We catch up with KhakiKid on a Monday evening. He tunes into the video call whilst sitting in his car; the spring sun is low in the sky, bathing him in a warm, golden glow that matches the energy of his new EP – the 5-track mini masterpiece, Girl Bites Dog. Over the course of our conversation, I learn that KhakiKid, born Abdu Huss, has a spirit that’s just as colourful as his music. He’s intelligent, he’s passionate, and best of all, he’s wholeheartedly, hilariously himself.  

“Irish dude loves Mac Miller.” In one sentence, that’s how KhakiKid would describe his new project. “That’s a hard question. But you get the vibes?” He asks. And I do. His sound is equal parts nostalgia and newness, infused with an introspective, soulful energy reminiscent of the late Mac Miller. But with thick, curly hair and an Irish accent. 

Born and raised in Dublin with half-Libyan heritage, and influenced by a concoction of UK grime and US rap, it’s no surprise that KhakiKid has carved a musical niche for himself that nobody else could inhabit. He’s undoubtedly one of one, and that’s by design. 

He takes inspiration from a smorgasbord of musical icons portrayed by his ideal festival line-up: Michael Jackson, Prince and D’Angelo all resurrected from the afterlife, joined by Dominic Pike, Chief Keef and 50 Cent. “But 50 Cent when he was like 24 years old or something. And I would also love for the crowd to somehow be a crowd from 2002.” Oh, and with Fela Kuti as the “surprise guest headliner.”

And just like this eclectic taste, KhakiKid’s music could easily transcend time, place and genre. Think hip-hop with a soulful indie flare, slick bars telling stories that are profoundly relatable, hidden pockets and kooky beats, unforgettable (often meme-inspired) visuals that are raw, aesthetically pleasing and chaotic at the same time.  

His blossoming alt-rap music catalogue has put him on the map, but he comes from humble roots. From writing raps at 12 years old, a young Abdu was later inspired by fellow budding artists in Dublin. He started making music in his adolescence as a “distraction from studying”. Deferring his place at university, he eventually let go of his plans to pursue Actuarial Science and chased his true passion instead. “I felt really bad for my mother because the music wasn’t great – it was really bad music… But actuaries are kind of like evil accountants, basically. I didn’t wanna be an accountant, full stop. But an evil one is even worse.”

The rise of KhakiKid since then has been stratospheric. Things kicked off in 2020 with his debut track “Last Week”, then his vibey breakthrough hit “Shlumped Up” came in 2021. A stream of acclaimed songs and collaborations followed, peaking again with the release of insatiable hit “Date Nite” last year, from his 2025 EP Moanbag. It was embraced by millions and resulted in two RTÉ Choice Music Prize Nominations. It’s safe to say that Ab’s cult following has now grown far beyond the Dublin estate that he grew up in. 

Kicking it with KhakiKid is a whole lot of fun. We talk about D’Angelo’s intricate vocal layering and the glory of seven minute songs by The Isley Brothers. We talk about the bright orange iPhone that he tried to cover up with a neutral-coloured phone case before realising he should just accept it the way it is: “There’s no point in getting the orange one and then pretending it’s not the orange one. You kind of have to just do it.” Similarly, KhakiKid is learning to embrace more important things, like the tapestry of his heritage and music from his North African motherland. 

And what of the new EP, Girl Bites Dog? Well, it’s truly something special. If it was a film, KhakiKid says it would be a horror comedy, though he wishes it was a psychological thriller. But when I meet him three days later at the launch party in East London, he tells me that he’s “been thinking about it and, actually, it’s gotta be a rom com.” If that best encapsulates a project that is as fun, deeply personal and full of heart, then perhaps he’s right. Take a listen – it will become the soundtrack of your summer. But first, stick with us as we take a deep dive into KhakiKid’s multicoloured mind. 

Hey KhakiKid! What’s inspiring you outside of music right now?

“I love film. And do you know what I also love? Comedians. I love comedy, but I’m always too afraid to say that ’cause then people are like, ‘Oh, you’re trying to be a funny rapper.’ But my favourite comedians are the ones who can point out how absurd the small, silly things that we take for granted are.”

Tell us more about why Mac Miller is such an inspiration for you.

“Especially towards the later part of his career, he had a way of writing music that felt bittersweet. And he would describe things in the simplest way – it was never intense poetry and I felt that’s something I resonated with the most. It’s not every day that I feel the happiest or saddest, but bittersweet is a feeling that I can feel every day about loads of different things. He had an eye and an ear for pointing that out.” 

Congratulations on the release of Girl Bites Dog! What would be the ideal time for listeners to soak up this EP?

“I think it would be at a time in your life when you don’t know if you should be sad or happy. There’s a phrase for music that sounds fun but lyrically is kind of sad. I feel like the project’s a little like that.”

Do you have a favourite song on the EP right now?

“In previous projects, I had absolute favourites, but for this one it varied throughout the whole process of making it, mixing it, mastering it, releasing it. My favourite changes constantly. It’ll change tomorrow as well, but right now it’s ‘Shoes Up’.”

I love that one too. But I’m really loving “Soul” at the moment. I think it’s beautiful and nostalgic, I love the hook and the chorus. It’s so good!

“I’ve changed my mind, mine is ‘Soul’ too now. You’ve influenced me!”

Several tracks have a nostalgic, old-school vibe. What music did you grow up listening to?

“I grew up mostly listening to American rap and also grime on Channel U. And to be honest, I didn’t listen to any other music until I was like 20 years old when I met this band, Bricknasty. They put me on to soul and funk music – now I’ve kind of fallen in love. Prince, The Isley Brothers, especially D’Angelo. He’s so good that I almost can’t take anything from him, you know what I mean? You listen to him and you’re like, ‘Maybe I can do something similar to that.’ And that’s where the trap is – you’ll never do anything similar to D’Angelo. He is unmatched.”

It’s so refreshing to hear regional accents in the mainstream. How important is representing Ireland in your artistry?

“I’ve come to realize that my favourite art is from artists who are being themselves. For me, I feel nothing but Irish. In my head, I thought it was silly that people would ask me, ‘Do you think you could inspire youth to be themselves or rap with Irish accents?’ But recently I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me to say that it meant a lot to them to hear my voice. What I’ve loved recently is EsDeeKid’s success. It makes me so happy to see a regional accent become so successful. It just kind of proves that you don’t have to sound like everybody else.”

You’ve also spoken about your identity in relation to being half-Libyan. Could you tell us more about what you’re learning about that side of your heritage?

“I’m super interested in it. I’ve become really fond of finding more and more music from North Africa. There’s this record company from Germany called Habibi Funk, and they’re always finding new funk and soul and records from North Africa in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. That’s not something that the majority of people would attach to North Africa, but it’s opened my mind up to what’s out there.”

What’s next for KhakiKid?

“It’s very much time for an album so I am locking the f*** in on that. I don’t know if this counts as an announcement, but it’s just kind of the logical conclusion after four EPs. And I’m really excited about that because I love putting out EPs but they’ve all just been practice towards making an album.”

And if you look further into the future, what kind of legacy do you want to leave? What do you hope people will say about KhakiKid?

“Hopefully people could say, ‘That guy was a chill dude. He was ok to be around at times. Being around him was bearable.’ I would love that on my headstone: ‘He Was Bearable.’”

Soak up Girl Bites Dog by listening below.