Darren McGarvey, who goes by the
stage name Loki, is a Scottish
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
,
hip hop recording artist, and social commentator.
He was an activist during the
Scottish independence referendum in 2014.
He is from a political and performance family: his aunt is the former MSP
Rosie McGarvey Kane.
Career
McGarvey was brought up in
Pollok
Pollok ( gd, Pollag, lit=a pool, sco, Powk) is a large housing estate on the south-western side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The estate was built either side of World War II to house families from the overcrowded inner city. Housing 30,0 ...
on the south side of Glasgow.
[ Between 2004 and 2006, he wrote and presented eight programmes about the causes of anti-social behaviour and social deprivation for BBC Radio Scotland. McGarvey worked with youth organisation Volition,] teaching young people to rap. In 2012 he led a workshop as part of a PowerRap competition for schools, encouraging young people to explore important issues through music and language.
McGarvey studied journalism at Glasgow Clyde College. In 2009, he was part of the Poverty Truth Commission hosted in Glasgow.
In 2015 he had six months as ''rapper-in-residence'' with the Violence Reduction Unit.
In April 2016 McGarvey appeared in a documentary '' The Divide'' discussing his alcoholism and its impact on his life.
In October 2017 he claimed a lack of support for working class or deprived communities from Creative Scotland
Creative Scotland ( gd, Alba Chruthachail ; sco, Creative Scotlan) is the development body for the arts and creative industries in Scotland. Based in Edinburgh, it is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government.
The o ...
, the main body that funds Scotland's arts companies and artists. He also admitted he had not tried to apply for Creative Scotland funds.
Loki's ''Poverty Safari'' won the 2018 Orwell Prize
The Orwell Prize, based at University College London, is a British prize for political writing. The Prize is awarded by The Orwell Foundation, an independent charity (Registered Charity No 1161563, formerly "The Orwell Prize") governed by a boa ...
for books, with the judges saying it "was 'exactly the book' that Orwell would have wanted to win".
Works
Discography
* ''Government Issue Music Protest (GIMP)'' (2014), a science-fiction concept album with significant contributions from singer-songwriter Becci Wallace which enjoyed some critical acclaim. The album describes a dystopian vision of Scotland in the year 2034.
* ''Trigger Warning'' (2017), a concept album through which he attempts to explore various issues, expressed as a story.
Bibliography
* ''Poverty Safari: Understanding the Anger of Britain's Underclass'', Luath Press, 2017
** in German: Transl. Klaus Berr, ''Armutssafari. Von der Wut der abgehängten Unterschicht.'' Luchterhand, Munich 2019
* ''The Social Distance Between Us: How Remote Politics Wrecked Britain'', Ebury Press, 2022
Television
* Darren McGarvey's Scotland - BBC Scotland - Darren 'Loki' McGarvey investigates the rise of poverty and inequality in Scotland
* Darren McGarvey's Class Wars - BBC Scotland
* Darren McGarvey's Addictions - BBC Scotland
References
External links
Review of Poverty Safari
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loki
Musicians from Glasgow
Scottish radio personalities
Scottish male rappers
Living people
Place of birth missing (living people)
1984 births
Writers from Glasgow