BENGALURU: His latest album will remain memorable for Prabh Deep for more reasons than one. The Delhi-based rapper, who shot his latest title track in Kashmir close to 24 hours before the recent lockdown, recalls the experience during his visit to the city to promote the six-track EP titled KING.
“It was emotional as the Valley went into lockdown the very next day after we returned. I never thought the situation would come down to this,” said Singh on the sidelines of his performance at the Taj, MG Road on Saturday as part of his 11-city tour that began in Delhi on Aug 4. Singh’s set was packed with speed and ebullience as he performed tracks from the EP.
KING is a blend of juicy basslines and hard-hitting lyrics. Each track narrates his journey after securing the success he had dreamt of. Singh, after all, is a name that almost took the Indian hip-hop scene by storm with his debut album, Class-Sikh, in 2017. It was lauded by critics and audience alike. “After Class-Sikh, I got lazy and that had to change. If you listen to the track Kala, I speak about the struggles that came along with being in a comfort zone,” the 25-year-old said. Self-produced by Singh, the EP also features a string of guest appearances with Delhi musicians like Hashbass, Chazz and Archit Anand.
Speaking to CE, Singh looked back at his childhood, which had a huge impact on the kind of songwriter he is today. “Childhood was rough and my dad wasn’t around much as he worked two jobs. My family had seen poverty in the cruellest forms. Growing up in Tilak Nagar -- the underbelly of the city -- one could witness gang violence and drug abuse in a brutal manner,” he said.
For Singh, music came about as a sense of change that he could communicate and help the society resonate with. Heavily influenced by hardships faced while growing up, he ventured into music with an aim to share his story with the world.
Never shy of being vocal, Singh has always voiced out on issues which have surrounded the country through his music. His grandfather was a victim of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which claimed the lives of many from the community. The incident resulted in a future of hardship for the rest of the family, which left Singh’s father completely shattered.
“The country is almost finished; the end started in 2014, to be honest. We have states running out of water supply but somehow, a leader’s daily life gains more attention. I really believe music has the power to change things. Bob Marley has done it in the past. We as people have to be united to bring about the much-needed change.” Singh said.