MUMBAI: In what is one of the most exciting collaborations in recent times, cult figures of the underground UK rap scene, PAV4N and Sonnyjim have joined forces with up-on-the-rise, Indian producer Kartik to form PATAKA BOYS.
What started off as healthy competition between two seasoned vets and friends – known for a penchant of habitual line stepping – slowly became an exploration of heritage, culture, and further fusion of the diasporic experience and hip-hop.
True to their name, the South Asian trio have assembled a crackling montage of sounds, sights and smells with their debut single, ‘Bappi Lahiri’. To be released on the Mumbai-based Azadi Records, India’s premier hip-hop that champions diverse voices from all corners of the country, ‘Bappi Lahiri’ is the first single from an upcoming album slated for release next month.
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‘Bappi Lahiri’ takes its title from the legendary, gold-laden disco don and composer. Kartik’s sample-heavy production on the track doffs its hat to golden era instrumentals from the US while simultaneously incorporating traditional folk sounds and dialogues from movies like Om Puri’s outburst as George Khan from East is East (1999) – also symbolic of the collaborators’ ancestry. As South Asian rappers in the UK, PAV4N and Sonnyjim have deliberately chosen to work with talent from the region for this project.
Both PAV4N and Sonnyjim’s verses are brimming with tales of opulent adventure, particularly leaning into their heritage and experiences in India, with Sonnyjim rapping ‘I push the sheesh in the pitta/ On the back of a rickshaw, sipping an elixir’ with lethal nonchalance.
Also featured on the track is British/Bengali rapper M.O.N.G.O. a founding member of legendary UK crew Mud Fam, who delivers a similarly content-rich guest verse, his gruff vocal tone adding another pleasing textural element to the track.
“PATAKA BOYS is an outrageous display of opulence, hedonism and a celebration of the muddy depths of underground hip-hop that grew us. Elder statesmen actively blurring the line between ratchet and couture, cynical, satirical, dry British and desi humour,” PAV4N shares the motivation that brought him and Sonnyjim together.
The track is accompanied by a dizzying visual – directed and edited by Meghan Katti – that offers an insight into the complex tapestry of daily life in India. Shot in Amritsar, the video captures the ethos of small-town India with its vignettes of people, streets and even cows, and is another homage to Bappi Lahiri.
Decades deep in their careers, PAV4N and Sonnyjim are artists that in their own rights have garnered devoted followings through their diligent work producing authentic, lyrically robust rap music.
PAV4N is a founding member of the critically acclaimed London rap crew Foreign Beggars. Throughout his career, PAV4N has worked with a multitude of producers including Skrillex, Noisia, Knife Party, Alix Perez, Flux Pavilion, Tommy Lee of Motley Cru, DJ Vadim, Amp Fiddler and Sez On The Beat. Since the disbanding of Foreign Beggars in 2019, PAV4N is embarking on a new journey as a solo artist.
Sonnyjim is a rapper whose output spans over ten years, having worked with an impressive array of artists including the likes of MF DOOM, Jay Electronica, Westside Gunn, Conway, DJ Premier, Remy Banks, Lord Apex, The Purist, Madlib and more. Known for his unique style of luxury lifestyle rap, Sonnyjim’s stream of consciousness verses are packed in equal measures with larger-than-life images of excess and hilarious sequential vignettes.
Kartik is a young, upcoming producer from India who fuses classic elements of hip-hop with sounds that represent his heritage and contemporary life in his homeland, with the likes of Madlib and Flying Lotus being cited as main influences.
“Azadi Records has always been committed to amplifying diverse voices,” says Azadi Records co-founder Mo Joshi. “‘Bappi Lahiri’ by the PATAKA BOYS is a perfect example of how music can bridge cultural gaps and create something truly special. The debut of PATAKA BOYS on the label marks a new chapter in our mission to bring forward-thinking hip-hop to the forefront. ‘Bappi Lahiri’ is a dynamic introduction to the newly formed group’s innovative sound,” he adds.
‘Bappi Lahiri’ will release on May 24 on Azadi Records, and will be available across all streaming platforms.
About Azadi Records
Azadi Records is a prominent Indian independent record label that has been at the vanguard of socio-political hip-hop from the South Asian region since its founding in 2017. Azadi Records has played a pivotal role in fostering the growth of artists from India’s minority communities.
Azadi Records stands as a seminal force in the independent music panorama of the region. Reverberating with artists and sounds that transcend conventional limits, the label has firmly etched its name as a catalyst for pushing creative boundaries and amplifying voices that might otherwise remain unheard.
