WillZEE

Irish hip-hop has undergone a meteoric rise in the last decade or so. The emergence of young artists like Kneecap, Kojaque and Dialect capture the spirit of the working class, and their increasing popularity highlights a shift in Irish music. Musicians from lower socio-economic or ethnic backgrounds are earning a voice in a once monopolistic industry. William Casey, better known as WillZEE is a young artist from the travelling community in Limerick who serves as yet another example of the growing appeal of this unique, humble style of music.

WillZEE was born in Limerick and raised by foster parents in O’Brien’s bridge, a village in west Clare. He had a difficult childhood and has been open about the discrimination he faced growing up as a member of the travelling community, an experience he described as “horrible”. But music was always something of a companion for him. “It’s always been there for me. We used to be on long drives up and down the country and I’d be listening to music in the back of the car the whole way.” A variety of musicians like Eminem, (whose album he got his hands on at the age of eleven) were an inspiration for him in forging a path as a musician. “I’ve always liked to write, but it wasn’t until my 20’s when I really started to focus on my music”.

‘Deep Tinker’ is not just an expression of his own talent as a musician. It provides a political commentary on the divide between the travelling and settled communities in Irish society. The song ‘This is Our War’ is a perfect example of this. It’s not about a war for control, but rather a “fight for survival”. It’s a war to keep their culture and identity alive against the barrage of classism and racism they face from the Irish government and much of society. The song is upbeat, and more pop-like than some of his other work but its message still hits incredibly hard. It’s clear that this album is as much about highlighting the social injustices the travelling community faces and reflecting on his own hardships as it is expressing himself as an artist.

‘Let it Rain’ is arguably even more striking. It’s a much slower and softer song, but the lyrics are just as potent. The message is about the travelling community’s desire to “normalise our lives” as they face systematic racism from Irish society. “But people in suits and ties travellers’ views just scooting eyes, classed as a foolish mind”. Their capabilities are ignored, and opportunities withheld because of ignorance and classism. This song itself goes some way to highlight the talent that can be found in these travelling communities, “not everything in life is black and white and if you search then you will find one-of-a-kind greatness in those tribes”. Much of his music also dabbles in his personal life, with the song ‘Oh Brother’ serving as a note of gratitude to his brother who has always been there for him.

Will says he has always wanted to create an album like this. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed about in the background. I grew up listening to a variety of artists, the likes of Eminem, Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton. […] This style of music has always been something that was inside me.” This album is incredibly close to home for him, a “reflection of not just [his] life, but of what is the issue in the travelling community”. His passion for the representation travellers extends beyond just his music. He has endeavoured to educate himself and understand the “governmental and political side” of why travellers have the highest suicide and prison sentence rates in the country, even writing his thesis on the subject. He highlighted the 1963 Itinerancy report, which sought to end the traditional nomadic life of travellers through government-led settlement schemes as an ignorance of their culture which further marginalised and villainised them in society. “They took polities that they classed as an ‘itinerant problem’ and they utilized those policies against the indigenous people of Ireland”.

He does have some hope, however for the betterment of the relationship between the travelling and settled communities in this country. “I think the accessibility of travellers is improving and having access to arts and different things is becoming more and more approachable”. For him, having the opportunity to have a voice in the music industry is essential for travellers. “Being able to release music that challenges these policies is something that I hope travellers will be able to take inspiration from and be able to speak on behalf of their own stories and challenge the system.” However, the progress has been very slow. “There is 15.5 million euro allocated to the development of accommodation for the travelling community but only four or five counties actually take on the full amount of that.” This failure makes it difficult for travellers to get access to clean water, accommodation and food. The fact that county councils have access to this money and rarely use it is something Will feels needs to be changed. “More needs to be done from the outside”

WillZEE joins a generation of working-class hip-hop artists that have amassed huge popularity in recent years. He feels the reason for this success is authenticity. “I think we have to recognise that we need to be authentic to ourselves”. He cited Denise Chaila, another Irish artist from a diverse background as an example of an artist that expresses her “authentic self” through music. He explains being real and authentic allows them to “celebrate the fact that we are actually living. We’re kick-ass artists and we’re brilliant at what we do.” It’s this reflection of reality in hip hop that arguably makes it so relatable and appealing to listeners.

Reflecting on this album, he said it’s not necessarily the only kind of music he will produce in the future, but he hopes it can be “accessible for younger people and not only people in the travelling community but people from all walks of life.” When asked about his ambitions for the future, he said he’d love to “continue pumping out music” and that he has a few mini-series he’d love to get off the ground. But he is also determined to give back to the community. He has been working on a programme which gives creative opportunities to the youth of the travelling community over the next three years. “I guess for me, my ambition is to help create more great traveller artists like Kneecap, like Kojaque to be able to work alongside and yeah, just keep going.”

WillZEE’s music serves as an inspiration for minorities across the country. His new 10 track album ‘Deep Tinker’ was released on the 20th of May and features a variety of upbeat and softer songs with poetic and thought-provoking lyrics in each. His blend of Irish trad and hip-hop music make for compelling listening, and with his ambitions to continue producing music, there is certainly more to come from this unique Irish artist.