Karma's 'How Much A Rhyme Costs?' EP looks at redefining Indian hip-hop

Rapper Karma was always passionate about writing. Shortly after releasing a banger in the form of Bada featuring DJ KSHMR, the rapper recently released his latest single, Karta Kya Hai. The hip-hop artiste is changing the tides in India with his spectacular verses and innovative flows. We rope the musician in for a candid chat and learn much about the new track, the EP this song is a part of and more.

With Karta Kya Hai, Karma joins hands with none other than Raftaar. “This single that I have Raftaar on is all about him and I being on a track and having fun with the beat. We are challenging the notion of having one beat, one hook, one verse and then one hook again in a song. I wanted to make a mark. I also wanted to show the impact such a song can have when endgame artistes, known for their penmanship, collaborate,” Karma tells us.

Karta Kya Hai sees Raftaar and Karma go ‘bar to bar’. Sonically, the music sees a massive shift midway as the score evolves from a lo-fi genre feel to a more bass-heavy and impactful rhythm.

Karta Kya Hai is part of the ecstatic EP that Karma has made. Also featuring the talents of other incredible hip-hop artists in the singles, this project titled How Much A Rhyme Costs? is sonically challenging the hip-hop trends of music today. Karma breaks it down for us. “During the music-making process, I understood the fact that it takes zero money or effort to make a song in terms of its artistry. But then, to make a product and to execute it in a way where it can be out there for people to consume, it takes a toll on your mind,” he explains.

Karma, who grew up in Dehradun, always took to writing to express himself more accurately. “I used to write 12, 16 or 18 bars about my life. One day, the diary that I used to write these on got misplaced. Later, my friends found it and they were like, ‘This is so good’,” he reveals. Highlighting that his friends, while he was in school, encouraged him immensely to pursue the passion of writing poetry and rap.

Writing songs has always been freeing for Karma. “Language is the most important factor in any art form,” he begins, “Here, by language I mean, if I am naked, real and honest enough about my expression, then the audience will relate to it. And I think that everyone who’s into art should write, because honestly, this is therapy. Everything that is on my chest, I put down on paper,” he continues. He also points out that flows and skills come much later in rap. “First you have to be able to write and convey your thoughts on the paper and then to the hearts of your audience,” he highlights.

Before parting ways, Karma lets us in on some info about some live performances of the tracks from this EP and more. Highlighting that he might start touring in the second week of October, Karma says, “I want to play this for the audience because it’s art. It’s supposed to be out there, right?”

How Much a Rhyme Costs? is streaming everywhere.

pranav.shriram@newindianexpress.com

@pranav_shriram