Jafaris, one of Irish hip hop’s most revered heavy hitters, earned widespread acclaim with the release of his debut album, Stride, earlier this year. As the Zimbabwe-born and Dublin-raised rapper continues his journey to stardom, it’s clear his roots have remained firmly intact.

“As a teenager, when I started rapping, there was a communal vibe in Dublin,” he says. “There were shows in hotel function rooms, shows in churches that people rented out for a day. There was a lot happening, and there definitely a vibe of ‘We’re coming up together.’”

Now one of the country’s most playlisted acts, his days of function rooms and church halls are far behind him.