Mayo rapper Uppbeat sets a hazy atmosphere in the new video for his track ‘Paper’, the second video from his first EP ‘Enter Aquarius’.

With a combination of flare shots, anthemic rapping, and blind musical ambition, the video sets the tone from the off, before offering viewers a glimpse into the world of underground Irish hip-hop.

The video, directed and produced by Nathan Sheridan, and shot by Sheridan and Rebecca Fahy in locations across Dublin, shows Uppbeat living the high-life in settings across the city. With a combination of well-lit outside shots and the murkier, underground setting of an urban house, the video highlights the contrast between the good and the bad side of money, riches, and power.

The song, recorded in Chili & Shortcut in Swords, starts off with a confident and playful chorus which progresses into an introspective verse by Uppbeat which discusses how he was forced to wake up and get his act together.

He shines a light on the fact that he and his friends come from a very different background, this background being the West of Ireland which has no history or association with hip hop music or culture.

Speaking about the track, Uppbeat notes that the idea for the song “was to have an anthem for my friends and anyone who relates, to be able to play when they’re having a laugh. I mention a lot of things in the song that only happens in the West of Ireland or relate specifically to the community I was brought up in”.

When asked about his plans for the next few months, Uppbeat is quick to point out that ‘Paper’ is only the beginning in a long list of videos on the way, saying “Paper is just the warm-up really. I feel the other videos will really make an impact”.

Watch – ‘Paper’:

The ‘Enter Aquarius’ EP is available now on Spotify.