Karma: ‘I’m an introvert, however music gave me my voice’

This thought of fixed transformation runs by means of each side of his journey—from his early days freestyling in obscurity to now collaborating with big-name artists and producers. He doesn’t see himself as somebody who’s ‘made it’ simply but. If something, he’s nonetheless a pupil—curious, hungry, and unafraid to change gears in an area the place sticking to a method has turn into the norm.

His newest single, Do U Wanna, is a product of that mindset. The monitor blends lyrical hip-hop with melodic grooves, providing a refreshing sound that stands aside from what’s presently dominating the charts. “It’s a music about celebrating love, however greater than that, it’s about providing one thing new. I believe the sound is getting too monotonous. Everyone’s taking part in it protected. But that’s not me,” he says.

But his dedication to inventive evolution isn’t nearly sound—it’s about storytelling. Growing up in Dehradun, he didn’t have a roadmap to fame. What he had was an urge to be heard. “I’m an introvert, however music gave me a voice. I wasn’t chasing numbers or clout. I simply needed folks to listen to my story,” he says.

And over time, that story started to resonate. From rapping about run-ins with the system to confronting private errors, his lyrics turned a mirror for listeners who noticed themselves in his phrases.

His authenticity has additionally formed his strategy to collaboration. On his EP How Much a Rhyme Costs?, he introduced in artists like Raftaar and KSHMR, not for clout, however as a result of they elevated the narrative. “Every collaboration ought to have a personality. Raftaar was the one one who may do justice to Karta Kya Hai. With KSHMR, it was next-level—he understands the artist so effectively, it’s like custom-making music,” he explains.

Songwriting, for him, isn’t only a talent—it’s survival. “It’s remedy. Whatever I’m going by means of, I write it down. It’s how I course of all the things. But songwriting additionally calls for honesty. You can’t write about power except you’re sturdy. So if I’m writing about it, I’ve to be it,” he says.

That rawness comes by means of in tracks like Bada and Karta Kya Hai, which blur the road between private journaling and common ambition. “I keep in mind freestyling about followers chanting my identify once I had zero streams. Five years later, it occurred. That’s not simply music—it’s manifestation,” he recollects.

As Indian hip-hop grows into a worldwide power, he’s conscious of the second—however refuses to be outlined by it. “We’re seeing Indian artists go international, and that’s one thing to rejoice. But my job is to ship good music and do it with out promoting out. My uniqueness lies in my storytelling—it’s like a film unfolding by means of lyrics. I need to set the usual for hip-hop reveals, model offers, aesthetics… all the things,” he says.

Looking forward, he insists he’s simply getting warmed up. “Everything I’ve achieved to this point? That was simply to get my foot within the door. Now the true work begins. I need to maintain evolving, maintain exploring. The sound will maintain altering—however the aim will keep the identical: to inform my story, truthfully and unapologetically,” he says.