‘It's not okay, we should glorify treating women with respect’: Rapper Raftaar on songs objectifying women

Think rap and the name that comes to mind is Raftaar. If you were to summarise his style then it would be hip hop, street smart, and highly sophisticated. On hearing the third point, he chuckles, “Thank you, it means a lot to me.” That’s Raftaar – polite and gentle – a young talent who has captured a massive fan following in the Hindi film music industry in a short time. Recently, Raftaar has collaborated with POGO, India’s leading general entertainment channel for kids, and sung a theme song for ‘Bheem In The City’. The rapper believes that kids would love the lyrics and will learn something from them. He says, “It is unique, it is catchy, it is fun and it still has the flavour of the original song. Magic, action, friendship, and the new city look of Chhota Bheem - I am sure kids are going to love this new number.”  The 33-year-old also runs his music label Kalamkaar with over 20 rappers and singers. “Lyrics should resonate with people. I am glad they loved it,” says Raftaar, while talking about the inspiration behind his upbeat numbers. Quirkiness in his lyrics isn’t always without meaning. In February, Raftaar had put out ‘Black Sheep,’ an 8-Bit odyssey that spoke about being different and unique. With its catchy hook, “This is the story of a Black Sheep/Black dot/Black fiend/Blackheart/Black scheme” and memorable visuals, 2021 started on the right foot. The song became such a big hit that he launched a game called Black Sheep, available on the Play Store. His new song that followed  ‘Goat Dekho’  amplifies what  ‘Black Sheep’  did. “This song is about giving credit to my influences. I have name-dropped so many people, like Nidus, Sparta, Achilles, Hercules, in this song,” he says.   Lyrics, he says, play an important role in making a song hit. “If you use relatable words in a song – half of the job is done.” Raftaar’s chartbuster  ‘Ghana Kasoota’  with Rashmeet Kaur had also gone viral. And it’s the quirky phrase that has caught the attention of his fans. “I have studied in Haryana for two years and have many friends from that area.  Ghana Kasoota  (meaning awesome) is a common slang that they use and it has stayed with me. The last two years have been taxing for everyone and with the onset of year-end festivities, I wanted to put out a track that was celebratory and entertaining in spirit,” he explains.

Raftaar, born as Dilin Nair, is a Malayali boy, who moved to Delhi, became a professional dancer, and then became a successful rapper. “I have evolved and I enjoy making music. I try not to repeat what I’ve already done. I have learned from my mistakes.” He says his social media handles echo his personal life. “If I lie or try to be diplomatic, you will catch me. So, why to lie at all?” he asks. He is candid about diss track culture and he feels that it takes away from the seriousness of the music. Raftaar explains, “The primary purpose of diss track is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist.” He adds, “Diss-track culture has been an important part of hip hop and it has helped people to convey the message in the right way. However, now some people are using it for their benefit and are misleading the audience by feeding them with wrong information. While you can’t stop people from doing what they want to do, you need to know the difference between right and wrong. It has to be done for a right cause.”  

Raftaar’s  _Kalamkaar_   nurtures young hip-hop, rap, pop, and EDM talent Talking the same, he says, “Kalamkaar is a family. I never had anyone to guide me while I was starting and I didn’t want the same for these young artistes.” While discussing the fact about how songs objectify women, Raftaar didn’t shy away from saying, “I have done that but I am not too happy about it.” “Now, I make sure that doesn’t happen. It’s not okay to objectify women. I have made mistakes and learned from them. We, as artistes have to set an example for the younger generation who follow us. We should make songs that glorify treating women with respect or maybe make it cool for them to help women in day-to-day life. We have the power to change and with every song, I try to ensure that,” he adds. Quickfire: One word when I say: Music Ghana Kasoota Banger Music Life Dance Oxygen Rap God Lupe Fiasco Kalamkar Family Dilin Nair The one and only Roadies Not doing it this year One actor you don’t mind lending your voice to, if ever Rana Daggubati, Yash… My voice will go with them. I want to do an animated movie and voice a character. Three words to describe yourself off camera Life is good How do you deal with criticism?   With a smile on my face One hidden talent you have that nobody knows? I can twitch my nose up and down Which is your best song to date? ‘Proud’ from my album Most fun artist you’ve worked with? Apache Indian