In a surprising twist of musical fate, Perth-based rapper Drapht has revealed how British comedy superstar Jimmy Carr has been using his 2008 hit song without permission or payment for more than two and a half years.
The Unexpected Instagram Message
The bizarre connection between the West Australian musician and international comedian began in early 2023 when Drapht, whose real name is Paul Reid, received a random direct message on Instagram. A tour manager representing Jimmy Carr reached out with an unexpected request.
"There was zero collaboration," Drapht told PerthNow, recalling the unusual approach. "I just had this random DM on Instagram one day, and it was from a tour manager that was tour managing Jimmy Carr at the time."
The message contained an invitation to attend Carr's Perth show with the suggestion that the rapper might perform his song live. More surprisingly, Jimmy Carr himself wanted to meet the Australian artist behind the track that had caught his attention.
The Awkward Green Room Meeting
Despite the initial invitation, scheduling conflicts prevented a meeting in Perth. However, fate intervened several weeks later when both performers found themselves in Townsville, Queensland with overlapping performance dates.
Drapht described what became an unexpectedly awkward encounter with the famous comedian. "I went to the show there and had this really awkward exchange with Jimmy Carr, just him and I in a green room," the West Australian artist recalled.
"I was like, 'I don't need to be in the green room with Jimmy Carr'. I had zero things to talk to him about, and he was so lovely."
How Jimmy Carr Discovered the Song
The connection stems from Drapht's 2008 track 'Jimmy Recard', which explores the theory that a person's name can influence their career success, social life, and romantic appeal. The song's chorus featuring the lyrics "J-R, Jimmy Recard" bears an uncanny resemblance to the comedian's name.
Recently surfaced footage shows Carr being questioned by an audience member who assumed the track had been specially commissioned for his shows. The comedian was quick to clarify the truth.
"It's called Jimmy Recard — it's an Australian song. It sounds a bit like my name, but it's not my name," Carr explained to his amused audience. "I didn't have the song made, I just f***** straight lifted it from this guy."
Carr revealed that an Australian audience member had first brought the song to his attention after a show, immediately capturing the TV personality's interest. According to Drapht, Carr "just fell in love with it, and now he's been using it for the last two years as his walk on and walk off song."
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Despite not receiving any payment for the repeated use of his music, Drapht sees the situation as a unique opportunity rather than a loss. The rapper, who has released seven albums and won two ARIA Awards with hits like Rapunzel and Sing It, takes a philosophical approach.
"I get these random tweets from time to time, 'Hey, I Shazammed your song at a Jimmy Carr show in Edinburgh or Canada'," Drapht shared. "So he's kind of just flying the flag, and I'm just not having to do any of the legwork."
The 43-year-old musician emphasized the value of the exposure, noting that Carr tours more than any comedian in the world currently, playing sold-out arenas globally.
"The opportunity in itself for him to be able to play that... for him to be playing my song in sold out arenas around the world, is just the gift that just keeps on giving. It's incredible," Drapht said.
The Inspiration Behind Jimmy Recard
Drapht provided insight into the song's origins, explaining that the concept emerged from his early partying days and observations about how names can influence perception.
"I just thought Paul was just like, a really boring name," the rapper admitted, referencing his birth name. "I had other friends like Xavier, and a few other friends that had really quirky names, and I was like, 'Oh, man, these guys just look like they're killing it from afar'."
He contrasted this with his own name, feeling that being "named after Paul, the Apostle from the Bible" seemed "pretty lame" at the time. However, perspective has changed with the years.
"Now, many years after, I kind of don't even think about it, to be honest, and if it gave me that song, then there's the gift within itself," Drapht reflected. "So I'm just stoked that my mum named me Paul now, and Jimmy Recard just continues to do the rounds."
The unexpected connection has created a bizarre audience crossover between the Perth rapper and British comedian, proving that sometimes the most unusual collaborations happen without any planning at all.
