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Open The Doors For Birnir
Hip-hop artist Birnir lives for 2,000 years It’s been about a month since Birnir’s third LP Dyrnar came out. His first in four years, Dyrnar comes off the back of the acclaimed record Bushido, which swept music lovers — from die-hard rap fans…
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KÓPÓ! Herra Hnetusmjör Brings The Flow And The Fest
The landscape of Icelandic rap has been ever-evolving since the first fully Icelandic language rap albums dropped in 2001. While English-language hip hop existed in Iceland before this point, the linguistic shift provided a crucial turning point which continues to influence the…
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The Icelandic Rap Scene Is “Dead”, And Its Women Are Ignored
A recent article published on the RUV website, has been making waves by announcing the death of Icelandic rap music. The article, written by Davíð Roach Gunnarsson, slammed the rap scene, saying that, although a lot of good music was still being…
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Elli Grill: Evil Suburban Kids
Over the past few years, Elli Grill has become an easily-recognized figure within the Icelandic music scene. From his early-days performing near-exclusively with hip hop collective Shades of Reykjavík, to participating in Iceland’s national selection-competition for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and…
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All Day, Everyday: Rapper 24/7 Is Here To Stay
“Seplar ljúka,” “Hvað er planið,” and “Tvöfalt glas.” Three songs. All hits. Together racking up nearly a quarter of a million plays. The common denominator? A feature by rapper 24/7. 24/7 (real name Hafþór Sindri) is, arguably, one of the biggest stars…
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Women In Hip-Hop Unite: Puzzy Patrol Show At Gamla Bíó
Strong punchy beats resonate through the air, with the bass down low. In case you don’t know yet, Icelandic female rappers can rap faster than Eminem or Jay-Z. These women are confident, fierce and empowered, and now you have a chance to…
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1997: The Last Days of Rock
Yes, rock is dead. It is dead in the sense that punk is dead. Or classical. Punk by now belongs in a museum (you can find one on Bankastræti) and classical music can still be enjoyed at the Harpa concert hall, in…
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Shards of Glass and Iron Scraps: Kött Grá Pje Retires
“I feel average, which is something I can’t be content with,” says the artist and writer Kött Grá Pje. He announced his retirement from rap music on Twitter just this July 9. “I made the decision after due consideration, having taken a…
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Short Shorts, Fake Asses & Feminism: Cyber Is CRAP
“So it’s the second day of high school,” declares Jóhanna Rakel—one half of rap duo Cyber—with a smirk and clasped fingers. “And there’s this girl sitting there with big headphones, braided hair, a Led Zeppelin t-shirt, striped leggings, drawing all over her…
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The Front Line: Underground Under-21 Icelandic Hip-Hop
If you’ve followed the last 2 years of Grapevine’s coverage on Icelandic rap and hip hip, you’ll know that the scene is just crazy right now. (BTW: Every different word in that sentence links to a separate article about the scene.) But…
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Big Sean Believes In Elves And “Björk’s From Here?”
Yesterday, the annual Secret Solstice Festival finished, and one of the headliners was Detroit born rapper Big Sean, the Grapevine met him backstage moments before his concert for an interview, where—following a pre-made script— he talked about elves, rams’ testicles and the…
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Music Festival On Top Of Esjan In The Midnight Sun
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Jóhanna the intern said as we boarded a small helicopter by the roots of Esjan—the mountain people of Reykjavík claim as their own. “I’m terrified of heights.” I would like to be able to…
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Go Native: The Secret Icelandic Acts At The Solstice Festival
Secret Solstice, the biggest music festival in Iceland, returns this weekend. If you’re dropping in from abroad, you’ll know Foo Fighters and The Prodigy already, but maybe not the local acts who really give the festival its personality. Here are a few…
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Emmsjé Gauti As Miniature Muscle Man In New Video
Today, rapper Emmsjé Gauti released a new video for his song “Lyfti mér upp”. The video is captivating and breathtaking—highlights include Gauti travelling to the supermarket, pushing a pram, and showing the world that he takes oral hygiene very seriously. The video…
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The Fall and Rise of Dabbi T: From Rap to Drugs and Back Again
Ten years ago, rapper Dabbi T conquered the underground, but as drugs took control of his life, his career ground to a halt. Now, he’s making his comeback with the EP ‘T’, marking his return to music—and sanity. The crisply dressed Dabbi…
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Don’t Ask Nanna: About Icelandic Rap
Hi Nanna, I love the energetic, passionate musical style of feminist rap group Reykjavíkurdætur. What are your thoughts on the group? I am not sure if they are still recruiting, but would you ever consider rapping on stage with them at one…
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VIDEO: XXX Rottweiler Hundar Release Video Before Secret Solstice
XXX Rottweiler Hundar have released the new single and video “Negla.” The video was shot in one day as the group prepared for and then performed at Happy Festival, a small festival that takes place in the up-and-coming Grandi area. XXX Rottweiler…
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*MUSIC VIDEO* Hey, Gísli Pálmi, What Does “RORO” Mean?
Gísli Pálmi, or GP, has released a new song/music video. Deciphering Icelandic rap is difficult enough, but GP manages to put native speakers to task with his use of slang only understood by himself and the rest of the Glacier Mafia. What…
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VIDEO: Live Session With Úlfur Úlfur
Austrian video journalists, Sarah Brugner and Michael Luger of THEY SHOOT MUSIC, have shared with us their wonderful video series of Icelandic artists coping with winter’s short days. Check out Úlfur Úlfur, Iceland’s favourite rap duo, performing their song 100.000. In the…
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Reykjavík’s Newest Rap Clan: Krakk & Spaghettí
Ever since the release of bangers such as Spenfrelsi (e. Nipple freedom) and Hóra Kapítalismans (e. Capitalist’s Whore), the rise of Krakk & Spaghettí–Reykjavík’s newest rap clan–has been unstoppable. The group started out by competing in a song contest to write and…
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Cryptochrome Drop Crazy Little Video
Cryptochrome have unveiled their newest video, for the track “Crazy Little You.” The UK/IS husband-wife hip-hop duo have expanded into an internationally-based four-piece collective. Their new formation adds London, Berlin, Hamburg and LA to their list of hometowns, in addition to their…
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Happening Tonight: Kött Grá Pjé & Forgotten Lores
Icelandic rapper Kött Grá Pje’s shows are just as good as his photos. And believe me, his photos are good (see above: he’s the one wearing pearls). Slide fucking legendary old-skool hip-hop group Forgotten Lores into the line-up (their first show in…
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Learning To Love The Icelandic Rap Sheet
Icelandic rappers had been dotting my Spotify for some time, but until Airwaves 2015, I didn’t get what a socialist-leaning, generally-doing-alright country could rap about. But before you grab your rosaries or voodoo dolls or whatever, know that I’m a changed woman now.…