Jammu-based rapper Shen B: I have sampled a lot of old music to make this album

Jammu-based Shen B draws from music of past decades to create his four-part rap EP, Zamana, tackling issues plaguing the young

At first glance, Jammu-based rapper Shen B’s work may not seem far distanced from the ordinary. Taking a cue from the several artistes who have established the underground ‘rap scene’ in India, Shen too drew from past experiences to craft Zamana, the title track of which discusses bullying. 

But not all of his methods are commonplace. When crafting an album in a genre perceived to belong to this generation, he employed tunes of the ’80s and ’90s, a decade that holds a special place in his heart, owing to its simplicity. “All the tracks of the album are mid-tempo [because they have a high] recall value. One song called Funkaar has orchestral elements to create a sense of grandeur, while another, Chal beta, is derived from the ’80s. The title track involves the use of saxophones, while Mujhe dekh has elements of a classical song. I have sampled a lot of old music to make this album.”

Blending lyricism in Hindi, Urdu, and English, the rapper pens poetically charged bars on bullying and censorship to weave inspiring verses on self-esteem, corruption, and faith. In Zamana, he invokes nostalgia to deliver a message of overcoming odds. “A lot of the issues addressed here are the ones that shaped me, including the bullying I faced due to my weight, or my choices. They were engraved in my subconscious.”

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