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 perform the worst song.“We were in second place, so we thought to ourselves, hey, we’re not that bad–we’re only second worst!” Margrét recalls, to the laughter of her bandmates Atli and Þorgerður.

Þorgerður, a pink-haired rapper currently studying music production under the tutelage of veteran rap duo, Úlfur Úlfur, is the founder of Krakk & Spaghettí. Atli, her boyfriend, makes the beats and is studying music mixing at the moment. The cheerful third-wheeling, Margrét Aðalheiður, is the band’s graphic designer as well as a rapper.

Þorgerður and Margrét aren’t only rappers but also angelic choir-singers. They classify their rap as cute, with their professed main goal being to not take themselves too seriously. Margrét saying “Generally, we’re all total buffoons.” “And we want to add more silliness to the Icelandic music scene.” Þorgerður adds. (They have a habit of finishing each other’s sentences.)

The band invites me up to their attic. The tiny space is filled with plants, teddy bears, old magazines and music equipment. Atli makes coffee while Margrét and Þorgerður pet a lazy cat. We get down to the story of how it all began.

Þorgerður: “I wanted to use my Christmas vacation to rap, mostly to be funny on Twitter.”

Margrét: “Then me and Þorgerður got totally drunk at a party and we wrote a song together called ‘Krakk og Spagettí, Magg og swagettí’. Everything in our life has happened because of Twitter–such as our collaboration with Kött Grá Pjé.”

On a whim, Krakk og Spaghettí invited rapper Kött Grá Pjé to collaborate with them via Twitter. They perhaps didn’t expect him to say yes, but he did–with the results speaking for themselves. They’ve also asked Emmsjé Gauti if he would share the instrumental version of his smash hit ‘Bara ég og strákarnir’ (e. Just me and the boys) so that they could make their own version of ‘Bara ég og skátarnir’ (Je. ust me and the Scouts). The band is still waiting on his reply.

The group agrees that Kött Grá Pjé is one of their biggest inspirations. Collaborating with him was therefore one of the band’s highlights,, as well as having him perform an intimate set at Þorgerður’s 21st birthday party. They say Reykjavíkurdætur also had a huge impact on them, acting as role models for girls looking to break into the Icelandic rap scene.

The band has performed off-venue at Iceland Airwaves, alongside Reykjavíkurdætur at the women’s rap evening, as well as at Húrra’s #Freethenipple event. When asked about their favourite gig so far, the band names the Dude festival in the one-horse town of Djúpavogur. They performed at Langabúð, a small bar they proudly filled with drunk people.

Krakk & Spaghettí’s songs can be silly, but also tend to focus on the issues which matter to them. ‘Spenfrelsi’ is a song they wrote in celebration of #Freethenipple, a campaign close to them, as signified in their iconic topless spaghetti photograph. ‘Trúarjátning’ is a political song about religion and children’s confirmation in Iceland, while ‘Hóra Capitalismans’–well, the title speaks for itself.

Photo by Magnús Elvar Jónsson

M: We mostly write about stuff we find funny or important. Although we may be acting silly and having fun, there is always some seriousness behind it. We are a band that started off as a joke, a joke that went really far and never stopped, and here we are.

A: We create most of our stuff under pressure. We book a gig and then we write three songs in a week.

M: Yes, book first, then write. We once wrote one song in two days. We were so late, we had to print out the lyrics and tape them to the monitors–like true rappers.

“You don’t actually have to be cool to rap.”

The rappers all agree that Krakk & Spaghettí has been a huge learning process of mixing, producing and writing. Þorgerður states: “We’re friends doing something we enjoy and we really love performing.” Margrét adds: “The reaction has also been really good. At least, drunk people always seem to compliment us after performances,” she laughs. “We’ve learned a lot and discovered that you don’t actually have to be cool to rap.”

The band says that the dream would be to keep performing at nice venues with cool people in front of fun crowds. They are also a part of the music project FÁT, which aims to matchmake new bands and musicians who want to perform alongside one another. Krakk & Spaghettí have many songs waiting to be released and have already started producing their own signature merchandise in the form of pink sweatbands with the band’s logo. They hope sweatbands will become the new cap.

Fans can purchase the sweatbands for only 1,000 ISK and become a part of Krakk & Spaghettí’s clan.