"Where I'm from, you're told to lower your hopes," professes Jobstown rapper Curtisy. It’s a line that hits with a sense of positive irony. While the humble, well-hotboxed Tallaght shed in which he started (and continues) his musical career is only a relatively short hop away on the 27 bus, there’s a feeling that he’s come some distance when he takes to the stage in front of a packed hometown crowd at the Workman’s Club.

An emerging presence in the local scene for a few years now, the 24-year-old consolidated his status as an ear-catching talent in May, with the release of his debut album WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? -  which he brought to life last night in Dublin.

He kicks - or saunters - into ‘Tree Sap’ to open the show. As soon as he finds his rhythm the audience are hooked on witty lines like “She had enough arse for two man, the hoop on that hole.” It’s not just the punchlines though, it’s how he gets there, slipping in and out of wordplay with a satisfying effortlessness. Then there's ‘Landmine', which bursts with an energy that matches its title. Curtisy’s rapid-fire rapping is a welcome slap to the senses and while he exhibits a toking slacker aesthetic via his baggy sweater and ‘70s rocker hair, underneath is a budding mastery of thought-out and well-executed bars.

Curtisy at Workman's Main Room. Copyright Maya Solanki.

There’s more to him than just humour and fast flows though. Curtisy, real name Gavin Curtis, lets his vulnerability bubble to the surface via his reflections on self-worth and dark habits - themes which rear their heads in some shape or form on the majority of his tracks. His oversized stage presence, energy and charm carries it all, never letting it sink into self-pity, and the crowd feel the release of his lyrics rather than the weight of them. When the synth-washed, forlorn romance of ‘Last Time’ hits, Workman's is fully in his grasp.

What really stood out about the night was the young artist’s selflessness and the general atmosphere of community - something he clearly understands the importance of. Throughout the gig, he calls up his collaborators to join him on stage, each leaving their own mark.

It’s fitting that Lonely Chap dons a Kylian Mbappé shirt, as he raps at a breakneck, Ocean Wisdom-ish speed that leaves Curtisy gasping for breath trying to keep pace. Ahmed, with love., in his signature Durag, seamlessly blends into the show during ‘Wok to Blackrock’, which got one of the best audience responses of the night as onlookers volleyed back his verse. Even when beatmaker Rory Sweeney - who  produced the main man's debut LP - sneaks into the crowd at the back of the room a few songs in, Curtisy spots him and gives him a shout of recognition.

Curtisy at Workman's Main Room. Copyright Maya Solanki.

As the night draws to a close, the stage becomes a chaotic tangle of bar-spitting bodies, with Enniscorthy rapper and opening act Lil Skag having joined the ensemble wreaking havoc underneath the red velvet-like curtains. It’s a fitting snapshot to end things, one which captures one young man’s growing force in the local scene, and the healthy collaborative culture which underpins it.