Kashmir’s rap is the continuation of its folk origins which are political. It emerged out of an uprising in 2010, pioneered by Kashmir’s Millenial generation who are witnesses and survivors of the long war.
Beneath The Sky
“This song right here is dedicated to my people of Kashmir.” It is the opening line of Roushan Illahi aka MC Kash‘s iconic hit, “I Protest.” This song emerged in the middle of the uprising in 2010. It spread like wildfire across Kashmir and among the diaspora. It was the first time, an underground rapper in Kashmir had become a household name. Overnight, MC Kash became the voice of the new generation of Kashmiris.
The history of Kashmir’s rap culture begins a few years before Kash sang this protest anthem. In 2007, Zubair Magray who goes by Hazekay meets Roushan Illahi, his schoolmate at Burn Hall School. Both were influenced by rappers in the states like Beastie Boys Tupac, Eminem among others. Kash was also inspired by the Black American Civil Rights Movement. They started jamming together in a makeshift studio with beats downloaded from the internet.
At the same time another rapper, much younger, 15-year old Shoaib Mohammad aka Renegade was recording his rap songs too. He had a computer, headphones and poetic skills. He recorded his songs and uploaded them on Reverbnation, then popular among underground artists.
The underground scene was quiet during its twilight years. Renegade released his first song, the politically charged ‘Jhelum is Bleeding’ in the August of 2010 on the website. It’s only a matter of days until ‘I Protest,’ the hip-hop scene is baptized with fire.
Evolution of Revolution
Ladishah, a song form began in the late 19th century during the height of the Dogra rule in Kashmir. Ladishah was sung by a wandering minstrels who would roam village by village. Ladishah is a satirical take on the cultural and political environment. The singer sings to the beat of a medieval Kashmiri instrument called ‘Dhukar,’ comprising of two metal rods with iron rings. The beat would be of two rods striking each other and the rings.
According to theatre artist, Aarsh Mushtaq, it was one of the earliest forms of protest music that followed a consistent beat. It was political as Kashmiris were faced with slavery and oppression during the Dogra rule. It brought a sense of awareness among the people about their own plight. Mushtaq says that after 1947, the Indian state provided them with cash handouts. “They would go from village to village to get basic supplies after they entertained the villagers, the cash handouts were something new.” Mushtaq also adds that the state had told folk artists like Ladishahs and Bhand Paether, street theatre groups, to focus more on disease awareness rather than their political nature.
Slowly, Ladishah became an endangered art of the valley.
At the outset of armed rebellion in Kashmir in 1989, protest songs and slogans became part of rallies and funerals. Azadi which continues to be an anthem of Kashmiri protesters till today became immensely popular. Azadi does not have any standard lyrics. It is lead by a conductor who is usually in the front of the protest. He throws his hands up in the air every time he shouts one slogan, it’s followed by a chorus of ‘Azadi,’ until it takes the beat of claps. The conductor shifts between Urdu and Kashmiri as the protest takes the shape of a mini-carnival.
MC Kash School of Rap
If we have to look at the evolution of rap in Kashmir. It’s also the evolution of Kash‘s rap career. So when MC Kash sings ‘I Protest,’ he’s only following a historical legacy of protest music and giving it a new shape in the form of rap. The rap scene rocketed to global fame, Kash is covered by international media including Rolling Stones. After the explosion of rap onto Kashmir’s political and cultural scene, Kash inspired dozens of new rappers who wanted to follow his path.
These rap songs were in English with occasional use of Kashmiri. But it stayed mostly English which meant that the audience to the revolutionary rap was limited. It stayed niche for a while and picked up after rappers started using more Kashmiri in their songs.
Rap gave their rage an artform. MC Youngblood, SXR, Shyn9, KayTwo & Kayemmarr, Ahmer among many others followed Kash’s path. Renegade withdrew from the scene. He later focused into spoken word and disappearing completely thereafter.
Kash’s path was a war-path. In 2010, the Indian state raided on the studio he would record, it meant this rap music was not welcome in Kashmir. Kash then said on the raids, “it felt like they had cut my throat.”
The power of Kash had found its fair share of haters too. In 2011, Kash was headlining a charity concert for an orphanage. A Facebook page which had promoted Kash‘s songs previously was now claiming that the concert was an affront to Islam. Supporters of the page even called Kash an infidel. The fight between Kash‘s supporters and trolls reached a point where Kashmir University backed out from being the venue.
But Kash refused to back down. He took to social media about the change of venue. Within hours, thousands of Kashmiris showed up at the SKICC. Over 50,000 INR was raised within a matter of minutes. By doing that he refused to be cowed down under pressure and stayed true to his cause. Rap had become a force to be reckoned with.
A year later, his manager Shayan Nabi aka Shy9n broke off over personal differences. Nabi formed his studio production. So there was a bit of a rivalry between the two, which disappeared when Nabi quit rap after the floods in 2014.
Kash continued to improvise on his rap skills. His lyrics kept upping the ante of revolutionary rap. Other rappers also continued to rap on politics of the region. The storytelling was shaped by the rage, of what the Tehreek generation had witnessed all their lives.
Kash later released two albums, Rebel Republik and Liberation. Both were acclaimed and appreciated by his legion of fans. He also started collaborating with artists like Junaid Altaf, Vilayat Bhat and Mohammad Muneem of Alif then known as Highway 61.
In 2013, Kash sang ‘Orchestra of War’ on a Beethoven symphony as a response to Zubin Mehta’s state-sponsored concert. The song was released overnight and would have more listeners than Zubin Mehta’s carefully curated audience assembled in the Mughal Gardens.
The next day, Kash witnessed one of the biggest moment of his career. At a counter concert organised by civil society, Kash’s protege KayTwo and 14-year-old Kayemarr were going to perform. The students of MC Kash were going to perform in front of the man who had helped shape their rage into song. This was an evolution of a rapper who had become an icon.
Kash later took a sabbatical from the scene. His last song was with Alif for 101 India. Raftaar who is an Indian rapper first appreciated Like a Sufi and then chickened out and retracting his statement after he was made aware of his revolutionary rap.
It was the last song Kash sang before disappearing from the scene. He performed in Sweden and London later on. His latest public performance, an Amnesty event, where he was attacked by Hindu nationalists.
He uploaded some of his songs on his YouTube channel in July of 2017.
Punjabi Imitators
As Kash left, so did the revolutionary rap scene. It was replaced by Punjabi influenced rappers who were studying in India. They were influenced by Bohemia and other Punjabi rappers.
According to KayTwo, “shit hit the fan.” This pungent rap music betrayed its roots in the Valley. It has started objectifying women and was laced with sexism and misogyny. It also glorified stalking culture and drugs. Led by Faisal Macroo aka MacStar & RFA Faheem Altaf, the songs oscillate between drugs, women and occasional misogyny.
“What RFA and Macroo do is pop but they think that’s Hip-Hop,” says KayTwo.
This import of culture that is the antithesis to Kashmir and the degenerative writing surprisingly has a major audience. Like with everything else in Kashmir, it had a chain reaction. People have now started imitating these Punjabi rappers, with the same pattern of misogyny and sexism.
Bring in the Cavalry
One thing that has changed since the birth of the rap scene a decade ago is the audience. The rap audience in Kashmir is massive now and songs clock millions of views. The rap has a wider appeal due to the use of Kashmiri in it.
Rapping in Kashmiri has created wider acceptance of the genre. Ahmer Javed, an MC Kash protege is producing new songs, blending Urdu with Kashmiri lyrics. He has been featured by VICE and released a single recently. He says that the roots of rap have always reflected the culture and society it lives in. “I believe people forget that this is what the culture of rap music has been about, you just don’t have to explain the conflict to your people, you have to empower them as well.”
His songs have been well-received in India’s rap scene. He spits bars mostly in Urdu, “I want Indians to understand the conflict, at least its stories.” He was surprised and shocked at the reaction of the acclaim for his debut album. “People wanted to know more about Kashmir, they wanted me to inform them, in my opinion, language played a big role.”
Back in Kashmir, the OGs are coming back.
One of the first earliest Koshur rappers Gazzanfar aka SXR released a new diss song called ‘Qatal’ meaning murder in Kashmiri, directed at the degenerated scene. SXR is the pioneer of Maama rap, a ghetto rap that emerged from Downtown Srinagar.
Qatal is produced by Ahmer who is reviving the revolutionary rap back to life. Another group Straight Outta Srinagar is also adding life to the scene.
The underground scene is seeing a few more rappers emerging like Mohaib UM.
Econ is another underground rapper who MC Kash rates highly.
KayTwo says that diss culture should not be encouraged further. “The reason why real rap is not out there more is due to the lack of collaborations between artists, there should be more collaborations between artists to bring Koshur Hip-hop back to its roots.”
However, Shayan Nabi regarded as one of the best beats producers in Kashmir throws caution to the wind. “It’s not easy to be a conscientious rapper in Kashmir, the authorities are always on a lookout for you.”
Hook
Kashmiri poet, Zareef Ahmad Zareef after listening to MC Kash in 2011 during a youth summit. Think Akh ti Akh Gaye Kah. He defined the Koshur rap scene in his witty one-liner. He said, “Yim tse marsi-khwaan,” they are elegy poets. Kash may have written his last elegy but the revolutionary rappers are now starting to become the pallbearers of a degenerated rap scene. It’s time to return to roots, in Koshur hip-hop this time.