Exclusive: Up, close & personal with Chennai sensation, rapper Paal Dabba, on all things musical

There was a temple opposite my grandmother’s house that performed a ritual every Friday called Abhishekam which involves pouring milk on the Shiva lingam. After the ritual, they give out milk. My grandmother took an empty glass to the temple, filled it up and brought it for me. Even since then, I’ve loved milk.

The audience can expect to have a great time! My goal is to make sure everyone enjoys the show and leaves feeling happy. It’s all about creating an unforgettable experience for them.

The main reason I use the Nigerian language, Yoruba, is because I find the language to be really beautiful and captivating. I’m a big fan of Afro beats and listen to a lot of Afro songs. Most of the artistes I follow have similar pronunciations and I love the way the words sound. That piqued my interest, and I decided to create a song in Yoruba.

I love hiding subtle elements in my songs or videos. For instance, in the OCB song, there’s a subtle mumble with a hidden meaning. Many people haven’t even noticed these details yet, and I haven’t revealed them either. When someone cracks these puzzles, it makes me really happy. It adds an extra layer of fun and engagement to the music. When I write a song, It’s not just about wanting others to listen to it — it’s about discovering something unique and interesting too.

I get inspired by listening to a variety of random music. I don’t stick to any one genre; I like to explore different sounds. Sometimes, a particular song sparks an idea for my next creation. I also attend a lot of dance battles which fuels my creativity. The crazy music they play in different battle categories often gives me fresh ideas. I take those inspirations and start writing.

My process usually starts with searching for a beat that inspires me. Once I find it, I begin writing. Sometimes, I do the reverse — I’ll jot down random lyrics or crazy lines that come to mind and create my own melody around them. Later, I’ll build a beat to match the lyrics. These two approaches keep my creative process flexible and exciting.

My experience in dance battles taught me to think outside the box. During those battles, we had to come up with unique concepts for random themes/songs that they would assign. For instance, if the theme was love, most would think of a story around a boy and a girl, but my team and I would think of something entirely different that is not a common thought. I apply the same mindset to music. I don’t follow rigid rules like sticking to a hook or chorus. If it sounds good and makes me happy, I go with it. For videos, I often tell a different story than the music. For me, it’s not necessary for the visuals to match the music. It might seem weird, but it works for me because it’s something new.

It all began during the pandemic when I was stuck indoors. I was bored and started writing. I found some beats on YouTube, wrote random lyrics on it and shared my work with friends. Their feedback and support motivated me to create more. My first song, 3SHA got a lot of appreciation when it got released on YouTube, and from there, it became one song after another.

As a dance choreographer, I’m always searching for new songs to create choreography. In that process, I discovered many incredible artistes whose work inspired me to begin my own rap journey. Listening to unique and fresh music has always been a big motivator for me.

I haven’t stopped dancing! I recently posted a dance video, and I still practice every day. For me, dance and music feel like one entity. However, I don’t post as many dance videos as before due to my busy schedule. But I haven’t shifted—I still feel deeply connected to both.

This year, I’ve got many exciting collaborations and projects lined up. One of my recent releases is a song with Brodha V. I’m also planning to direct a music video and would love to collaborate with artistes like Omale and Tems.

The Chennai rap scene is full of talented artistes with amazing storytelling and production skills. However, I feel the audience in Chennai is still niche and not as open to exploring new music as audiences in the north. It’s slowly changing, though, and I hope to see more growth in the future.

From the very beginning, I’ve wanted to showcase our culture and traditions through my music and videos. For Indian audiences, there’s a sense of familiarity which nudges them to like a song, while international audiences find the song unfamiliar but exciting and unique. Representing my culture through music, outfits, and traditions has always been my goal.

Many of my lyrics come from my own experiences and I always try to bring a good vibe to it. For instance, if something sad happens, I’ll turn it into funny lyrics so people can enjoy it even though it talks about something sad. My friends and the people I meet during my travels have also shaped the way I think about music and lyric writing. Every interaction and experience I have had has added depth to my music.