“I was in Malaysia when I got a call asking if I would write for Rajinikanth’s Kaala. I initially thought it was a prank. Later that week, I was in the studio ready with the track. It happened really quick but I remember every moment of it vividly. It’s an experience no one would dare forget.
I come from a middle-class family where education is a priority and stability is a requirement. After finishing my Electrical engineering, I joined Merchant Navy and sailed for a while before deciding to quit. And I think that was my best decision ever.
When I decided to pursue music full-time, I never had a plan laid out. I didn’t have any background in this field, neither did I know anybody. It’s sheer hardwork and passion that has brought me so far. Even as a child, social issues had a big impact on my life. I would be affected by things that happened around me and would spend hours thinking about them. When Nirbhaya rape case happened in 2012, I was furious and disturbed. That’s when I first picked up a pen and directed all my anger towards the paper. It helped me calm down. I realised that writing and composing rap in my mother tongue was empowering and satisfying to me.
It is a common perception that rap is a western practice but I believe rap is very Indian. Having grown up in a typical Telugu family, surrounded by Telugu poetry, I often came across poetry by legendary writers like Srirangam Srinivasa Rao, Sirivennela Seetaramasastri, Palakuriki Somanathudu, and others. Even I wanted to write poetry in my mother tongue and it finally happened to me. My parents were surprised by my decision, but they let me follow my heart and today, I’m here. After quite a few YouTube hits and film songs, I still feel there’s so much more to achieve. I have a long way to go before I drop my mic.”
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