By Willie Gordon Suting
Underground hip hop is a counterculture in itself. The word “underground” denotes rappers who choose to stay independent artistes not signing to any major label for creative and artistic freedom.
This very philosophy is core to the principles of Shillong’s hip hop groups Cryptographik Street poets, Khasi Bloodz and Mawlai Emcees.
Their approach to song-writing is averse and antithetical to mainstream hip hop, which regularly plays in music channels and radio stations all around the world.
Hip hop as a genre has largely been misconceived owing to the lyrical content of mainstream American rappers today. These rappers who lived in poverty and violence in tough neighbourhoods and streets like Harlem and the Bronx now flaunt their success story internationally.
Winning music awards, selling millions of records worldwide with a huge fan following, they are considered haughty for their materialistic display of power, success and fame in music videos. Images of their Bentleys, Rolls Royce limousines, diamond encrusted necklaces and beautiful voluptuous women surrounding them symbolise a life of elitist excess.
The misconception of the language and mode of expression of hip hop is because of the lyrical content. There is objectification of women often praising their derriere and descriptions of excessive partying and drinking.
Cryptographik Street Poets (CSP), Khasi Bloodz and Mawlai Emcees choose to go against all these misconceptions or glorifications of mainstream hip hop and mainstream media.
Their song-writing grapples with sensitive and relevant socio-political issues like corruption, nepotism, uranium mining, racism etc. Their lyrics are dialectic. Local and global issues are central themes which they discuss critically without fear of the establishment.
Andrew Lyndem, rapper of CSP, says, “In the world of hip hop, there is a lot of censorship. We choose to remain underground so that we can write on any sensitive issue iconoclastically.”
CSP’s lyrics are critiques on the government and its exploitative policies and oppression. Political Love, for example, is a sharply sulphurous attack on corrupt politicians:
‘See I’m tired of the system/we never should have trust ‘em/You lyin’ in our face/tryin’ to steal our birthplace…U hesitate investing if there ain’t no gain/We try to fight against it, u tie us in chains…U play a dirty game/ u claim to bring change/But u still the same/Like the one before u/none of ur speeches ain’t true/Like eroded rural roads always taken as a joke/Folks! The truth is in the spotlight/More than one crore u wasted on air flights’.
CSP was formed in 2010 comprising Lyndem and Ratul Hajong. Hajong’s compositions, however, lack the political bent of Lyndem. Hajong, instead, touches on a variety of subjects with metaphorical allusions to pop culture for implicit commentary.
“Being a comic fan, I use references to characters and themes from comics,” he says.
Hajong elucidates that CSP employs dark metaphors which can make the listener cringe thus provoking him or her to think deeply. CSP has a unique horror-core style of rapping replete with multis, punches and a smooth hard flow. This horror-core rap style has a multisyllabic rhyme scheme.
Lyndem is influenced by Immortal Technique, Slaine and Lakoca Nostra, to name a few. Hajong leans more to MF Doom, Canibus and Chino XL.
CSP’s compositions are hyper-critical of current socio-political issues.
“We talk about racism-mostly differences between us and the mainland and also within our society. We feel rather than have a strong nationalistic spirit, there are other ways to solve influx and migration,” says Lyndem.
Lyndem, bespectacled with cropped hair, possesses foresight when discussing politics.
“There is nepotism because of lack of transparency in the government. People should desire change even though it sounds too clichéd. They should be meta-aware of what is going on and not allow the system to take advantage,” he adds.
Lyndem is a member of Thma U Rangli Juki, the progressive workers activism group.
When discussing about change, Hajong agrees as Lyndem says it should come from an individual’s mind set rather than a group.
Khasi Bloodz has also achieved widespread fame and success. They recently collaborated with CSP and Kolkata-based rapper Feyago for a music project for 101 India. Khasi Bloodz were also part of the Suede Gully advertisement with other top national hip hop artistes, a promotion for the sneaker brand Puma which recently released its Suede Gully shoes.
Comprising Ritik Roy Malngiang “Big-Ri”, Lamonte Pakyntien “D-Mon” and Donbok Kharkongor “D-Bok”, the band was formed in 2009 being the first hip hop group from Shillong.
Khasi Bloodz takes pride in their Khasi identity and working class background. The band writes thought-provoking lyrics that comment on prevailing social issues like rape, corruption and drug abuse. Their rap compositions transcend the superficiality of mainland rappers settling down at a bird’s eye view of the Indian social structure.
“Our lyrics zoom in to provide that intimate, truthful and creative lyrical content to the listener,” says Malngiang.
And indeed this is to be found in Anthem for the North East as the lines go:
‘As a kid, growing up I hardly had shoes on my feet/But I’ve seen bullet holes on church walls and a body in my street/ Follow me on a journey down memory lane homie/ I grew up around killers throwing parties with heist money/ I don’t mean to promote violence nor provoke some sort of rivalry/So far you’ve heard just a bit of my auto-biography’.
Influenced by Wu Tang Clan, Gang Starr, Jeru De Damja, Eminem, Royce da 59, Joell Ortiz, to name a few, Khasi Bloodz has an aversion to listening to mumble rap and half-stepping rappers appearing in music channels on television.
They define their music as “old meets new school hip hop”.
Kharkongor says he looks up to rappers who come from similar working class backgrounds.
“Our lyrics speak of our social standing but also at the same time inspires people to dream, aspire and be passionate,” he adds.
Khasi Bloodz had also performed at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Meghalaya and Ziro Music Festival in Arunachal Pradesh.
“We push one another. And now we humbly feel we outclassed old versions of ourselves,” says Pakyntein.
Mawlai Emcees comprising over 12 members, all hail from Mawlai locality. But the band first had its humble beginnings as U Thugs comprising members Banphira Kharsati “Mizfit”, Wanlambok Jana “Wanlam Garyland” and Jeffrey Marbaniang “Laitluid”.
The group formed in 2016 desires to be the “voice of the voiceless”, representative of the common man. Its lyrics discuss issues like poverty, environmental degradation, dying Khasi language, influx, etc with quotes and references of Soso Tham, Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih, Wickliffe Syiem, Tirot Sing, Kiang Nangbah, Bull Lyngdoh etc.
The track I Wonder, for example, speaks about the horrors of war and violence:
‘Every day I look, I see images of different kinds/ Images of saddest disturbing headlines/ In the paper, the TV, the news they rewind/ the people, the children, their faces define/ The world we live in, full of humans with inhumanity/ They be killin’, destroyin’ everythin’ by their insanity/ The hunger, the war, fightin’ endlessly/ Cryin’ of innocents livin’ a tragedy’.
Recently, Mawlai Emcees’s song Kyrsiew Ri released in the music sharing site Reverbnation went viral circulating around various northeastern states.
“Though we want to be successful, yet we are proud to stay underground. If we sign to any label, we want them to allow us to make decisions independently,” says Remy Pul Syndor ‘Na Trep I Mei’.
The band rues lack of sponsorship and proper management in a city like Shillong.
“But we’ll persevere trying to still spit the truth,” says Nathaniel Rapsang ‘Makarov’.
Mawlai Emcees are influenced by Eminem, Immortal Technique, Machine Gun Kelly, Seven, Nas, Madchild etc.
Mawlai Emcees has performed in various functions and concerts in Mawlai.
When asked about the upcoming elections, Toiarbor Toi ‘Maverick T’ says, “There is a lot of artificiality in elections and it has become a ritual nowadays. It is always the case that politicians change with time.”
The band that does its recording in Junkyard Studio, Mawlai Umjaiur Block IV, adds that it plans to release a music video titled “Mawlai Emcees Cypher2” in March 2018. It also has plans to release a mix-tape album sometime this year.
Hip hop is growing at a gradual pace in Shillong. These three local groups — Cryptographik Street Poets, Khasi Bloodz and Mawlai Emcees — are a beacon for society with their lyrics rich in meaning. They add verve and variety to the ever evolving music scene in Shillong that mainly has rock music as its front and centre. The mode of expression through verbal wizardry and rhymes makes for very well-layered compositions that seek to make the listener think deeply about current issues.
