MUMBAI: RJ-Rapper JMan is here with his second independent release “Ghatak”, an ode to his mother.
“The circumstances I was in when I was seeing my mother drift away made me write my feelings. These are my true emotions that took a poetic turn and a 2 and half year-old dream came true”.
Radioandmusic got in touch with JMan to know more about the story behind “Ghatak” and an in-depth of his musical journey.
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Check the interview below:
Tell us about your latest release “Ghatak”?
The latest release is very close to my heart, it is an array of emotions that I felt when my mom was leaving us bit by bit. This song happened in a friend’s house where we used to jam and make content.
I was really dull that day with whatever was happening around me. My old producer gave me this beat and I started mumbling some words, he said you should record it so we did and the we quickly arranged for the video shoot as well but I was not happy with the mix master and video was a disappointment and I was like this not what I expected and had by then released my 1st single “Chatu”. But then one thing led to another and I met some fine bunch of people, Jigar Anarkat who then introduced me to GP Hira who is an artist himself, he helped me with the beat and the Amicable crew shot the video and that’s how “Ghatak” came to life.
What is the story behind “Ghatak”?
This has been a journey to realize that nothing is constant, you will have your loved ones with you forever. So, my mother was a handicapped and she did whatever best she could for me to see a better future, but when she got bed ridden, there were role reversals that happened. I was the parent and she was the child and one early morning I was holding her hand and she left us. The second part was written after that. The emotions that I had felt in my younger days of my own demons came to haunt me. I had a lot of emotional baggage I was carrying. I had to see a councillor to come in terms with it. And finally getting better mentally and emotionally every day to be able to put out my story about my struggle.
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How has your musical journey been until now?
Music to me is life I had always been a fan but my friends Vishwesh Krisnamoorthy who picked up the guitar when he was in college and motivated me a lot when I was in college but ne being me never thought about it seriously he has been my biggest inspiration till date, another Matunga boy Shriram sampath from Filter Coffee advised me to learn Konnukol which is the Carnatic rhythm technique. So, the classical part in the song is the blessing of my Guruji Mridangam Shankaranarayan ji who took me under his wing and taught me this divine art. Hip hop has been an old friend cos of Skizzophonic a Hip hop crew consisting of Srijeet, Vinay, Binoy they literally cornered me in writing a Tamil verse for their song that’s how it began and with my work with 93.5 Red FM you always used to make rap content on air. Which was a practice ground then came an opportunity in the form of Saare Jahaan se Accha the rap version by Rohit sir (music director) for the film Tashkent files and I was ready and grabbed the opportunity later that I realized that I was bending towards music and it was happening naturally. So, this has been my journey till “Ghatak”.
When you are an independent artist, you have to do all of it by yourself, the most amazing memory being with Prateeksha. She is a stylist and she is a beautiful human being. I was in search of a classical Bharatanatyam dancer and had spoken to someone but that kind of didn’t work out for me, then my friend Jigar asked me to ask Prateeksha and So I did and had left rest of it to the universe but when she turned up to the shoot, Man I couldn’t believe my eyes she saw looking like a goddess and I felt blessed and the takes she gave, that was a memorable experience which I will cherish for years to come.
Upcoming projects?
Working on a couple of songs, one more that I had penned down when something unreal happened. There is also a song which I want to put out related to social media, another collaboration is on its way. Practicing and making myself better each day and being one with the Universe.
Just wanted to add something to the memorable experience, that it wouldn’t have been possible without Harsh Bhatia, Suraj Batija and the whole Crew of Amicable crew who gave their blood sweat and tears to the video and that was a 100.
