Messiah J & The Expert

The last time I spoke to John Fitzgerald- the deistic half of Irish hip-hop duo Messiah J & The Expert- he left us hoping that rapping would soon be his day job. Two years later his aspirations have hardened a little, “I say it every year but I want to be doing this full time as soon as possible. I’d be really disappointed if I was in the same boat next year.“ What makes this year different is that Messiah J & The Expert have album number two in their back pocket ready to be released on their own label. All they’re missing is the musical equivalent of a Claude Mackele or in John’s preferred case a Roy Keane of old- that little piece of the jigsaw that makes everthing else work. “I know everyone says it but fuck it, this has to be the year.”

Our interview is- as per usual- conducted over a cup of coffee and having just left a six-hour practice in preparation for their first Irish show in two years, John needs it. Despite warnings that he’s well and truly knackered, the motor mouth Messiah J that appears on record is certainly present today. So why then has a man- who could quite easily talk for Ireland- been so anonymous for two years. “Basically we’ve been publicly invisible bar a few bits and piece like the Steve Lemacq session in May. We wanted to seriously improve on our first album and come out with a more musical and better-written second album. We purposely took our time but we’ve also looking after the business side of things so that when we come back we’ll have the proper set up.”

Forthcoming releases will now be pressed on the pairs’ own label, Inaudible Records. First up this spring is a limited edition 12” ‘When The Bull Gores The Matador’ with Def Jux’s C-Rayz Waltz while their sophomore is due later in the year. The principal goal of Inaudible Records is to put Messiah J & The Expert in the shop window. John explains: “We could bring out something ourselves, gain confidence and continue to release on that imprint. But ideally we want to get signed by a UK indie label like Lex (home of Sage Francis and Dangermouse) or we’d love to sign with someone like XL even though they mightn’t necessarily be interested in a band like ourselves."

Discussing the new album, John can’t put his finger on anything from ‘What’s Confusing You’ to indicate their evolution. “It’ll be less like Bloodrush. We’ve become much better songwriters and the arrangements are much better. I think with the first album I was really getting stuff off my chest and it was musically quite intense while this one’s got better, catchier songs. I suppose it’s less traditionally hip-hop in subject matter but there’s some really good rapping on it…well I would say that, wouldn’t I.”

Both men share the current disillusion with hip-hop but refuse to turn their back on their roots. Yet what makes Messiah J and The Expert stand out from their contemporaries is the most eclectic set of influences you’re likely to stumble upon. The Expert’s diet currently consists of 60’s psychedelic and nugget music from the Uglies to Harmony Grass while his Waits and Morrissey adoring partner is tuning into all things Bowie and post-punk. What is most striking is that they are both serious students of music. As John reveals: “Myself and the Expert give each other a new mix every month with a ridiculous title which we’ll then clinically break down. We’ve been really scientific about music and when we put it all together we’ll hide the labour pains and it’ll end up not being over analysed but cleverly written.”

Inspiration is also taken from the unlikeliest of places. Quoting, the Buzzcocks’ Howard Devoto, John explains how he’d like to emulate the Manchester bands success through negative drive. “They weren’t impressed with what was going on and they said well we’re going to do something different.” Twenty-five years on both Irish music and the larger community of hip-hop require a similar injection. Don’t count Messiah J and The Expert out of providing exactly that in 2006.