'I rap about issues which affect us'

Rapping is a trend among youngsters. Though many are into it, most might not want to make a career out of it. Biju, a final-year engineering student of Acharya Institute of Technology who goes by the stage name ‘MC Lil B’, loves rapping and composing music and wants to make a name for himself in the field.

“I have been into rapping for the last four years now. I was initially into B-boying and later, took to rapping. One of the most important reasons why I started rapping was to spread knowledge about the hip-hop culture.

Although youngsters today like rap songs, many of them tend to associate them with violence. In fact, many of them want to have a rapping competition with me every time they hear I am a rapper. But hip-hop and rap have a very different history. I want to create more awareness about it,” he adds.

Ask him how he manages to juggle his passion with academics and he adds that his teachers, family and college authorities have been very supportive and it is because of them that he has been able to hone his skills.

“My mother has been very supportive and always encouraged me to work towards my dreams. My teachers and head of department have also been encouraging. I use the funds I make towards my passion and have made a small studio with the money I have earned from various shows,” he explains.

Rapping is not Biju’s only talent. He also has the knack of composing music and has even composed music for a few short films. “I also make my own music for my rap pieces and ask other singers to sing the chorus. I am also composing music for a Kannada film titled Malli. I have performed at many private and corporate events and have even opened for musician Raghav,” he details.

An interesting thing is that Biju raps not only in English but also Kannada and wants to fuse Indian instruments and beats with rap and hip-hop.

“I have worked with a female rapper Aksa and we have worked on a devotional rap. The video Rama Nama has been uploaded on YouTube and we have composed our own music for the video. I have worked on a Kannada rap number ‘Hip-Hop’ recently. The entire song is in Kannada except for two words of English. It is one of the fastest Kannada rap numbers,” he elaborates. 

Biju usually works on different themes and chooses issues which affect the youth. Some of the themes on which he has based his songs are alcohol abuse, drugs, eve teasing and empowerment of women. 

“I rap about issues which affect us in general. One of my songs, ‘She Deserves A Salute’, is all about respecting women and empowering them. Writing new songs also means that I have to be updated about all the happenings and keep polishing my diction.

I am always exploring different subjects and to compose a 16-verse song, I generally write around 32 verses and pick the best lines out,” he notes. For now, he is all set to follow his heart and make it big in the field of music.