“You other MC’s should retire/Rob Kelly is the man they desire.” So goes the opening gambit of swaggering Irish rapper Rob Kelly, aka Bobby Bars, on this, his debut LP. The MC – straight outta… er… Wexford (and why not?) – is a lippy customer, full of the same recycled braggadocio, tough guy, chin-out posturing, and boil-in-the-bag misogyny favoured in the world of commercial hip hop. He raps in a thick Irish drawl, which may sound a bit incongruous at first, chiming with the slick production – but it soon stands tall.
To his credit, Kelly’s working almost virgin territory here: despite the credible efforts of a few stalwarts on the fringes – Scary Eire, Collie – commercial crossover success has thus far eluded Irish hip hop acts. But Rob Kelly has the contacts – he reputedly has Jay-Z on speed dial – and is aiming for the big time.
He doesn’t make too bad a fist of it on Bragging Rights. If you look past the occasional clunky rhyme (“I’m like a farmer, outstanding in my own field”) and the odd hint of mutton-dressed-as-lamb in the American style production, the album is an enterprising, energetic and impressive addition to the meagre Irish hip-hop canon.
Most of the charm derives from Kelly’s catchy flow. He’s not the greatest rapper – despite his protestations – but on tunes like ‘Do It To It 2.1’, ‘Take A Look’, and ‘What Can I Say’ he comes into his own. Add to this the album’s shortage of rubbish skits and a sharp running time, and you have the best Irish hip hop album of the year. So far.