Stand Up to raise homelessness awareness
By Hayden Moore
ONE OF Dublin’s leading rap artists has penned a hard-hitting and compelling tale about the homeless crises, after teaming up with the charity Focus Ireland.
Ballyfermot’s Gary Nugent, also known as “Nugget”, has written a new song called ‘Stand Up’ to help raise awareness around homelessness in Ireland, as the figure rises to almost 10,000 people, and gain support for a national march on Saturday, April 7th.
Rapper Nugget
After Luka Bloom wrote a song for the march called ‘The End of The Patriot’s Dream’, he called out for other artists to show support – Focus Ireland then reached out to Nugget to get involved in the campaign.
Nugget spoke about the event saying: “When Focus Ireland contacted me to get involved and write a song from my perspective I jumped at the chance and the inspiration came easily. I hope that even a few who hear it might take something away from it to make them think more about what is actually happening to people in 2018.”
After losing his job as an electrician during the recession, Nugget then turned his focus to rapping. His rap career started to take off, and his song ‘Irish Tune’ has accumulated over 750,000 views on YouTube since its release in 2011.
Having played at Electric Picnic on two occasions, he now often writes music about social issues in between work, after he started working again a few years ago.
The march that is being organised by the National Homeless & Housing Coalition to demand immediate action to end the crisis, is due to take place at 1pm at the Garden of Remembrance, Nugget spoke about why he got involved with the march.
He said: “I feel very strongly about the injustice of the homelessness crisis and was delighted to get involved. I hope this track helps to get people talking and thinking about the crisis and that they will come out and march on April 7th.”
He then added: “I have to say I’m absolutely honoured to be involved with Focus Ireland with such an important event, at such an important point in our history. I’ve been concerned and angry for some time that such a national disaster could be occurring and continuing to grow.
“People are suffering for the many mistakes made in the past and being made again by successive governments.”
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