KhakiKid has certainly lived an interesting and unique life, yet it was only recently that the first generation Irish alt-rapper realised his story was worth talking about. Growing up on Crumlin council estate, Dublin-born Abdu Huss shared a bedroom with three brothers while his two sisters and single-parent mum were in their own room together.
Aged 12, Abdu started writing his own raps “as if I was Chief Keef”, however many years later his 2020 debut single ‘Late’ introduced an artist with a penchant for jazz-infused hip-hop. By 2021, a cult following was building at home in Ireland and his music began finding fans internationally. His debut EP, ‘Elevator Music’, arrived in September 2022 to critical acclaim: influenced by early Eric B. & Rakim, the short but sweet six-tracker effortlessly mixed tongue-in-cheek, often self-deprecating lyrics with boisterous rapping.
His upcoming music however trades some of that playful nature for a more honest, emotional and personal approach. While Abdu previously felt things that happened in his life weren’t worth sharing with the world, now when writing songs he’ll reflect on his own life, picking out significant moments he believes other people would find interesting.
Beyond music, Abdu wants to represent people who feel as though they don’t have a set community – especially having not been aware of his Arab-Irish heritage or refugee dad’s story until his adult years. “I feel like there are a lot of minority groups in Ireland that aren’t spoken about, so I want to show there are places for us to exist.”
