Meet a young Telugu Rapper making his mark with his work
Featuring youthful lyrics and a confidence that is hard to match, Pilla, the latest hip-hop sound track by Telugu rapper Mohammad Asad Faraz is unlike anything you have heard before. It marks a watershed moment for this genre in Telugu music. Coming on the heels of the release of his well-received album Aarambam. The youngster hit a purple patch very early in his career thanks to his persistence and phenomenal talent.
Asad heard hip-hop for the first time while downloading music of revolutionary songs (the Telangana agitation was in full steam at the time) for his father’s DJ business. He was in fourth standard and it changed his life.
“I did not understand the lyrics but I was attracted to the whole vibe of the song, the way the singers dressed and presented their music. I started listening to musicians like Honey Singh, Imran Khan, Sean Paul and Akon, and understanding their work,” he recalls
While pursuing his engineering, Asad experimented with his own YouTube channel (he shut it down since) and learnt the rudimentary tips and tricks of the trade – sound, camera angles and set-up. In 2019, he recorded his first song Yehi asli shot (in his college library but never released it officially) a mix of Urdu and Hindi lyrics. Same year he came out with his first Telugu song, Idhey ra Zindagi and got thousands of views online giving him enough determination to pursue his dream.
The turning point came with Apna Warangal that garnered much acclaim. “It was my tribute to the greatest city in Telangana. I’m happy about it because it really helped me make a name for myself and people still recognize me for it.”
His unique Telugu hip-hop music has depth and is spreading awareness from themes on student life, importance of relationships to the struggle by artists. “I want to become the voice of the voiceless and inspire people with my work. It is not just some fast-paced music but I want to ask people – what is it that you want to do? I also want to share my story so that young people are not restricted in thinking that they can only be doctors or engineers, but can follow their true passion,” he states.
Currently the young singer is on a mission to extend the boundaries of Telugu hip-hop music. “Today, a lot of pubs have live bands which is great. Even on the odd night that they have a rapper, they call musicians from Mumbai or Delhi, where will musicians like us, who are into Telugu rap go?” he questions, “I hope that changes soon and we are appreciated for our skill.”
Looking at his talent, it seems the day will arrive sooner than later.
