Mull It Over 023: Groove is in the Art
John Quinn is the Belfast multi-instrumentalist and rapper with a license to chill. But that's only part of it. Introducing Quinncidental and Co.
If you are a regular on the local music scene, chances are you will have encountered John Quinn, either directly or indirectly. The first time I saw John was at Voodoo’s infamous open mic night in the centre of Belfast, (very) late one Thursday evening. He got up to the stage with his acoustic guitar and began to rap and sing with such fervent nerve that all I could think as I waited my turn to sing my slow, contemplative ballad was - ‘fuck sake’.
How do you follow that?
Well, that was 2021. And Quinn, under the alias Quinncidental has followed it up with a string of singles, each one as good as the last. His most recent release, The Same, is a playful lament on the current state of hip-hop. With every young, aspiring MC hopping along to the beat of KNEECAP’s Beastie Boys-indebted, kitchen-sink approach to rap, Quinncidental is far more subtle and soft landing in its attitude. Both artists are two sides of the same coin; where KNEECAP hits you over the head with their aggressive jack-the-lad narratives on working class Irish life and complicated political proclamations, Quinncidental quietly and assuredly holds up a mirror to the life of an artist on the same scene. The life of freestyles, open mics, improvised jams, dancing, singing, pinting and hustling. With lyrics bedded in breezy, lo-fi soul samples and easy beats, it suggests a quiet confidence that Quinn knows exactly just how good his rhymes are; without having to resort to headline-grabbing stunts. That’s true ill communication.
Quinncidental officially arrived on the Belfast rap scene back in 2020 with the release of the immensely cool Mr. Nice, although he had been a fixture on the circuit for years before, honing his craft and building both his following and focus. In the four years since his debut single, Belfast hip-hop has been having its long overdue moment.
Whether it is Leo Miyagee’s slick poetry, Jordan Adetunji’s fusion of rock and alternative elements or KNEECAP’s aforementioned political shithousery, Northern Irish rap has never been taken as seriously as it is right now. Just look at Garretta - a grassroots collective of hip-hop heads running a record label, booking acts and putting on shows, slinging apparel and even recording a documentary - all driven by the passion and fruitfulness of the local scene. And based in Lisburn, of all places. Belfast is not the only place you can find a real underground culture. Like the rave scene 30 years ago, rap is now building and bridging gaps between disparate Northern Irish communities. In 1994, can you imagine mentioning an Irish speaking rap group in the same paragraph as, say, Lisburn? There is no divide here. For its unquestionably violent and at times problematic American form, hip-hop is, in Northern Ireland, a galvanising culture of music and art, no matter the background.
“Ain’t it funny how the time changes?” - Quinncidental, The Rule of Three
Long Play
Elongated, a Quinncidental ‘free verse, throwaway thingy’ (Quinn’s words) previously only available on YouTube, was officially released in May of this year and is another soulful, analogue sounding track that recalls something you might find on a J Dilla release. It continues a style that Qunncidental somehow perfected so early on in this project with 2021’s “The Rule of Three” E.P. - a crucial, contemporary flow delivered over warm, classic sounding instrumentals. The tracks from this era (of which Elongated is evidently one) benefit from this juxtaposition of Quinn’s rhyming style and his use of catchy, melodic arrangements as the foundation.
How Quinn sat on Elongated for three years, I don’t know. If this is indeed his idea of a ‘throwaway’, I’d like to hear those unheard songs actually intended for release. And on that note, after such a strong run of single releases, is an album something we can expect from Quinncidental in the near future?
Quinn tells me, “Let’s just say we’re beginning the adventure June onwards. I have it on my bingo card that I will release my debut album this year. So we’ll see.”
I guess we’re about to find out.
The Collective
Like all rappers, John Quinn hasn't come alone. Never afraid to offer a verse or a feature on somebody else’s release, Quinncidental has what might look on the outside like one very twisted, yet very supportive group of contemporaries. Counting the likes of Steve Loc, Dóhfada, Big Don 028, Smickery P and Mindesigns in his motley crew of collaborators, this is more than just a talented group of rapping miscreants. It is the ever-living proof of a true, underground hip-hop scene, flourishing on the cold streets of Belfast right now, and warming up the insides of local institutions like Madden’s, Voodoo and Lavery’s. But this is not your grandparents’ Lavery’s.
Adding a certain authenticity to this erstwhile loose group of musicians is one of the most legitimately exciting new live ventures to come out of this city in a long time. Belfast Groove Collective is a revolving-door of multi-instrumentalist musicians specialising in hip-hop, funk, jazz, soul and R&B. Featuring some of the artists mentioned above and counting Quinn as one of those both on-stage and behind the scenes pushing the movement forwards, anywhere across the city you can catch a Belfast Groove Collective night, where where the jams are improvised and the Jamesons are free.
For now, the Collective’s spiritual home is Mr. Tom’s (the middle bar) in Lavery’s, where you can find impromptu performances from some of the very best on the scene and in the crowd on the first Monday of every month. The success of these nights has seen BGC branch out to hosting pop-up gigs and setting up shop in venues as varied as Banana Block in East Belfast, The Court House in Bangor, The Sugar Club in Dublin and even Stendhal Festival - where on the Friday of this year’s event you can find some Collective regulars alongside pop-ups as part of the Elixir Hip-Hop Showcase.
If that’s not enough to entice you, I will also be there.
Groovy, baby.
The next Belfast Groove Collective night will take place in Mr. Tom’s, Lavery’s Bar on Monday 3rd June.
Thank you for reading the 23rd edition of Mull It Over. This was a really fun one. As I dug deeper when preparing the article I realised there could be an entire book focused solely on N.I. hip-hop in its current state. Perhaps something for the future. For now, go and check out Quinncidental and all the other artists mentioned in the article. And maybe catch a live show where you can. Support local.
Happy Friday everyone. Keep reading. Keep listening.
The Mull It Over Substack Playlist