Indie artiste Krsna, who recently released his debut album, Sellout, says that the genre of hip-hop is extremely competitive
Hip-hop musician, rapper and indie artiste Krsna has launched his debut album titled Sellout. Here, he speaks about his journey as a singer, his album and the unexplored space of hip-hop in the country:
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Q. How did your music journey begin and what made you opt for hip-hop as a musician?
A. When I was very young, I moved to London for a couple of years and that’s where I got influenced by the genre. I didn’t take it seriously, till I moved back to India and started recording music while I was in college. I met some people who liked what I was doing and encouraged me, so the hobby turned into an obsession. Rappers always compete with each other. Even if a track has two rappers, you will be judged on who has the better verse in the song. Hip-hop, as a genre, is very competitive, almost like a boxing-match, so you have to keep pushing yourself and come up with better stuff.
Q. What’s your album, Sellout, all about?
A. This album is in English. When I started, I used to make music in Hindi, most of it being socio-political rap. So when I got a deal to make an album, a lot of people started asking me whether this is what I will include in my album as well. I told them that I will have to put something which has mass appeal. So then the next thing they would ask is whether I’m selling out. I sort of took that idea and came up with Sellout, which is the name of the title track as well. It talks about the challenges every artiste faces in terms of what we consider as pure art and what actually sells. There is a huge dichotomy between the two. Sellout is a mix of songs, some because they need to be there when you make an album, and some which sort of break away from the predictable and are more personal.
Q. Does hip-hop have a future in India?
A. Hip-hop is growing in the country. EDM has been overplayed and people are looking to try out different genres. They are appreciating hip-hop and there is at least one good hip-hop gig in Mumbai every week.