The anticipation for Limerick rapper D-Coy (Diarmuid McCoy) is building as he is set to release his fifth song, called ‘Your Heart’, next Friday.
Perhaps unlike most looking to make their name in Ireland’s growing music industry, D-Coy explained that he wasn’t always interested in pursuing such a career. However, when he was introduced to the audio editing app Voloco by his friend Evan Casey, it was a quick rise from consumer to producer.
“After a while of working on Voloco, I really started to get interested in it,” he explained, “then I started posting clips on TikTok. Now it didn’t get great likes or anything, but it taught me to be more confident.”
With an ever-growing confidence in his ability, the Shanagolden native decided to study Music Production Technology in the Technological University of Shannon, a decision that has served to enhance his music production talents.
“The course has definitely brought on my perspective of music. I knew nothing about music going into it, and I was only really listening to hip-hop, but it’s opened my eyes to ideas for so many other things and so many other worlds inside the music industry.”
Since starting the course in 2022, D-Coy has become adept with the production software Ableton, which has added a large toolbelt to his production abilities, alongside working with a singing coach to bring on his voice.
This has resulted in what he believes to be his highest quality production so far: “It’s my first song I’ve released in over a year, and I really wanted to hone my craft; I didn’t want a neutral singing voice.”
He added, “I wanted to discover a new sound for myself, and I feel like with this song I have. I plan to release songs every month after this, and that was the whole plan, to find consistency after my hiatus.”
An ever-growing scene
The rap scene is certainly on the rise in Ireland, making it possible for up-and-coming artists to cut their teeth in their careers without having to move abroad.
It’s not something D-Coy thought would be possible starting out, “I didn’t think I’d be able to make it in Ireland, but I think these days you definitely can. TikTok is helping so many artists like F3miii, for example, who has over three million monthly listeners on Spotify.”
Ireland’s growing stature within the rap industry has fortified connections with UK rappers, offering further exposure, with D-Coy highlighting how the likes of Jim Legxacy and YT have collaborated with Irish artists.
It will be a busy few weeks for D-Coy, as ahead of his song release, he also has to balance final year assignments, but still he has time to make videos for his song, which is something he still feels is importance despite the growth of short-form content.
“It’s smart for people not to focus too much on them because of TikTok’s algorithm, but I think at the same time, if someone clicks on your profile, you have to be covered in all areas. The depth of a music video can be really what attaches someone to your music,” he outlined.
D-Coy extended his thanks to his videographer Solomon Ikubese, Annamae Carroll, who features in the song’s video and his cousin and editor Ciaran Gleeson.
“Your Heart” will be available to stream on Spotify, YouTube and Soundcloud, and D-Coy’s journey can be followed on Instagram @dcoy00.