'Rap as an artform is not limited by language'

Going regional

For Sai Menon aka Urmi, the world of music has a lot more to it than what meets the eye. From being a rap-artiste to a producer and a composer, he loves wearing many hats.

Through one of his latest online videos, a rap version of the Kannada movie song Naadamaya’ by Rajkumar, he aims to reach out to more people by the day. In an interview with Tini Sara Anien, Sai Menon talks about the world of rap.

How did you come up with your the stage name?

I’m a big fan of the Persian poet Rumi and I’m deeply influenced by him. ‘Urmi’ is an anagram of his name. The word also means ‘wave’ in Sanskrit and I love the beaches, thus the name stuck on.

Define yourself..

(Thinks) I am a rapper, a vocal artiste, a producer and I love to compose. I started off with production and when I couldn’t find the artiste I wanted, I became one. This is seen even in Hollywood now. Necessity helped me push boundaries.

The genre you like working in...

I find myself inclining towards hiphop most of the time. I also experiment a lot with Indian fusion. I love jazz music and a lot of my vocals are inspired by the style. (Smiles) But what I do best is hiphop.

How did ‘Naadamaya’ happen?

A friend of mine heard a remix of a popular Malayalam song I did and wanted me to try a Kannada song. I loved the energy of the song. I was mesmerised and I asked who the vocalist was and that is when I found out that the actor had sung it. I created a beat and asked rapper Karthik Gubbi what he thought of it. He said it was mindblowing and instantly asked for the beats. I’ve been the producer, composer and arranger for the beat for this song.

The number of hits the video has got is impressive...

The song has received more than 20,000 views over a few days. Karthik Gubbi is known for his Kannada rap and he timed the video well. His lyrics have always been clean and meaningful, which make it interesting. The song in
its original form was inspiring, which made me want to work on it.

What languages do you rap in?

I primarily rap in English  and I have worked in Kannada too. Rap as an artform is not limited by language. Every language has the capacity to be rhymed and put to a beat. Rap is like storytelling.

Rap to you is...

I use the medium to be honest and express how I’m feelings at that moment. When one does this through music, people connect to it. It also brings me closer to my audience. Be it sad, happy or funny, when one is genuine, the music connects better.

Performer or composer, which would you rather be known as?

The high is in performing while the sensitivity is in being at the studio and talking to oneself. Composing is very personal. But performing is loud and daring, and that is a true high for any artiste, where he reveals himself.

If you weren’t into music, what would you have been?

(Laughs) I’m very passionate about cooking. I would have loved to be a chef. If not, I would have tried standup comedy.


Big break: Performing at the ‘Out Of Nowhere’ event at Pebble. Influence: Kanye West.

Favourite musician: A R Rahman. Inspired by: Rumi. Strongest challenge: Learning production.