MUMBAI: After releasing their introductory singles ‘Bappi Lahiri’ and ‘Megaloblast’, Pataka Boys unveil the grandiose and celebratory album Thugs From Amritsar that releases on Azadi Records on July 12.
What first began as a sparring exercise between PAV4N and Sonnyjim (elder statesmen in the UK rap arena), soon morphed into a groundbreaking exploration of culture, heritage and a truly unique encapsulation of the intersection of hip-hop and the Indian diasporic experience.
With the project originating in London, PAV4N and Sonnyjim set voyage across India, cutting records and shooting videos in the executive suite of the Taj Mahal, the jungle in Goa, temples in Amritsar and far beyond.
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Entirely produced by the previously undiscovered Kartik, Thugs From Amritsar is a marvel of sound, splicing together iconic soul samples, metaphor-heavy bilingual raps and soundbites from classic Punjabi cinema and folk records. Woven into the album’s track listing is a plethora of references to the lived experiences of Indians worldwide, giving shout outs to various locations, entertainment icons and colloquial phrases instantly recognisable to anyone of the culture.
Album opener ‘Black Sabbath’ name-checks the legendary heavy-metal band hailing from Sonnyjim’s hometown of Birmingham whilst serving as the perfect introduction to the album’s luxury aesthetic. ‘Bappi Lahiri’ takes its title from the name of the renowned Bollywood musician and contains a content-rich guest verse from British-Bengali rapper M.O.N.G.O of cult UK crew Mud Fam.
On ‘Megaloblast’, both emcees detail their debaucherous adventures in their typically debonair fashion, PAV4N rapping ‘I’m Sidhu Moose Wala, you a cucaracha’, a nod to the late Indian rapper & singer. ‘Cheema Kalan’ bears a cinematic nature, sounding like a merging of Blaxploitation and Bollywood genres, with Kartik’s slick production elevating Sonnyjim and PAV4N’s larger-than-life lyrics.
‘Guddi Check’ menaces, with Kartik’s moody instrumental unrelenting in tension. Indian rap duo Seedhe Maut spit incendiary guest verses in Hindi, making the track an uncompromising, international posse cut. On ‘Ghosht Stories’, Kartik’s off-kilter instrumental oscillates to and fro, as both PAV4N and M.O.N.G.O lace the track with intricate rhymes, packed full of wit and entendre.
‘Punjabi Munde’ is the first ever record in which Sonnyjim rapped in Punjabi, inspired by his first visit back to India in 30 years. The dreamlike instrumental is a perfect match for feature artist Sikander Khalon (known for thought provoking lyrics tackling various social issues) to provide an engaging verse. The track ‘Dettwork South Asia’ is the group’s spin on the fabled debut album from UK hip-hop pioneer Blak Twang, Dettwork SouthEast.
‘Donny Dakoo’ featuring Queens rapper Heems (previously of Das Racist) is a brief, psychedelic trip where both Sonnyjim and Heems deliver vivid verses about their respective realities. ‘Bud Bud Ding Ding’ is the reclaiming of an old slur directed at the South Asian community in Britain. On this track, Kartik’s blurry instrumental morphs around the rappers’ self-assured verses.
Juss Nandhra delivers a stellar vocal performance as the British-Indian artist closes the track singing in traditional Punjabi folk style.
On ‘Brown Sauce’, PAV4N provides the song with a choppy, tongue-twisting chorus whilst Sonnyjim is light-hearted and playful, making reference to the oft-cited Gang Starr lyric “Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is” illustrating the group’s reverence of classic hip-hop acts. Moving into more sentimental territory, ‘Roses’ sounds forlorn and sincere. Both Sonnyjim and PAV4N deliver suave verses, reminiscing on how they have managed to overcome life’s hurdles with poise and grace.
‘Ganaur Lemon Tree’ is a contemplative track where listeners are granted an insight into Sonnyjim’s psyche as he offers a long stream of consciousness verse over Kartik’s wistful and winding beat. Closing the album is ‘Glassy Junction’, an ode to the legendary, now defunct venue in Southall, coincidentally owned by Sonnyjim’s uncle. The track begins with an old sound bite from a particularly racist and xenophobic speech, capturing the ignorance held by members of the recently fallen British empire whilst recalling the difficult conditions many Indian families faced during the large wave of post-war emigration to the UK.
Thugs From Amritsar is a microscopically detailed body of work that deserves to be thoughtfully digested by listeners. The result of PATAKA BOYS’ meticulous work is a refreshingly unique album that unites hip-hop lovers and the South Asian diaspora at large, platforming their specific sensibilities in never seen before fashion.
