KhakiKid - Must be a Man (Official Video)
‘Poised to be Ireland's next great Rap hero’ - NME
‘The Silly saviour of Irish Alt - Rap’ - Dazed
‘Ireland's most meme-worth alt-rapper’ - Hunger Magazine
‘Khakikid has established himself as a staple of the Dublin hip-hop scene’ - Wonderland
Stream / Download “Must be a Man” Here
Dublin-born alternative artist KhakiKid returns with ‘Must Be a Man’, a sharp-witted new single that takes aim at the absurdities of traditional masculinity. From cracking jokes at funerals and refusing to cry, to getting sunburnt for not using suncream, KhakiKid pokes fun at the ridiculous expectations and behaviours associated with being a man, delivered with his trademark irreverence and humour. Produced by Louis Stanley Isaacs, ‘Must Be a Man’ pairs infectious production and uplifting melodies with KhakiKid’s candid, characteristically playful lyricism. Released during Movember, the single offers a timely and tongue-in-cheek take on the often contradictory expectations surrounding masculinity, finding humour in the unwritten rules men are expected to follow without losing the personality and unpredictability that define his sound. Having already teased the track during his recent sold-out UK and Ireland tour, KhakiKid now brings one of his most anticipated releases to date to the forefront. The single arrives alongside an accompanying music video directed by David Willis. Shot in Dublin, the film uses actors to bring the narrative to life, with KhakiKid making an appearance. Through a series of scenarios, from cracking under pressure to discovering you’re going to be a father, the video plays with familiar expectations of masculinity, balancing moments of vulnerability with the absurdity and humour of everyday life. Staying true to KhakiKid’s distinctly playful visual world, the film brings his observations on modern masculinity to life through his signature blend of humour, male camaraderie and mischief. Speaking on the single, KhakiKid said:
"I wrote the hook for 'Must Be A Man' the day after performing at a Movember event. I’d been asked to speak briefly about my mental health and what being a man meant to me. I was happy to but when I got on stage, the host began asking questions I’d never really considered before. I found myself getting emotional talking about things I’d never really shared publicly, or even with friends. I’d always thought I was over my past, but that conversation made me realise it had affected me more than I’d understood. Some of the questions centred around father figures and the people who shaped me into the man I am today. I realised that a lot of what I’d learned from those people was what not to do. I’d spent more time figuring out the kind of man I didn’t want to be than the kind I did. I wrote the hook the following day, playing with the clichés and tropes of masculinity, but sat on it for a couple of years before feeling comfortable enough to use it. When the time finally came, my friend Andy Asco was filming some bits in the studio. He has an incredible voice, and I knew he could bring the emotion I wanted to the hook, so he ended up singing it while I wrote the verses. In the years since, I’ve come to appreciate the brilliant lads I’m lucky to have around me. I’ve learned to tell people I love them, beyond just my mam, and to understand the importance of having difficult conversations."
Born and raised in Dublin, KhakiKid — real name Abdu — has been carving out a space of his own in Ireland’s alternative scene. First inspired to write raps at the age of 12 by the raw storytelling of Eminem and 50 Cent, alongside the grime and rap videos of Channel U, he has since developed a genre-fluid sound shaped by the offbeat creativity of Tyler, The Creator and Mac Miller, as well as Irish contemporaries Bricknasty and Kojaque. His approach extends well beyond the music itself. An active force behind his own visuals, KhakiKid has built a recognisable creative universe where surreal humour, friendship and unfiltered self-expression take centre stage. Whether roller-skating inside a moving van, stepping into the ring for a mock UFC showdown with Kojaque or diving into a swimming pool fully clothed, his videos embrace the unpredictable spirit that has become central to his identity as an artist. Beneath the mischief sits a more personal thread. Having grown up on a Dublin council estate, KhakiKid has spoken openly about living with ADHD and navigating feelings of being misunderstood as a child of Irish-Libyan heritage growing up in Ireland. Questions of identity, belonging and self-acceptance continue to inform his work, lending emotional weight to music that rarely takes itself too seriously. That balance has helped propel his rise. His five-track EP, ‘Girl Bites Dog’, arrived in April to support from BBC Radio 1’s Future Artists programme, including airplay from Sian Eleri, alongside coverage from Dazed, The Times, Notion, HUNGER and NME. He has also featured in both Wonderland and Hunger magazines, while NME named him among its 100 Essential Artists and Dazed highlighted him as one to watch, he has also been spotlighted in The Sunday Times Power list. His growing profile has been matched by more than 30 million streams and his Spotify monthly listeners recently peaked at 1M with a viral promotional clip for ‘Soul’ amassing over 16 million views across social media further highlighting his rapidly expanding online audience.
Onstage, KhakiKid has proved equally compelling. His recent seven-date UK and Ireland tour sold out, with demand for his London headline show prompting a second date at The Lower Third. Other highlights include supporting The Streets at Rock N Roll Circus, headlining Dublin’s iconic 3Olympia Theatre and performing at Electric Picnic, Other Voices and Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. While his wider creative reach has seen him collaborate with Diageo alongside Joy Crookes, take part in a World Cafe Live session with NPR and feature in Ireland’s ‘Coming Home’ fashion campaign. Fresh from a run that has taken him from viral moments to sold-out rooms, KhakiKid continues to build on his growing momentum with ‘Must Be a Man’, turning his attention to the contradictions of masculinity in a track that is as infectious as it is thought-provoking. An artist whose appeal lies in making the unconventional feel instinctive, KhakiKid once again demonstrates how humour and honesty can go hand in hand. As excitement around him continues to build, the single reveals another side to his artistry, showcasing a versatility and growing maturity that points towards an exciting next chapter. With rumours of a debut album on the horizon, ‘Must Be a Man’ offers a glimpse of what’s to come in the year ahead.
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Director - David Willis @bigfatwillis
Producers - Kate Gurren @kategurrenfilm & Mia Donnelly @miadonnellyfilm
Production Manager - Jake Herbert @stroopjake
DOP - Ronan Nissenbaum @ronannissenbaum
1st AC - Fiachra Cotter O'Culachain @fiachrafilms
Gaffer - David Smullen @dvdsmullen
Best Boy - Jack O’Malley @jackdjangoo
Artist - KhakiKid @Khakikid
Label - 10K UK - @10kprojects
Creative - @daisybelknap @rickinzi
Art Director - Daisy Kindersley McKenzie @daisyliketheflowers.design
Stylist - Megan McGuigan @meganmcguigan_
Styling Assistant - Alan Reid @_alan.__
Editor - Adam Kelleher @weepywoopy
Colourist - Cam Sander @camsander_sander
Main Cast
Archer Cusack @archercusackk
Mikey Cullen @mikey___cullen
Featured Cast
Barber - Ryan McGuirk @ryanmcguirk_
James Doyle @jamesdoylefitness
Jake Diviney @jake_diviney
Cian Jones @cianj_11
Christian Kunene @ch2stian
Jack Blair @jcksprat
Rylan Stubbins @rystubbins
Jamie Stewart @giz_a_look_at_ye
Jamie Manley @_jamiemanley_
Finn Kavanagh @finnk.avanagh
Billy Stafford @billy__stafford
Olivia Daly
Thanks to: Nandos Tallaght, Paula Stewart, Daragh Cogley, McDowells Pub, Ceri Sîan Dixon
