Vi segnalo l'articolo Hip Hop and the Kerala connect: How a new breed of rappers is using the genre to speak of our reality, pubblicato lo scorso 23 dicembre da Film Companion:
'June was a particularly vulnerable time for everyone due to the COVID-19 lockdown, but Neeraj Madhav decided to do something about it - he released the catchy single Panipaali. A newbie to the hip hop scene, Neeraj rapped about boredom, playing ludo, craving for someone who'd sing him to sleep. The lyrics were relatable, and the beats addictive. (...)
The hip hop scene in Kerala has been around since the 90s. (...) In 2009, Rjv Ernesto, also known as Pakarcha Vyadhi formed Street Academics, the first hip hop collective in Kerala. He mooted an idea to form a hip hop group for spoken word poetry and making pause tapes, critical for the evolution of rap. The group initially rapped over beats, and after rapper Azuran joined them, they began to develop underground musical rap. The group also became more flexible with the addition of new members - currently it has six members. (...) Here are some songs you could catch up on. (...)
Chatha Kaakka - Street Academics
Street Academic's first EP had six songs, Chatha Kaakka being the most popular even to this day. CK literally translates to a dead crow, which is a commentary on society's treatment of people who are less privileged. (...) The song is observational and experiential, but if one digs deeper, it's also about the life of those underprivileged. (...)
Voice of the Voiceless - Vedan
Vedan doesn't mince words. In his first single Voice of the Voiceless, he's truthful about the discrimination he and others have faced because of their colour and caste. (...) The music lifts the rage of the rap. The song showcases the anger on everyone who has influenced this discrimination towards those who are different.
Lokam Mayakathilo e Kariveppila Akkiyo - Fejo
A native of Kochi, Fejo has been rapping since 2009. His collaboration with contemporaries Achayan and Blesslee resulted in Lokam Mayakathilo. (...) Kariveppila Akkiyo is another favourite of Fejo. The title literally translates to 'Did you make me a curry leaf?'. (...)
Avastha - ThirumaLi
ThirumaLi is a 25 year old rapper from Kottayam and has been rapping since 2013. His song Avastha is an ironic take on the times we live in - moral policing, social media validation and educated fools. (...)
Aliya - Kaanthari
Kaanthari's second single Aliya is a coming-of-age song about self-awareness in a flawed society. While having a discussion with friends, a man comments - (...) (girls who drink are of loose morals), and that flusters Aliya. She looks into herself and the society's demeanour towards young women for their choices. (...)
Jaagratha - Thakazhi (...)
This is Thakazhi's first single, released during the early days of quarantine with a message of hope and awareness about the virus. (...)
Ennilerinju - RZee e Sithara
Ennilerinju from Vineeth Sreenivasan's Jacobinte Swargarajyam is composed by Shaan Rahman. Sung by RZee and Sithara, the song is refreshing and fast paced. (...)
Minni - V3K e ThirumaLi
V3K is an electronic music composer and collaborated with ThirumaLi for Minni, one of the tracks from his latest EP. He fuses three unusual genres - folk, electronic and rap with ease. (...)
Kalippava - 2XB
2XB is one of the rappers from Malabar Hip Hop Movement, which aims to promote the culture in Northern Kerala. Kalippava, his second single is about (...) victims of police brutality over the world. 2XB comments on the system, and also raps effortlessly in Tamil'.
