toxic masculinity & small town mentality ft. Lil Skag 34:31

Now,

Now, I took a bit of a break there because I was busy doing other things, but I'm back on the scene now with my podcast and a little announcement. I have my first podcast show with Growing Up. It's going to be on the 14th of September in Cork. I haven't been, I don't think, I haven't been to Cork in ages, but my last Cork show was two years ago and I have a full performance planned. Like I'm going to do a little number. There'll be music beforehand. I have my guest picked who's so fucking funny. And I'm going to do a little number.

It's going to be a great night. So I'm going to leave them linked in the description. And for my interview today, I have Lil Skagg, who is a rapper from Enniscorthy in Wexford, which I'm obsessed with Enniscorthy. I have loads of friends from Enniscorthy. But it was a really interesting conversation because he has just quit weed. And we also talk a little bit about toxic masculinity, growing up in a small town, and then just the rap scene in general. Because I feel like sometimes...

You don't get the real insight. You don't get deep with the rappers and they have a lot to offer, I think, especially the Irish music going on right now. The Irish music, that makes no sense. Irish music at the moment, I just think it's teeming with talent constantly.

Does that make sense? Yeah. So I had the fantastic opportunity to speak to Lil Skag and I hope you enjoy this interview. Thanks so much. What's your reaction to the claims that you're from Limerick, apparently? Scandalous. I can't believe it. I actually can't believe it. It sickens me a little bit. Not that I have no beef with Limerick, but it's just like, yeah, as you said, I was like, I represent Scarty so fucking much in the fucking thing. That's what rap music to me is about. Fully just representing where you're from. I'm trying to put Scarty on the map.

And then it's like, motherfucker's from Dublin, like courtesy, you know? He's like, you're from fucking Limerick, aren't you? I'm like, no, no, no. But first of all, yeah, so that's that. But coming from Scarty was, I lived like seven minute drive outside of Scarty, in a Scarty, sorry.

And, yeah, it was just a bit of a shithole, like, to be honest. But it's our shithole, you know? We love it. Everyone from Enniscorthy is very proud. Yeah, extremely. Because it's a great place and, like, I genuinely believe the fucking funniest and best, loveliest people in the world come from there. But I'm sure a lot of people say that about where they're from, you know? Well, I would argue, and me and my sister say this as well, there's so many good-looking people in Wexford.

So I've heard. So I've heard. But there's also like, yeah, no, we're all gorgeous. You're like butters. No, we're all gorgeous. But no, specifically, sorry, Wexford can go fuck itself to be honest. Oh, okay. So you've beefed with Wexford. Basically, people from Wexford call us scalders.

This is what... And I always assumed that was like... You know, because you're Scaldi fuckers, you know? Yeah. But what I learned recently was in one of the battles that we had with the Brits in Scardia around Vinegar Hill and all, after they defeated us and all of the soldiers, the Brits were walking up the Shannon, one of the hills there, and apparently they were called Scalders because all the Owl Mammies were up on the top buildings boiling hot water and throwing it down them, even when we were best. And Wexler people let them in, apparently. So...

They use that as like, oh, these are scholars. And I always thought it was like, oh, because we're scholarly, like they're looking down on us. But no, it's because we're fucking, we're scholar Brits with hot water. I love that. Right? So it's actually legendary status. Yeah, pretty much. Pretty much. I don't know. I'll do some fact checking on that. That's just a story someone told me. I was like, yeah, I'm gonna take that. I'll run with that. And I feel like rap music is maybe sometimes steeped in a lot of misogynistic...

Yes. Ideologies. But I think what's different with your music is that, so a lot of rap music that I'm familiar with, it would be like all about women sucking dick. Yeah. And you like to focus a lot on pleasuring women.

Do I? I do? You were a conilinguist? No? Absolutely, yeah. Well, that was the first one. And like, I have to remind myself sometimes when I'm writing music is like, I'm saying some, I'm writing a bar and I'm like, oh, maybe I can't say that. But then I'm like, Sean, your first song that you ever wrote was literally about conilinguists. I don't know the fuck of that. You can say anything. People like this. Like, you just go with it. But yeah, I mean, if the lady is pleasured, I'm pleasured. I'm happy. You know what I mean? You seem to have an obsession though with...

with arse yeah yeah I would call myself an arse guy probably above if I was to be asked between the two okay I guess but yeah absolutely but is there meaning behind the arse or is this like a filler line in your music or well I mean I guess it's on my mind a lot but no that's a tough one to answer really but like yeah it's just be I'm just as Curtis said rap is a report or a report on your life you know so like

If I'm operating with a lot of acid in my life at the minute, I guess it comes true in the music. But what about the, you know, when you're like, I don't, I can't remember the line exactly, but it's like, I've loads of side things I don't know which to be railing, something like that? Oh, you like finna fall, pussy boy, you finna fail too much, bitches. I don't know which one I'm finna rail. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry for saying bitches, but yeah. Um...

Yeah, that's just, but that's just like, I was finna fail. I was like, I can't not rhyme. Sometimes it pops up and I'm like, that just rhymes perfectly. It sounds so beautiful. I can't not say it. That's true. I love the line, something fishy in my bird's eye. Yeah. That was great. That one, I'm very happy with that one, to be honest. Very happy with that one. Yeah. And when you started releasing music, were you faced with any judgment? More like, so...

It was probably always me against me. In my head I was like, "Oh, I am going to be faced with judgment." Like for a long time I did... I only released the first song a year ago, but I was rapping like a year and a half before that, you know? And like trying to deal with like, "Oh, so I'm from like a small town in Ireland. There will be a lot of judgment in general just if you're not..." Basically it feels like if you're not hurling or if you're not like farming that you're like, "What the fuck are you doing?" Like, and also like, "Oh, he's got a long hair and mustache. Like what's wrong with this fella? He must be... he must be odd."

Oh, derogatory. Yeah, exactly. Precisely. So, yeah. But, like, I'm actually losing my trailer, aren't I? The judgment. Oh, yeah. So, like, since I've come out as a rapper, is how I phrase it, like, I haven't got any...

I haven't really got any of that. It's just been love more so. So like, I think the judgment was me judging myself because I also come from that background where it's like quite judgy. Yeah. Because, but like, I'm not, I wouldn't call myself like that kind of person, but like it's within you because it's ingrained in you from where you're, the area you're from kind of, you know. But like for sure, there was also judgment like from my mother when I first came out.

Again, sorry. I was still in Berlin at that stage. Yeah. And that was when District shared this thing of Kodak reacting to it. So I was like, fuck it. People like it a bit. I'm going to keep going with this. And yeah, I spent like... There was five separate phone calls that were like an hour long that week with my mother. Of her being like, Sean, like...

like it's great like i do support you i'm so happy that you found like a passion and something that you love doing and all but like maybe you could put a disclaimer in at the end of the songs to say like oh i don't i don't really i don't do any hard drugs and like i go to mass and like i'm a good lad like and now you know i'm like i can't do that right but fucking okay but that's hilarious like and someone told me that like there's a short story a friend of mine writes short stories like there is a brilliant short story to be written in like

young like fucking 24 year old comes out as a rapper to his rural irish mammy you know like she did not expect that she out but like she always told me what i tell her now is like mom you're the reason that i could do this like you always told me i could do and be anything yeah and she'd be like but sean i meant like a postman or a doctor or something i'm like yeah sorry so i like to put that on her but it's all love she's the best lady and does she come to your gigs

She hasn't come to any yet. And I told her... So basically, like, a year ago, she agreed to just not listen to it. She's like, I fully support you. I will support you from a distance. But I'm just not going to listen. And I was like, that's the best thing you can do. Because it's going to get worse before it gets better. I'm on, like, a journey. Like, I know there's a lot of, like, derogatory stuff towards women in there. And a lot of, like, maybe drug talk. But, like, that's because also that's what rap is. As you said, a lot of the rap you listen to is full of that. And, like, I'm on the process of trying to get better as a lyricist. So I can...

not direct like to say it so I don't have to be saying that kind of stuff you know or so I can dance around it without directly saying these kind of things without saying bitch precisely like in the last song with Courtesy there wasn't one mention of it no you didn't say bitch once I can go and check that but I'm almost certain which I'm having like because I've had loads of these conversations with like lady friends mothers

etc and like it's something i'm conscious of so you're making rap more feminist yeah let me say that that's it let's go with that for sure make that claim in one of the in one of my bars is i'm i'm a feminist i'm trying to get my on larger funds so i said bitch but that's funny to put them beside each other in the same sense also like you know it's fucking it's funny

And do you think like the teenage version of you would slag you now? Or would they be like, oh my God, fair play to you. You went and done it. You like went and done some shit. Like, no, I'd be, I would be delighted. I'm sure. I'm sure. But also I'd be like, what the fuck? How did that happen?

like I went to college and I did business I didn't even I didn't do business for the leaving cert and I ended up doing it for in college because like I dropped out in my first course and I was like looking around but like my mom was like you have to stay in education so I just rang up IADT and they had a business course I was like yeah fuck it and then four years later I had a degree somehow scraped through it so like that was it was never written in the stars for me to be a rapper or anything

That's a good degree. That's a good broad degree. It's alright. That's why I picked it. It was like Asher's broad. I had no idea. I feel like I only became conscious two years ago. Before that I was just like stupid. Hadn't a clue what was going on with the world. Maybe just not sheltered either but just like didn't really know what the fuck was going on. Just living. Just content. But then you grow up a little bit and you see shit and you fucking learn that the world is like

evil and shit you know a lot of evil stuff going on yeah it's all the bloody old white men as well i know like yourself yeah i know that's what i'm destined for too so i'm trying to i'm trying to get to a position the platform so i can be like no actually us by the time by that stage of like us all white guys we're all right we're chill but in fairness you're like pissing on union jackson israel flags no absolutely entirely that's i would like to get not that i'd like to get more political in it but like i love fucking

pissing on Union Jacks and Israel flags yeah yeah you do kind of get political in music though yeah I think you do me? yeah do you seem politically aware? yeah I think yeah I am and well like not as much as like some of my pals who you know like but like I try to yes again since I've gotten older I try to be more in tune with that shit but like

what crazy actually one of my songs joe dolan the joe dolan song yeah i checked the streams on that like maybe two weeks ago and you're able to see like the locations and stuff of where it's played most there was like 970 streams in israel on that day and i was like i hope they're listening to this with hatred

because like i have that bar maybe they heard that bar and that other song was like who's this fucker like we hate him yeah like i really can't i don't know what the for what other reason it would be that like just one day like almost a thousand streams from israel strange yeah but i'll take there's 0.003 cents i'll eat that shit up fuck him would there be any advice that you would have given to like mini skaggy when i was a young lad like um just like don't worry so much about the future because again

Like, five years ago, if you had said, would you be a rapper? I'd be like, no. So, like, you have no idea what's going to happen in the next five years. You know what I mean? So, like, don't be so concerned with it. Be present as much as you can. I know that's an easy thing to say, but, like, actually try and practice to be present and be in the moment. When you're with your people, your loved ones, try and entirely be there. Because also, again, like, me being stoned most of the past seven years, I absolutely wasn't entirely always present, you know? So, like, now being off for a while, I'm like...

Yeah, it's very important to just be there because these are the good days. You're living your lives. You're living your prime years now. Exactly. And keep reminding yourself that because someday we're all going to be old and moldy. And ugly. There you go. We're all gorgeous and sexy and hot now. So fucking live it up. Have a good time. Could you divulge, if you don't mind, into why you gave up weed? Yes. So, like, the primary reason was...

My ex moved away and I was like, because basically it's been a huge part of my personality. Like I smoked it most of mostly every day for the past seven years. And yeah, just losing her made me like cop on a little bit and be like, oh, actually shit. I should check. I should check in with myself, like my actual self. And yeah, I was going to her dad's wedding in Italy, even though we had broken up and yeah.

I was just like, yeah, I just wanted to be present for her for once because she doesn't know me, not stoned also, you know, even though we had a lovely, beautiful relationship and all. But like she does, she didn't know me, not stoned. And I barely, I've forgotten myself since I've been an adult, you know, I start being like, damn, maybe I'm just a paranoid person. This is just me because I forgot what it was like to not be like that, you know, because it does, but all the whole time, like in the past few years, like all my friends used to smoke too and they've all given up in the past like two or three years.

And they're like, the main reason is like, oh, it makes me paranoid or anxious. And I used to be like angry that they fucking were quitting. I was like, no, but you have to be friendly anxiety. It's fine. You just got to sit with it. It's good. But like, that's an addict talking, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Um, so yeah, like just, yeah, basically losing a loved one. And like, she moved away. Like we're still very good friends, which is lovely. Yeah. But, uh, yeah, it just made me cop on and be like, what the fuck are you doing? Like there's so many times where I would have been with her.

just like all that's on my mind is like i'll go over and get a fucking have a joint now like and like that's not at all being present i could have got my happiness more from her presence rather than fucking joints but also like i don't want to put it all on just her leaving but like it's like i just needed to cop on eventually as well and i feel like this is the age that a lot of people hit where they stop because like you're just getting more responsibilities and shit you know and also i'm just getting busier and it's like hard to be stoned all the time doing stuff

but i'm still very new in the process i had this is my this is my 36th day off let's go which is huge because i never took more than like two days off at a time before and yeah like i have no really want to go back to it now which is crazy as well like because i know that i know how it like near the latter stages of my heavy smoking how it made me feel like i thought maybe it did make me feel good still absolutely enjoy the feeling and like the it did so much for my writing process

But, because it helped me concentrate and, like, to lock into that. But, yeah, there's just a lot more to life. And I would like to say to the kids out there that you can get addicted to it. Because the withdrawals have been kicking the shit out of me. And I was fully believing. I was like, nah, you can't get addicted. Like, weed is grand. Like, there's no way. Like, but, because people say that. Like, that's how it's sold as well. Like, but fucking... You can. The night sweats only stopped, like, three nights ago. Wow. Yeah. They've been going that long? Like, it was 31 days exactly. Like...

Terrible. And also nightmares. Awful nightmares. Awful nightmares. Like one of them just like your ex just like shagging someone. You're just there like, oh, this is class. This is brilliant. They're having to sit through it. They always happen in the morning. You're just like, oh, this is the worst possible way to start my fucking day. And then just like crashing cars.

just like fucking one time I was just like reversed and like I would hit the fucking I'd hit a pole behind me and I'd be like shit and then I'd go forward and hit that and like keep scraping the car it's just so like I don't know like I can't call them nightmares exactly but it's just like playing on your fucking on like your anxieties exactly I think yeah yeah so now how have you helped uh because I suppose you maybe were dependent on that for your writing process and your creativity so how have you helped your writing process now without the weed

So yeah, like the first two weeks I was like, gee, oh God, I'm never going to rap again. Because when I first started rapping, it was in Berlin and it was still during Corona. So it was always me and my pal Dara would sit down and just freestyle when we were smoking joints. So basically anything I've wrote the past while, I've had a joint in my hand. And yeah, I'm saying that that helped me because I don't want to say I have ADHD. It's definitely not diagnosed, but like...

The whole world has ADHD now at this stage. Yeah. The way the fucking thing's gone. But, like, it definitely helped me to concentrate a lot. So, yeah, now it's just... The first two weeks, I was like, yeah, I'm never going to rap again. But now it's just slowly come back, like...

A lot of the time, I was sitting down with a joint and trying to force the bars, but, like, that doesn't happen. They have to come to you, and it comes to you through, like, living your life as well. It's like now, in the last two or three weeks, I just find, again, I'm walking down the street, and the bars just come into my head, and I'm like, this is how it should be, probably, you know? Like, you just see something, and you're like...

something pops into your mind or an emotion and you're like okay yeah and you and then I'll write that down in my notes and then I can just go off and rhyme that because I've trained myself to just rhyme now so my brain knows how to do it basically okay but like I need to get better for sure at like sitting down with nothing like not even a rollie or anything because I've been doing that now even though I've never smoked rollies before just for like the cravings you know um so I need to still work on just sitting down with pen and paper and listening to beats and just like writing well that's probably still hard anyway yeah

Regardless if you have an addiction or not. Yeah, for sure. For sure. Just to find the time to do it and all like, yeah. Yeah. And then what is your, how do you see Lil Skag in like five years? I reckon, well like,

I would have joked about being like probably because like who knows what the ceiling for a rapper in Ireland is like right but I'm saying like probably what would the best case that I could hope for is that I like I hit like Irish B-list celebrity status and I'm on like fucking Dancing with the Stars once a year or some shit you know or I might like make an appearance on some other fucking stupid show I don't know sign a contract with RT or some shit but that's if I'm like being modest

But if I'm like really being my full confident self, like being Lil Skye, I'm like, no, I'm going to exceed everything and everyone. Yeah. You're like, I'm going to be driving a Maserati. And then, oh, you want to get to the stage of rapper when, you know, they, they stop rapping about bitches and then they start rapping about money. And they're like, I got all this money. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it's so much easier to rap them because you're actually flexing shit. Like, you know, it's hard to find things to flex about when you're just a fucking fella from Eniscar. You're fucking banging around the place, like, you know, smoking joints and all. Yeah.

Yeah, so if the money came then that would just make my job as a rapper a lot easier too. Would you think that romantically you are a softie? I would say so, yeah, for sure. I mean, I'm a crier at the best times. I'm a crier. But that's just out of love. Like a lot of times I'll just find myself fucking bawling because I'm just happy about shit, you know? I'm like, oh god damn, this is beautiful. Like tonight I'm shitting myself that I'm going to cry on the stage tonight. You probably will. Because all my pals are there. It's going to be so lovely. And yeah, it might happen.

But yeah, I probably am a bit of a softie for sure. I'm definitely a sensitive fella like. And how has been your breakup? Tough enough, to be honest. And Holly, my ex, she told me that I need to feel my feelings. She's so wise. She is very wise. Probably the most emotionally intelligent person I've ever come across in my life. God bless her.

And yeah, I have been just trying to feel my feelings. So like, if I feel like fucking crying, I'm gonna cry. Yeah. Like I'm gonna fucking bawl my eyes out and be like, let that pass. Because apparently, and she told me this too, but like I read it somewhere as well that like,

ladies process things early like they might even process the breakup before it happens because they can feel it they're more in touch with it whereas men just like shove it down and that's what i was doing for a while like with the joints like just trying to like block it out and then like so then the lady moves on a lot quicker and she's happier again a lot faster i love the way you say lady it's so good i'm not the same person as when i rap you know i'm just showing there but uh

Yeah, but then the man is like a year later, he hasn't processed his feelings properly. So he's like still like angry and sad. And like, then that's why men start fucking just want to kick the shit out of each other. And I'll probably, you know,

yeah that's fair enough you know what i mean so that's i'm just like all right let me try process this like a lady would and do the boys now would use like talk about your feelings with the boys my friends i feel are in terms as far as irish males go i feel like i'm very lucky and blessed a lot of my friends we can do but also it's like under the guise of like ah you're soft chapping out like you know we'd be giving each other shit about it still but like no absolutely i can talk to my friends and i'd like to make sure that they know that i'm there to talk about because yeah no i would

I would say like my inner, my good, strong friend circle, we can all absolutely talk about. But then I have so many lovely girlfriends as well who that's way easier with them, obviously, you know, and they bring it out of you. But yeah, I like to try and make sure that we can be talking about me and the boys. Do you think now, do you think there's a paranoia with boys and being friends with girls? Like why, why can't lads have friends?

you know it's kind of uncommon for lads to have friends with girl be friends with girls listen to this right there's a word that my friend dara who you know yeah this is he's from cork he's when i first moved to berlin he just like i would have went on a date or two right and i'd come back and he's like well how was that you fanger f-a-n-g-e-r oh yeah i've heard of this and i was like what that's a fucking brilliant word he was like what does that mean he was like fanny hanger like you're hanging out with fanny like so basically when he was in school

The lads are so, like, focused on, like, not being perceived as, like, gay and stuff, I guess, that they're like, oh, if you're hanging out with a girl, that's almost gay. It's crazy. It's like, that's nearly gay. Yeah, because, like, oh, why aren't you hanging out with the boys? Like, fucking, you're hanging out with girls and talking about your feelings and holding hands. That's gay. It's crazy. It's crazy. So do you think that hasn't gone now in adulthood? It's just, like, still lingering? No, I think that at least me and my pals, like, there's none of that anymore. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because that's fucking ridiculous. But I do...

I do think it still exists in like that age group in Ireland. Like, you know, like 14 year old young lads, they're still the same. They're like, oh, I'm hard. I'm a hard man. Like, don't be, I'm not a fucking soft chap. Like, it's all about that. You know, I don't know. Yeah. I don't, I'm not friends with many 14 year old kids, so I can't really comment on that. And while I have you now talking about men, so how can you tell when... You got me. Yeah, I got you. I got you now, cornered. So are you scared of rejection? Me, probably, like, isn't everyone scared of rejection? I suppose, yeah. Yeah.

Have you heard of that thing, rejection therapy? Also like going out and actively seeking rejection. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you can get better at it. Have you tried? No, I haven't. I've never, like I would literally go up to a guy if I like... You'd never get rejected, right? No, no, no, no, no. I mean, I'd be scared of rejection in terms of maybe job stuff. I'd be like, oh, I'm not good enough for that.

Oh, yeah. You know, I'm not good enough for this. But in terms of, like, I don't know where it came from, this deluded level of confidence. It's probably my mom or something that I was like, if you like somebody, you just tell... Literally, I'd just be like, I like you. Like, as a teenager. And then I was like, wait, what the fuck? When they were... They would run a mile, obviously, because I was like a creep. I was like, hey, I like you. And they'd never met before. Hey, I like you. Do you want to do something? Well, that's intense. Like, to be approaching them like, hey, I like you. But...

I get it. No, that's... Yeah. And then they'd run a mile. So you've kind of done some... So I've learned now to play cool a little bit more. Yeah, which is a good call. Yeah. But would you approach the ladies now on a night out? I don't know, to be honest. I'm not in that mindset whatsoever right now. No. Of approaching ladies. I just let them come to me, you know. No, I'm joking. But yeah, I mean, I guess if I liked one, then I absolutely would do, yeah.

Do you think you would actually, though? Like, go up to a stranger and be like, hey... No, actually, no. Because, like, I've never really done that in my life. Like, you know the way, like, in the movies and then, like, you just get approached and, like, hey, I have my number. Yeah. Like, no, I'm not that kind of fella, I don't think.

Do you think people at this stage of our lives... Because I... There's obviously two sides of the coin here where there's loads of people I know that are getting engaged now and having babies. Or there's people that are scared of commitment and don't want to be tied down at all. Do you think there's a gap maybe with people...

finding intimacy because there's so much choice now like in terms of dating apps being online i feel like a lot of people always like they can be like oh i could be doing better you know or like they hope that there's a hope there that you could be doing better where do you think that comes from i don't know it's like this just i feel like it's my sister said it's like your generation she's only fucking she's 29 like so she's like like you always think the grass is going to be is greener somewhere else like you know i don't know what the fuck that was in relation to but

The grass is not greener on the fair side. It's greener where you water it. Yes. You know what I'm saying? But it is a strange time to be like when, you know, some half of your friends are engaged and having babies and stuff and then the rest are just still children like me and some of my friends, you know? Yeah.

uh just growing man children man man babies you're looking after yourselves yeah well you see a lot of our mommies took too good care of us i think so we had to like reparent ourselves my mother always told me that she was enabling me which then i grew up and i'm like oh how do you turn on the washing machine like you know oh really well like when i went when i went to no no i know i could do that but when i went to berlin and i was living with like

A great friend of mine now, she's from Portugal, she like fully reparented me. And another friend of mine from Cork like... She had to train you in? Yeah, just been like fucking... yeah. Loads of examples but I can't... none of them come to my head right now but just like... loads of things I should have just been able to do but like wasn't. But I got there. She really helped me in my development. So you can cook and glean now? Yes. I was a terrible cook before I went to Berlin, definitely.

And, like, yeah, it was the ladies in my life who, like, expanded my horizons in that sense. Thankfully. Shout out to them. Shout out to the ladies. And what if you saw toxic masculinity playing out in front of you? For example, people actually being like, oh, fuck bitches, get money. Like, being actually like that. Yeah, like, actually like that. There's no one, thankfully, in my circles who are like that. And especially being in Berlin for three years, like, that's shit they shunned upon, like, you know? Yeah, oh, yeah, of course. It's like there's none...

it's like people will be told to fuck off like you know they would be approached by everyone there because like bro what are you talking about that's not cool what are you doing like you know um so yeah i guess i'd have a word with him probably i'd like to think you know you would see yourself as doing that have you found actually any internalized i found when i was in berlin like you know some of the bodies might have been telling like jokes which are like they're funny you know but it's like

It's like, I would have found myself, like, not laughing where I normally would because I was in Berlin and I was so in that mindset of, like, that's actually not cool. You learn that big time in Berlin because there's such a focus on that because, like, it's a city created to be totally free in who you want to be. Yeah. And it's, like, primarily a big queer community there. So it's, like, there, it's...

they're the best of the buddies out there you know so but have you experienced it maybe when you go back home there's a bit of oh yeah there's loads at home and like my father going from like living in berlin to then back home to my rural irish father who again has not a drop of malice in his body but it's just because

you know ingrained in them yeah exactly what what's your opinion ho in general just on like men in ireland men and women and all sorts we're all great crack from ireland number one yeah i realized that when i was away it's like yeah everyone here is lovely i've made so many beautiful friends but you can't beat the crack in ireland number one yeah but then the crack also can absolutely be extremely toxic at sometimes especially with inside like a ga community i used to play a load of sport as well like there's a lot of toxicity in that shit

In what way? In the dressing room, banter, etc. Oh, okay. Do you know what I mean? Whipping each other with the towels. Definitely got some work to do. Yeah. For sure. Up and coming. What's your opinion on like the... No, you probably don't know anyone like this, but you know the Andrew Tate cohort of people? Oh, the worst people alive. He's a terrible person. And anyone who listens to him can go fuck themselves. But it's all... It's marketed for teenage boys, I think. And I heard it was like to play on their...

To play on their, like... Insecurities of the black community and to feel a part of something and also to feel important. So they say all these things like valuing women and all this shite to make themselves feel important. I don't know. I heard it was like their...

I don't even know. I've fucking blocked him out of my mind. But he was, yeah, that was like a year ago. He like blew up, right? And then he fell off hard. Well, he went to prison, I'm pretty sure. Uh-huh. For like, for fucking... Kidnapped a woman or something. Yeah, or he was like trafficking ladies. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just a classic bigot. And do you have any relationship advice for a long-standing relationship? What would your advice be? Again, just try and be there fully with your partner. Yeah. And just be present and like fucking talk through shit.

And, yeah, if you have an argument or anything, just try and move on. Because I was coming from a place where I've been like, no, I need, like, because basically growing up, I would always, like, if me and my fucking mother or anyone in the family had a, it would, like, kick off. And then, like, after about half an hour, you'd come back up and be like, oh, sorry, man. She'd be like, sorry, Sean. And then you'd talk it through. But, like, actually what's much healthier if you can just, like, fucking cut the shit and just be like, all right, are we chill now?

you know and like let's move and move on which i i would have disagreed with in a past in past relationships so in past relationships you wanted wanted to fight it out no not to fight it out it's just like we can move on when we both sit down and apologize to each other and mean it okay which i think i i thought was healthy but then i just was like actually it's much healthier actually if you can just be like let's just cut the shit we're gonna move on anyway yeah if with that so let's just like can we get on but like that's yeah that's just a difference in people and shit i guess as well

I don't fucking know. I'm not fucking... I don't think I'm very good at relationships. Do you not? But are you learning now? I'm learning now for sure, but I've only had two. But you probably learned so much though from being with Holly because she is so wise and emotionally intelligent. Oh no, so much. She taught me loads about not just relationships, but the world also and like fucking people and all sorts. Shout out Holly. For real. No, we love Holly. We love Holly.

I always will. Are you going to start crying? No, stop, bro. What the fuck are you doing to me? Do you get nervous before gigs? Not anymore, thank God. Well, like, still a little bit. Is this your first gig without smoking weed, though?

Yes, but I never would have... Oh, no, I smoked some joints before, some of them before, but that never helped. But again, that was just because I'm addicted. I'm like, no, Sean, you'll be all right. This one's not going to make you fucking, but then you're up on stage, you're like, why have I done that? But basically, all the other gigs I've done has just been support for other rappers and other people. And this is the first time it's my fucking headline. Everyone's coming and paid to see me, which I'm so grateful for, and I can't quite believe it.

And it's a lot of my friends like got people flying from Berlin from Valencia from London all the come like it's so beautiful It's just a big reunion of me and all my pals really so I can't be nervous in this one I'm just gonna wrap my air software. I'm on give him a good time Yeah, and you have any advice now for the last question and to have any advice For yourself when you started rapping I release music Yeah, just

Just have a... Well, I always had faith in myself. Like, I always knew I was onto something when I started doing it. And, like, I was like... You know, my style of rap, I was like, there's no one really doing it. If no one is doing it, I want a Lil Skag to exist. So, like, I'm gonna have to just fucking go and do it myself. Oh!

Oh, okay. So you wanted a little sex gag. Yeah, as a rap fan, I'm like, why is there no one from Ireland rapping in this kind of a way, about cultural references, et cetera? Because when you hear that shit, as an Irish person, when you hear Sonia Sullivan in a bar, you're like, ha ha, gas, I know who Sonia Sullivan is. That's funny. Who is Joe Dolan? Joe Dolan? Damn, he was a big-time singer back in the fucking... He died, R.I.P. Joe. Oh. But yeah, he's a famous old fella. Yeah.

I can't fucking go much into him to be honest. I don't know a lot about him. Oh. But he's like... He's just like an icon. Yeah, huge icon. That's mad that you don't know him. It's not that mad. I don't know him very well and I'm racking about him. But he's a legend for sure. Okay. And basically, I've seen this one video one time. It's on the RT archives. You can look it up. And a lady won a competition to have Joe come to her house...

for a day and like she was obsessed with him her and like half the parish hung knickers and bras up on the bush outside her house joe came in he he's like she's like immediately hugging all the women like he's being swarmed by all these ladies like they're obsessed with him and then it cuts to the your man your one's a husband and they're like what do you think of this and he's like ah sure she never shuts up about you all like it's good that he's here now and she can finally maybe cop on and not be talking about me so much but like

And then it just cuts again into Jo just shifting the head off her in the kitchen and dancing with her. It's like, this is so much to unpack in this two-minute video on the RT website. RT used to be good. I know, right? It used to be hot and heavy. I know. Now it's falling off madly. Now, their RT Investigates are really good. But, like, in terms of TV programs, they're not...

do anything different anymore and they have so much potential like we have republic atelier remember that republic atelier was deadly that was so good yeah and like fucking what's the name pj gallagher was doing that anonymous no that wasn't he was like remember your man with the paper he would dress up as people and just go on fucking and also jason bourne would put the jason bourne jason fucking what's his name he would like get his maybe he did anonymous oh i don't know i don't know he dressed celebrities up in mass and they went and did funny shit to people oh yeah yeah it was a very yeah it was much better