'I'm cockney, I'm Zulu, but I'm also Belfast-ian'- how identity influences NI hip-hop

Rapper Leo Miyagee was born in Zimbabwe but raised in London and moved to Northern Ireland when he was 13

The hip-hop scene in Belfast may be in its infancy, but its brightest stars are shining on some of the biggest stages around the world.

Acts such as Irish language rap trio Kneecap and Grammy-nominated Jordan Adetunji have helped to pave the way for the next wave.

A new BBC NI documentary Born in Belfast: A Hip-Hop Story tells the story of how the genre found a home in Belfast and features interviews with Jordan Adetunji, Jun Tzu and other local artists including Leo Miyagee, T Mike, Emiliani and Lexus Monroe.

Born in Zimbabwe, raised in London and moving to Northern Ireland when he was 13, Leo Miyagee said the hip-hop scene in Belfast at that time was a "culture shock" and "50 years behind", but now "there's a lot more unity and a lot more talent coming through".

The programme takes its name from the 2014 track 'Born in Belfast' by hip-hop artist Jun Tzu

"I think I'm as much 'Belfast-ian', as I am Cockney, as I am Zulu," he said. "I think all of them had an impact, and I try and speak about all of them, but I always try and find the middle ground.

"I think all of those identities, the Britishness, the Irishness, and the Zuluness have all played a part."

Leo told BBC News NI it's about local hip-hop "catching up with the rest of the world".

Having cut their teeth in the same clubs growing up, many of the artists know each other well and support each other's careers, with Leo describing Jordan Adetunji as "easily the most naturally talented musician I've ever come across in the north and the south of Ireland".

Northern Irish hip-hop artist Jordan Adetunji was nominated for a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap performance in 2024

Born in Croydon and raised in Belfast, Jordan's rise has been one that most performers dream of.

He was nominated for a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap performance in 2024, alongside Beyoncé and the Weeknd for his song Kehlani, which has almost half a billion streams on Spotify and regularly features on the social media app TikTok.

"I was one of the very few black boys in the school, I was able to express myself like I was more proud that I was black because in London there was so much diversity I didn't really feel different, and over here I felt different but in a good way," he told the programme.

"I feel that's what helped me advance as an artist because I was already feeling like I'm trend-setting something that people aren't doing."

Irish language rap trio Kneecap have become hugely successful in recent years but have also generated some controversy

The programme's co-producer Lindsay Dube said Born in Belfast: A Hip-Hop Story is a "passion project".

"I'm always trying to find stories that are positive for Northern Ireland, so I came up with the idea of telling a story about the hip-hop culture and how it's changing in Northern Ireland," he told BBC News NI.

"Over that period, I noticed a change, a serious change, with Kneecap and Jordan [Adetunji] going worldwide, which was fascinating because Northern Ireland is a small country producing these artists."

Co-producer Lindsay Dube said the programme "shows the beauty of where we are as a country, where you're promoting the creative nature of Northern Ireland"

"This is a beautiful, positive story that embraces diversity, especially right now, and shows the beauty of where we are as a country where you're promoting the creative nature of Northern Ireland."

The programme takes its name from Jun Tzu's 2014 track 'Born in Belfast'.

Lindsay said the programme is about showcasing local artists: "Hip-hop has always united people, doesn't matter what colour you are, what creed you are, what gender - hip-hop has always done that.

"These young people have actually broken that barrier where they collaborate across the line, which is something that probably some of us can learn."

You can watch Born in Belfast: A Hip-Hop Story on BBC1 at 22:40 GMT on Monday 1 December.