Hailing from Tiruvannamalai, Santhosh aka SanT's musical odyssey began during his college days when he and his friend and Afalthaf would freestyle in class. This led to the formation of Thara Local Pasanga, led by another friend and crew member MC Valluvar, which took their endeavours to new heights, with their first cypher going viral and subsequent single releases.
Following the release of his debut album, Naan Kaththukitta Hiphop, SanT which came out in 2021, the Tamil rapper has been a busy man. And after long hours spent in the studio (post his 9-9 day job), his latest EP Lord Poetry is now out on music platforms. The EP has five songs and one skit, including Kazhivara and No Joke, which dropped with a music video on YouTube last week. We catch up with the artiste to find out more:
How long have you been rapping in Tamil? Take us back to where it all began...
For almost seven years, I have been rapping. It all started with Af Althaf and MC Valluvar. They are my crew members. Althaf is my college friend, we both studied in the same department but in neighbouring classes. He's been rapping since 8th grade. I was inspired by him to write. He never said anything about how to write but I learned from him.
Then, came MC Valluvar. During that time, MC Valluvar's Thara Local Pasanga song was a huge hit. I texted him through Instagram, and we got to know each other well. Like me, some other boys also texted him in different districts. He gathered all of us in Chennai and started a crew called Thara Local Pasanga. From there to here, we saw a lot. One meal a day, sleeping at the railway station sleep, being backstabbed by our own crew members... But now, we are all good. We make music. Connected with like-minded people. Thanks to the universe...
We hear you have multiple alter egos. Please introduce us.
I can't explain my alter egos. All my emotions have a soul, reason and responsibilities. In the song Kazhivara, I answered some of the questions thrown at me. Basically, I'm a 'never reply' person. No Joke explains my way of life, and how I see this world, but I'm an introvert. I don't wanna share these thoughts. My Anger, Love and Hope all are my alter egos.
Rap is so much more than a rhyme scheme. What is your message?
Just rhyming without any meaning is not Rap. Hip-hop is a way of life, it's a culture. It is used for revolution and voices of the oppressed - politically and mentally. Rap is a kind of therapy for those who understand it. Of course, they have to listen to the songs five or six times to do this. But once they get the core, every listener will become a rapper.
Lord Poetry is available on music platforms online.