Irish rap trio set to appear on legendary US TV chat show next week

Belfast's Irish language rap trio Kneecap are set to appear on one of the biggest chat shows in the world next week.

Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí have been invited across the Atlantic Ocean to appear on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon next Friday, March 8.

The legendary US TV chat show, which is the world's longest-running late-night talk show with RTÉ's Late Late Show following in second place, regularly welcomes the biggest guests in entertainment.

Kneecap's stock continues to rise following the debut of their highly anticipated biopic at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival where they took home an audience award for the first-ever Irish language film to premiere at the festival.

The movie held its world premiere back in January and has since signed a major international distribution deal with Sony Pictures Classics.

Based on the origin story of the raucous Irish-language rap trio Kneecap, the film stars the band’s Mo Chara, Moglai Bap and DJ Provai in their acting debuts alongside Michael Fassbender.

Promoters say the film, set in west Belfast in 2019, chronicles how fate brings the trio together and how they then go on to “change the sound of Irish music forever”.

Kneecap was produced by Jack Tarling and Trevor Birney for Fine Point Films and Mother Tongues Films, with Patrick O’Neill at Wildcard acting as co-producer.

Funding for the film was provided by Northern Ireland Screen, the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, Screen Ireland, the BFI awarding National Lottery funding, Coimisiun na Mean and TG4, with backing from Great Point Media.

The trio also recently appeared on RTÉ's Late Late Show where their appearance gained considerable traction for highlighting the ongoing death and destruction in Gaza, with DJ Próvaí removing his jacket to reveal a Palestine jersey. 

RTÉ subsequently released a statement confirming that the trio were asked to not wear pro-Palestinian badges during their appearance.