Rapper Enkore strikes an emotional chord with Mumbaikars

Rapper Ankur Johar. Pic/Ronit Sarkar

If you are a true blue Mumbaikar and identify with the struggle of making it through life here, rapper Ankur Johar aka Enkore's second album Bombay Soul will definitely ring a bell. The six-track album, released on Friday, revolves around his showdown in the game of life, where only the hungriest survive to tell the story. "I juggle a hundred different things, be it from recording music to freelancing for a digital platform [atkt.in] that I co-founded in March 2016, among others. It has never been a cakewalk, but I chose this path and continue to remain focused to achieve my goals. I am sure this sentiment resonates with most Mumbaikars," the 26-year-old hip-hop artist says.

Songs about struggle are a cornerstone of the genre. The former Mithibai student's rap sounds of a grumbling belly, thus setting the beat. In contrast to his 2013 debut album Libra Scale, Bombay Soul compiles Johar's brooding tales of desperation, hoping to become a heralded classic. He adds, "Mumbai is all about hard work. The last couple of years have been challenging for me as I did my MBA as well as a day job. I was also pursuing a career in music. While the challenge is real, you have to stay on top of the hustle if you want to make something of you. But in the middle, you begin to wonder, what is all this for? What is the purpose?

The album features me trying to figure everything out." The six tracks were written by Johar in the span of a year. They were mixed by Varun Patil at a Santacruz studio. The album follows Johar as he thinks he has lost his core (Soul) while dealing with the middle-class household expectations of supporting his family (Home). He also reminisces his college years mostly spent in a narrow lane, where he listened to his friends rap and wondered if he could do it too (Charsi Galli). One track features 11 other artistes. "Adro, MC Altaf, BLUnt, D'evil, Dee MC, Gravity Kav-e, Sai, Sammohit, The Siege, Tienas and MC Todfod have been kind enough to be a part of the second track. I am looking forward to reactions of fans on this particular one." For Johar, his journey to becoming a musician has just begun and there are lots of sacrifices to be made for the greater good. But he is set to embrace them nonetheless. Bombay Soul is available on Apple Music.

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