The Northern Boys

Last updated

The Northern Boys
Origin Sutton Coldfield, England
Genres
Years active2022–present
LabelsSindhuworld
Members
  • Norman Pain
  • Patrick Karneigh Jr.
  • Kevin

The Northern Boys are an English hip hop group formed by Liverpool-born rappers Norman Pain and Patrick Karneigh Jr. in Sutton Coldfield in 2022. Pain and Karneigh are the group's only songwriters and performers, but they are considered a trio as they are always accompanied by a dancer known only as Kevin. [a] They are known for creating the group in their 70s, Pain's gravelly voice, their distinctive lyrical style and northern accents, and performing dark and vulgar comedy hip hop songs about taboo topics.

Contents

Career

The Northern Boys were put together in 2022 by the London-based music collective Sindhuworld, [1] [2] which itself began as a corner shop whose Instagram page went viral for its musings on everyday life. [3] Karneigh and Pain reportedly met while working as teachers at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield, though both are originally from Liverpool, [4] [5] which inspired the group's name as Liverpool is in Northwest England whereas Sutton Coldfield is in the West Midlands. Prior to forming the Northern Boys, both had solo music careers and had released music via Sindhuworld, as well as making guest appearances on Pete & Bas tracks as part of the Snooker Team collective. [1]

On 15 September 2022, The Northern Boys released the music video for their debut single "Party Time" (titled onscreen as "Northern Boy") on YouTube. [6] The music video, filmed locally in Sutton Park, gained over 400,000 views on YouTube and 2 million on TikTok within a week. [1] The song's highly vulgar lyrics were rapped over the instrumental to Estelle's song "American Boy". [6] [2] Kevin had suggested that they choose a dance beat for the song rather than a more typical hip hop track so that he could dance to it. [1] Reception of the song was largely positive. Entertainment.ie described the song as "one of the darkest yet funniest songs we've heard in a long time" and praised the music video as a "work of art". [7] Vulture called "Party Time" a "certified banger" with "disarmingly frank, funny lyrics about sex, drugs, partying, and the crippling mental health issues stemming from repressed white English masculinity". [6]

The Northern Boys' next song "Nobody Likes Me" sampled "Acceptable in the 80s" by Calvin Harris and was released in October 2022. [8] Them magazine reported favorably on its TikTok popularity from LGBTQ+ users, who appreciated one of Pain's lyrics that described a positive sexual encounter with a trans man. [9] GRM Daily, which praised The Northern Boys as "some of rap's unlikeliest heroes", said that the song "slaps". [8] The song was later pulled from streaming services due to the unauthorised sampling of "Acceptable in the 80s", but the music video remains available on YouTube. A review from The White Pube highlighted the distinctly English themes of anger and embarrassment in the group's work: "I can't think of anything more deeply English to represent us [at Eurovision]. I want art that admits there's a badness growing over us plebs like the mould in the beige houses we rent from jobless kings and queens." [10]

On 23 March 2023, the group released "Give It to Me". The single made a more in-depth exploration of LGBTQ+ themes in its music video and was described by GRM Daily as "fun, cheeky, and will have you bopping along". [11] The music video for their song "Sexy Train" was filmed at Euston railway station and was released on YouTube on 6 July 2023. [12] This was followed four months later by "F the World", which saw the Northern Boys explore an "anarchistic and punk-influenced sound" and included footage of their live performances in the song's music video. [13] "F the World" received some attention in the rock music community, with Ultimate Guitar listing it at No. 13 on their "20 Best Songs of 2023" list and writing, "With a stream-of-consciousness lyrical style and a provocative attitude, the trio made waves online, exploring controversial topics in their songs and even taking on a punk edge on 'F the World'." [14]

The Northern Boys' only single of 2024, "Robot Man", was released on 11 January; the music video features the band dressed in poorly-made robot costumes while making double entendres about cybersex. [15] [16]

Artistry

The Northern Boys have described their writing process as "bang[ing] out ideas in drunken stupors" that results in a distinctive stream-of-consciousness lyrical style. [2] The White Pube has described the band's depiction of class, gender, and race as a key part of their appeal. [10] Kevin, [a] the third member of the group, does not appear on vocals but is always featured in the band's music videos as a dancer. [1] [2]

Discography

Singles

Other appearances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acceptable in the 80s</span> 2007 single by Calvin Harris

"Acceptable in the 80s" is a song by Scottish producer, songwriter and DJ Calvin Harris, taken from his debut studio album I Created Disco. It was released as his debut single on 12 March 2007. The single peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surf Curse</span> American surf rock band

Surf Curse is an American indie surf rock band formed in 2012 in Reno, Nevada, and now based in Los Angeles. The band was formed by Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck (guitars), and now also includes Henry Dillon and Noah Kholl. The band achieved mainstream success after their song "Freaks", written in 2011 and released in 2013, became popular on the short-form video platform TikTok in 2020. In 2024, their 2019 song "Disco" would also go viral on TikTok, topping the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart in September 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K-Trap</span> British rapper and songwriter

Devonte Kasi Martin Perkins, better known by his stage name K-Trap, is a British rapper and songwriter from South London. He is known for his prominence in the UK drill scene, releasing notable mixtapes such as The Last Whip (2017), The Re-Up (2018) and No Magic (2019). Previously, K-Trap was widely known for wearing a balaclava to conceal his identity until June 2019 when he revealed his face for the first time in the music video for his single ‘Big Mood’, promoting his mixtape No Magic.

GRM Daily, formerly Grime Daily, is a British urban music outlet and entertainment platform. As the name suggests, the platform is an outlet for UK rap and its various genres, such as UK drill, afroswing, trap, and British hip hop. The platform also serves electronic genres such as UK garage and grime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashnikko</span> American rapper and singer (born 1996)

Ashton Nicole Casey, known professionally as Ashnikko, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Her 2019 single "Stupid" featuring Yung Baby Tate gained viral popularity on the video-sharing platform TikTok and was certified platinum in the United States and Canada. Ashnikko's debut mixtape, Demidevil, was released in January 2021, and spawned the singles "Daisy" and "Slumber Party". Her studio album, Weedkiller, came in 2023.

OFB, short for Original Farm Boys, is a British hip hop collective based in Broadwater Farm, North London. OFB is one of the most prominent UK drill groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toosie Slide</span> 2020 single by Drake

"Toosie Slide" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his commercial mixtape Dark Lane Demo Tapes (2020). Written alongside producer OZ, it was released as the lead single on April 3, 2020, through Republic and OVO. The song is titled after social media influencer, Toosie, who had previously helped the song go viral. A video was released alongside the song, showing Drake quarantined, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also demonstrates the Toosie Slide dance in his Toronto mansion. The song debuted at number eighteen on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 before debuting at number one on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart the next week, making Drake the first male artist to accomplish three number-one debuts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flo Milli</span> American rapper (born 2000)

Tamia Monique Carter, known professionally as Flo Milli, is an American rapper and songwriter. She rose to prominence after her 2018 single "Beef FloMix" and its 2019 follow up, "In the Party" both reached virality on TikTok; the latter received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In late 2019, she signed a recording contract with Justin Goldman's '94 Sounds, an imprint of RCA Records.

Kadie Karen Diekmeyer, popularly known as That Vegan Teacher, is a Canadian animal rights activist, internet personality and former educator, mainly known for promoting veganism. Before she started her online career, Diekmeyer was a nurse and later an ESL teacher but eventually left the latter job at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Diekmeyer is known for her TikTok and YouTube accounts that promote veganism. Some of Diekmeyer's content has been controversial, and has prompted accusations of racism and homophobia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Cee</span> British rapper (born 1998)

Oakley Neil Caesar-Su, known professionally as Central Cee, is a British rapper and songwriter from Shepherd's Bush, London. He rose to prominence in 2020 with the release of the singles "Day in the Life" and "Loading". His first mixtape, Wild West (2021), debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, while his second, 23 (2022), debuted atop the chart.

Rhys Angelo Emile Herbert, known professionally as Digga D, is a British rapper. He rose to fame in 2017 along with his UK drill collective CGM. His mixtapes Double Tap Diaries and Made In The Pyrex reached No. 10 and 3 on the UK Albums Chart, respectively. His third mixtape Noughty By Nature was released on 15 April 2022, debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart. His fourth mixtape Back To Square One was released in August 2023.

Tim & Bong are a British hip hop duo based in London, formed in 2017. The duo consists of two rap artists, Timothy (Tim) Mole and Joe (Bong) Ferret, who are both in their 70s. They are notable for the songs such as "The Old Estate", "Dents in a Peugeot", and their debut single, "Shut Ya Mouth”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick (song)</span> 2019 single by StarBoi3 featuring Doja Cat

"Dick" is a song by American rapper StarBoi3 featuring American rapper and singer Doja Cat. It was originally released on May 16, 2019 on SoundCloud, before being re-released on April 23, 2021 by RCA Records after going viral on TikTok. The song was produced by soFly and Nius and BigWhiteBeatz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swerve (Jay1 song)</span> 2021 song by Jay1 featuring KSI

"Swerve" is a song by British rapper Jay1. The song features a guest appearance from British YouTuber and rapper KSI. It was released for digital download and streaming by RCA Records and Sony on 2 July 2021. An accompanying music video was released the day before the song's release. The song charted at number 69 in the United Kingdom. The song appears on the Platinum VIP edition of KSI's second studio album, All Over the Place (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PinkPantheress</span> English singer (born 2001)

Victoria Beverley Walker, known professionally as PinkPantheress, is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her songs, which are frequently short in length and include samples of music from the 1990s and 2000s, span a number of genres, including alt-pop, bedroom pop, drum and bass, and 2-step garage. She has been nominated for three Brit Awards and was named Producer of the Year by Billboard Women in Music in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeat</span> American rapper (born 2000)

Noah Olivier Smith, known professionally as Yeat, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his experimental sound—most notably the rage sound, unique choice of words, and unconventional fashion sense featuring a mix of designer brands and balaclavas.

Hodifa Abdalla Elshabli, known professionally as Geko, is a British rapper and singer from Manchester. He is best known for singles such as "6:30" and "New Money" which charted on the UK Singles Chart and were certified by the BPI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doechii</span> American rapper,singer and songwriter (born 1998)

Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon, known professionally as Doechii, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. After releasing her debut EP, Oh the Places You'll Go (2020), she rose to prominence on TikTok with the viral success of her song "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake" in 2021. She then signed with Top Dawg Entertainment in a joint venture with Capitol Records, through which she released her second EP, She / Her / Black Bitch (2022). Her 2023 single "What It Is " marked her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The following year, she released her mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal (2024) to widespread critical acclaim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rondodasosa</span> Italian and singer rapper

Mattia Barbieri born 29 April 2002 in Milano, known professionally as Rondodasosa, is an Italian rapper and singer. Born in San Siro, Milan, he began his musical career in 2020, releasing his debut EP Giovane Rondo the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peggy (Ceechynaa song)</span>

"Peggy" is a song by English rapper Ceechynaa. It was released independently on 5 December 2024 and marks her first release since the remix of her 2023 single "Last Laugh" with NLE Choppa. The song and music video gained a lot of attention online and became her first entry on the UK Singles Chart.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Known mononymously in promotional material with no last name publicly given.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Klee, Miles (September 24, 2022). "The Northern Boys, Rapping Retired U.K. Teachers, Break Down Their Filthy Viral Hit 'Party Time'". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Haidari, Niloufar (October 12, 2022). "Hanging Out With the Northern Boys, the UK's Finest Retiree Rap Act". Vice . Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  3. ↑ Harrison, Angus (November 1, 2017). "Investigating Sindhuworld, the Internet's Favourite Corner Shop". VICE. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Patrick Karneigh Junior". Genius. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Norman Pain". Genius. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Alter, Rebecca (September 22, 2022). "It's Time for Northern Boy Autumn". Vulture . Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  7. ↑ Murphy, Lauren (September 27, 2022). "This NSFW rap music video by retired teachers might be the funniest thing you've ever seen". Entertainment.ie . Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Pete & Bas affiliates The Northern Boys drop off new banger "Nobody Likes Me"". GRM Daily . October 28, 2022. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  9. ↑ Factoria, James (November 10, 2022). "Transmascs on TikTok Are Loving This Song that Finally Objectifies Them". Them . Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "The Northern Boys". The White Pube . April 23, 2023. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  11. ↑ Yaregal, Bizu (March 23, 2023). "Watch the Northern Boys return with "Give It To Me"". GRM Daily . Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  12. ↑ "The Northern Boys Board the "Sexy Train" in Latest Visuals". GRM Daily . July 7, 2023. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  13. ↑ "The Northern Boys say "F The World" on latest release"". GRM Daily . November 6, 2023. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  14. ↑ Martins, Jorge (December 21, 2023). "UG Awards: 20 Best Songs of 2023". Ultimate Guitar . Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Watch The Northern Boys do the "Robot Man" in latest visuals". GRM Daily . January 12, 2024. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  16. ↑ "18 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan . January 12, 2024. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.