Review: Curtisy - "Beauty In The Beast"
Last year (2024) should be confidently considered the year of Irish breakthroughs, and amongst the pioneering Fontaines DC and anti colonial Kneecap, you will also find the smooth, silky wordsmith that is Curtisy.
Prior to his 12-track album release, we delve into the rapper's origin story and the two releases on the album, 'Beauty In The Beast' & 'Milk and Honey'.
After a successful debut release with What Was The Question (nominated for an RTE Choice Prize), Curtisy has sky rocketed as one of the most exciting new wave Irish rappers to look out for.
From Rejjie Snow to Kojaque, Hare Squead to Jafaris, he finds his name amongst Dublin’s finest exports, bringing his biographical lyricism to the forefront; injecting life and substance to his experiences of suburbia. Within this wave of breakthrough talent, it’s remarkable that through his wordplay and humour, Curtisy has cultivated a distinctive sound welding his influences from Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE, a ‘swampy and weird’ self proclaimed style and a rap-adoring upbringing in Tallaght.
His work is laden with steady, chill-wave, glitchy instrumentals - produced by local collaborators Rory Sweeney and hikii, the latter being the main beat creator for his highly anticipated next album (to be released May 30th), 'Beauty In The Beast'
hikii unveils:
“I used mostly 70s and 80s soul and jazz samples. There’s a theme throughout the album of beauty and struggle, happiness and pain. I wanted to create a juxtaposition; some of the samples are from shows like Scooby Doo and The Simpsons, and movies like Dracula and Scream, in order to try and make the tape feel like a movie.”
The title track off his new project once again echoes suburbia, as Curtisy continues on his personal endeavour to represent the working class in arts, with the rapper claiming:
"I feel like if there was the same amount of facilities for kids to pursue a career in arts as there is for them to pursue a career in sports, we’d see so much more amazing art coming from this place"
Melancholic subtly-layered instrumental with iconic brogue wordplay introduces an anecdote of friendship loss due to drug addiction. This complex relationship is unpacked steadily, touching on themes of reminiscence and playing both sides of the moral high ground.
The chorus summarises a retrospective fondness, reminding us that street wisdom combines all types of human emotion. Rolling through stages of acceptance and letting go, these lessons are appreciated in a positive light despite their negative backdrop.
Recently dropped, ‘Milk and Honey’, also features the dynamic rapper-producer duo, being thrown straight into more of a light-hearted lyrical and forgivingly brash track. Once again we revisit the rapper’s past, recounting holes in underwear, broke lifestyle insights and a flurry of recreational frolics and coitus.
Similar in vulnerability, Curtisy toys with the listeners, humorously positioning himself as an open book for anecdotes and emotions. He acknowledges toxic traits of the past and the way these influence his coping mechanisms navigating suburban upbringing.
With another 10 tracks on the way until its release date, this is an autobiographical mixtape we should all be excited to see unfold.
Written by Brandon Purmessur
Brandon is a music journalist in Bristol who enjoys writing as well as hosting radio shows and video interviews. Beyond music, he enjoys working with the community and learning about other cultures.
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