide Awake 2025 at Brockwell Park in the capital tonight (May 23).

They are still set to perform at the event, having been axed from several festivals and shows amid the ongoing controversy. MPs have also called for them to be removed from the line-ups of TRNSMT, Glastonbury and more.

Wide Awake has faced its own setbacks recently after losing a court ruling. However, organisers Brockwell Live have confirmed that “no event will be cancelled as a result of the High Court’s decision”. Today, the festival announced a last-minute reduced ticket scheme due to rising legal costs.

Kneecap released their acclaimed debut album, ‘Fine Art’, last year. The project received a glowing five-star review from NME, and came in at Number 13 on our 50 best albums of 2024 list.

The post Kneecap share politically-charged new single ‘The Recap’ featuring Mozey: “This one’s for Kemi Badenoch” appeared first on NME.