Irish Rapper Kojaque's Poignant "No Hands" Video Finds Hope In The Midst Of Tragedy

Irish Rapper Kojaque's Poignant "No Hands" Video Finds Hope In The Midst Of Tragedy


March 03, 2021

Returning after a brief hiatus, Irish rapper Kojaque is back with the poignant visuals for new single "No Hands". Tender in its execution, "No Hands" is the coming-of-age story of a man who has had to learn life's hard lessons from an early age following the tragic loss of his father.

Rapping over a synth and drum-led instrumental that stirs up visceral emotion, Kojaque uses the metaphor of a bicycle to reference his growth as a person. He also handles the visuals himself, painting a picture of his mother navigating tragedy and learning to balance her instinctive worries against her son's bids for freedom on that very same bike.

Speaking on "No Hands", Kojaque says: "I wrote it on my 21st birthday so it's a couple years old. I think I was just reminiscing on my childhood, trying to recount old memories. There seems to be a pretty universal feeling when you're young and that's wanting to make your parents proud. At least that's what I remember; searching for approval, wanting that reassurance. The track, for me, says: 'Look at me now! Look how far I've come; imagine what else could happen.' My childhood wasn't exactly like everyone else's: at times, I really felt like an alien, but it was happy. It's all I knew. We lost my dad to suicide when I was a child. Although the song is about that loss of potential in my dad's death, I've learned to see the potential in my own life. It's something I've very much come to terms with. For me, it's a very hopeful song."



Words: Ian Opolot
Photography: James O'Donohoe


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