Mali and I had a songwriting session together with 2AM. Honestly it was one of those sessions where you have no idea what’s going to come out of it because that was the first session we’ve all had together. Plus we all have such different styles, sounds. I am always super excited to collab with artistes that come from different worlds — me as a rapper and Mali as a singer, I was curious to see what our world would look like. When 2AM started working on production, it immediately led to us writing and laying down our parts. For me, up till that point in my career, I’ve never written and recorded a pop record. I couldn’t understand how I got inspired to also. Everyone in the room was so surprised by what we made in the best way. It was a vibe and it felt great. It was the first time I was hearing a Tanglish love song like that too. We just knew this was a special moment.

I grew up to Tamil music mostly. I love Tamil movie songs because of how foundational it’s been in my life. I remember my sisters singing their favourite A.R. Rahman love songs growing up. Me being the only Singapore born Indian in my household, my vernacular has always been Tanglish. My most authentic voice is bilingual — Tamil and English. Exploring my Tanglish expressions have allowed me to pave a way for my creative work. That being said, I’ve always wanted to write a love song. I’ve always asked myself, what would that sound like? If I were to make a song from a place of vulnerability or sadness or melancholy — areas that I hadn’t traversed much in before as a rapper writing verses over trap beats, what could it feel like?

And at that time, I was going through one of the most difficult break ups in my life. The universe (also creativity) works in mysterious ways. I never imagined that a Tanglish love letter could manifest out of me. And out of my heart. I wrote a song about ‘my forever’— the love of my life. And a love that I lost.

As an artiste, that’s always an exciting thought for me because you never know what to expect. It’s a whole process of putting your ego and all other differences aside, to be able to come together in that sacred space of creativity. This being the first session in Mumbai with other musicians I respect, it made the exprience so much more special. It was a very big deal for me to be so far away from my hometown and to be living my dream of making music with cool artistes from different countries, especially after so many years since the start of my journey. It’s also a process I enjoy so much because it’s hard to understand how that magic happens. When you come together to create something without expectations. And at some point you get touched by the divine hand of God. and you find yourself in a flow where you’re creating.

Something that feels right. It doesn’t happen every time. But this was one of those times where it did. I felt it. We had the entire song within the first two hours. That’s how you know there’s something else at play. Something beyond our comprehension.

When I first started, it was an idea. I spent the last nine years exploring and understanding this idea. And with every song, I treated the creative process with the intention of wanting to learn more about this aspect of my expression. Beyond the genre or the song, it was deeply personal for me when it comes to the writing in Tamil and English as it always feels like I’m exploring parts of myself in different ways. I’d say today it’s something that has become more second nature to me and I have a lot of fun with it. I don’t overthink as much as I did before too.

I keep as close to my roots as I can. I still spend most of my time in south east Asia and India, which is a constant reflection of who I am. Keeping myself close to my family is also something that I really value. It’s a blessing to be able to see the world, and also to be able to come home after that.

I believe collaboration is key in any creative work. Especially in music where you need the value of many different skillsets. I come from a small city where there aren’t many creatives that have decided to walk the road less travelled — it was challenging to find more artistes, creatives, or producers to work with from my hometown simply because there weren’t many. That’s why I really value these collaborations because we had to find these artistes from around the world. Thanks to the internet we were able to connect with them. Build with them. Whether it’s friendship or creative relationship. It can be a lot of work, but when it comes together creatively, it’s always one of the most fulfilling experiences.

It’s also something I truly enjoy doing. Meeting other artistes. Working with Mali was something else because the world she’s built is so unique and different from mine. And she’s also Tamilian who shares similar roots and experiences as I do. And it was also her first time being outside ofher home studio collaborating with an artiste she’s meeting for the first time. That made it all the more special.

Yes. It was the exact moment when I had the chorus idea come to me. I had never written a chorus like that. It felt so new, fresh and unlike anything else I’ve created. And with Mali’s voice together, I just knew we had to put this song out, as soon as we can.

I see the global music landscape being more receptive to artistes like myself. There is a demand for these voices that the world simply hadn’t heard much of before. There’s a shift in the world where I see a whole new wave of artistes and creatives from parts of the world or cultures that are so interesting, being given more room and light. It’s a beautiful thing to witness. We also have to give internet props for allowing this cross-cultural phenomenon to take place.

I feel super grateful that I get to see places outside of my hometown. I never imagined that’d be the case to be honest. When we started, we weren’t even that sure if it’ll all work out. Sometimes those moments of doubts hit as well but I’m constantly doing things that feel great to me. That’s almost always the benchmark. If it feels great in my heart, I try my best to never question it.

I try my best to approach it with as much innocence and non-judgment. That’s how I also approach collaborations and songs, because if it doesn’t feel right in my heart I probably won’t feel inclined towards it. There’s like this compass in my heart that points me towards what I feel most connected to and that has always worked out for me, I think.

The feeling that one person gives you in your stomach even though you may not have seen them for ages. That special feeling. Long after cutting ties, how does it still exist? That’s the feeling with this record for me.

I’m currently working on my first full length album. Got some really exciting collabs coming. Besides music, I’m making my acting debut in Singapore later this year. Super excited for that too. My team at Pharaoh’s Horses — my fashion label, is making some really cool moves this year that I’m super excited to share more about as well.