‘Cantona’s a Kwengletarian!’ Inside the maximalist, magical mentality of rising London Irish rapper Kibo

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‘Cantona’s a Kwengletarian!’ Inside the maximalist, magical mentality of rising London Irish rapper Kibo

The Guardian · 2 hours ago

Kibo, a 26-year-old Harrow-born rapper of Irish heritage, has released Kwengletaria: Ragamyff, described as one of the year's most inventive and funny UK rap debuts, built on the maximalist philosophy he calls "Kwelengletarianism" – finding magic and value in the mundane. He is a rare rapper to emerge from Harrow, a town better known for producing Kate Nash and Jai Paul, and has earned endorsements from established grime and UK rap figures including Skepta, JME and Dave.

The album draws on wide-ranging influences, from anime, Pokémon and football icons such as Eric Cantona to grime forebears like Dizzee Rascal, whose Boy in da Corner is sampled on the closing track. It features 16 producers spanning garage, R&B, donk, grime and jungle, with Lewisham MC Novelist as its sole guest. Kibo traces his "stuff everything in" approach to a childhood spent online and to a schoolyard memory of trading glitter-covered fake Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, and beyond music he is also preparing to compete in a wrestling match in Dublin against fellow Irish rapper Lil Skag.

  • Harrow rapper Kibo releases acclaimed debut album Kwengletaria: Ragamyff
  • Blends grime, anime, football and Irish influences with "Kwelengletarian" philosophy
  • Backed by Skepta, JME, Dave; also wrestling in Dublin this weekend

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