To rap on love

New Indian Express

7 hours ago

Singer-songwriter and rapper Karun has a hidden self. At heart, he is a poet. His poetry-writing began at school when he would feel down, lonely or when things were going out of control. But it took him more than ten years after school to step into the music scene. 'I was primarily a writer and I had to struggle a bit in the beginning to rap out words in a quick manner,' he says. In 2017, alongwith a music producer and rapper Nanku, and another friend, he launched Teesri Duniya, a platform to produce music. 'I had a baritone voice, and it was Nanku's idea to use my voice with rhythmic words. And that's how I became a rapper,' he says.
His first album, Granth (2020), covers his formative years and feelings towards his family and friends. He produced Qabool Hai in 2021; it spoke of love and the forms of acceptance. His latest, Chehre (2025), which released on June 16, talks about human vulnerabilities. 'It's about the faces we put on at work, at home when we come back and sit with our parents, with relatives…' he says.
A work of fusion
Karun's Chehre deals with a range of human emotions. The first two songs of his album, 'Partein' and 'Anjaane', talk about how humans express their real feelings with time. 'We put a veil on our faces in the beginning. However, with time, this veil drops and we begin to express the real face that we were hiding all along,' says Karun. The third song, 'Mere Chehre', talks about the quest for freedom every human being nurtures. 'I wrote a poem in my childhood where I explored how we dream of escaping into a different world,' he adds. The fourth song, 'Zubaan', is about artistic mentalities. 'It talks about how an artist is born, how they portray themselves, and the challenges they face. 'Maaza' and 'Tere Hothon Pe' explore other human emotions,' says Karun.
The album also mixes multiple musical genres like trap, lo-fi, and acoustic indie pop. It draws inspiration from the works of AR Rahman, among others. For instance, 'Zubaan' channels the spirit of AR Rahman's 'Satrangi Re' through its rhythm and tonal choices. 'Kaisi' revisits the famous phrase 'Kaaga Re Kaaga Re' from Meera Bai's bhajan.
His influences
Growing up, he was inspired by the work of Gulzar. 'Since I am a songwriter, I give special attention to lyrics. If you are an ardent listener to Bollywood music, you will realise that both Gulzar and Javed Akhtar have written most of the timeless songs of Bollywood. The work of Irshad Kamil has also influenced me,' says Karun.
Other than listening to Bollywood melodies, Karun is influenced by Urdu and Hindi literature. 'My paternal family is from Punjab. My grandfather spoke Urdu. The Urdu words he would use are now part of my vocabulary. Then my mother, who is a Master's in Hindi, would read out the stories of Munshi Premchand to me. So, my Hindi is good. Both these languages have remained with me,' he says.