Standing up for Gujarati hip hop

HOW TALENTED RAPPER RAOOL IS CHANGING

MUSIC WITH HIS GROUND-BREAKING NEW EP

by ASJAD NAZIR

LOOK back across music history and the greatest artists are ones that have broken existing shackles binding them to the same path as others.

One artist who broke free and carved out his own impressive path is Australia-raised and UK-based hip hop star RaOol.

One of the composer-rapper’s boundary-breaking moves is his recently released four-track EP Gujarat Stand Up.

The first high-profile Gujarati hip hop compilation combines artists from four different continents and has laid the foundation for a brand new commercial musical scene, which will begin to explode in coming years. This is the latest star turn from an unpredictable artist, who has done everything from commercial urban tracks to music for mainstream Bollywood films.

Eastern Eye caught up with RaOol to discuss his path-breaking EP, Gujarati hip hop, future hopes and ambitious new year’s resolution.

How do you look back on your groundbreaking musical journey?

I feel I’m still at the beginning of my career, so honestly, I’m looking more forward rather than back. But if asked, when I look back, I’m proud of what I have achieved in the independent scene and in Bollywood. I loved working on Housefull 3 with Abhishek Bachchan. It was a huge honour for me and also on Tum Bin 2 teaching Dwayne ‘DJ’ Bravo how to rap a Hindi verse I wrote for him. But my best is yet to come.

What led you towards your latest Gujarati EP?

It all started back in 2018 when I experimented with a folk garba classic I had grown up listening to back home in Australia. The result was my song Kem Cho, an urban Gujarati mashup of the likes that had never really been done before, mixing folk and modern EDM/hip hop. When I showed it to the major labels in India they seemed to dig the sound, but when the music stopped, they told me categorically not to release it.

Why is that?

They all stressed that I look Punjabi and should follow the trending Punjabi music scene, to simply blend in rather than draw attention to my Gujarati heritage. That’s when I knew I had to do the opposite. So, I released that song independently with zero marketing and organically the song spread like wildfire across Gujarat, which I love reminding the labels about.

What happened next?

Fast-forward to 2020, I knew that I wanted to produce three more songs to create a fully Gujarati-based EP and I am so grateful to feature some incredibly talented and major global/pan Indian names to jump on the bandwagon with me. This project is Gujarati music reimagined in my way and a first step in bringing Gujarati hip hop to the world. Punjab has made its mark. Now, it’s our time. Gujarat, stand up!

Tell us about the songs on there?

The four-track Gujarat Stand Up EP is out now. It is my first EP and like all firsts in life comes with a lot of excitement, and a pinch of anxiousness. There’s a lot of firsts in this project, featuring major Bollywood, Punjabi and Gujarati names spanning four different continents, which makes this EP the first international hip hop album in Gujarati.

Tell us about the featured artists…

It was exciting working with Gujarati folk/pop queen Aishwarya Majmudar because to me she is leading the wave of new Gujarati talent. Equally, it was super dope to feature non-Gujarati singers like LA-based south Indian singer Pragathi Guruprasad and Punjabi superstar Jaz Dhami, as well as playback icons like Neeti Mohan, Divya Kumar, and upcoming star Brijesh Shandilya.

What has the response to the songs been like?

The response from the industry and more importantly, the fans has been so incredible, and not just from Gujaratis. It has been shared by legendary artists and producers from the UK and Punjab, A-playlisted on many radio stations globally, including BBC Asian Network, and all the videos have amassed three million organic views on YouTube. A massive thankyou to Asjad and the team at Eastern Eye for putting a spotlight on this project too.

How does this compare to other music you have done?

As a composer, I usually find myself writing melodies that may or may not have some level of Indian influence. This project was me specifically taking hundreds of years old folk melodies and giving them a modern street refix, so in that way, it’s definitely different. I’ve always tried to bring a sound that is true to who I am, part Indian/western and unflinchingly my own. This project still encapsulates that vision.

Will this be a new direction you are heading in, musically?

It is not a new direction for me, but certainly a new direction for Gujarati music. This is only my first step in reimagining Gujarati music; there will be much more to come. There’s also a lot more of my Hindi and English based records to come too.

What are your future hopes for Gujarati hip hop?

I opened for Badshah in his 70,000 plus sold-out stadium show in Ahmedabad at the start of 2020. After the show, I was surprised to see the number of upcoming Gujarati rappers that came out to show love and discuss their own ambitions. I’m looking forward to supporting them and collaborating with them to make a formidable Gujarati urban music scene, which will bring opportunities to all. Very much! I was born in the UK, raised in Australia, but I’m more rotli and shaak than fish and chips.

Has the lockdown changed you in any way, including creatively?

The lockdown has removed more distractions and brought additional focus on my creativity. It’s a scary time that has made us all anxious, and I’ve found putting my head down, taking one day at a time, and working through it without worrying about when it’ll all end, is the best way I’ve dealt with it.

Will you make a new year’s resolution?

Yes! I promise to release a song every 30  days – one a month for 12 months straight. I need to get all these songs off my laptop and to the people.

What is it that inspires you as an artist today?

Being the best that I can be inspires me! I love turning the studio on and seeing that day’s thought and emotion captured in a new vibe.

Who would you love to collaborate with and why?

I’d love to earn a collaboration with the greatest of all time, AR Rahman. There would be no greater honour for me.

Why should we all pick up your new EP?

Jaz Dhami singing in Gujarati, Neeti Mohan rapping; trust me when I say you’ve not heard anything like this before, I mean it! Whether you speak Gujarati or not, I’m sure the music will make you move.

Why do you love music so much?

It’s the true universal language and crosses all other boundaries like few other things do. Especially in today’s times, it feels good to be part of something that transcends manmade barriers and walls.

Instagram: @raoolworld