JOIN USDoes the name Taran Kaur Dhillon ring a bell? No, right? But if I say Hard Kaur, music lovers will certainly know whom I am talking about.
The expat rapper, who was born in India and later settled in the UK, has returned from the oblivion with her recent single “Sherni”. Speaking about her childhood, Kaur says, “As a child, I enjoyed dancing more than singing. I remember I was once dancing at a family wedding, and an old man threw money on me after my performance. And that put me off dancing completely.”
During her teens, Kaur got hooked to hip-hop and started enjoying music. “For hip-hop, you need a lot of power and it’s not easy. It was unconventional at the time, but I didn’t really care about what people thought,” says India’s first female rapper.
Hard has created her own identity in the playback industry with songs including, “Chaar Bottle Vodka” from the film Faaltu and “Sadda Dil Vi Tu” from ABCD. The artiste, who is known for her fearless attitude, has been out of the music scene for the last two years. Now back with a bang with a single titled “Sherni”, Kaur plans to up her game. The music video features Kaur crooning in her powerful voice with some hardhitting lyrics on women empowerment.
How did this concept come around? “I stayed away from the music scene as I wasn’t offered the kind of work I wanted to do. Sometime ago, I had penned a few lines and recited them to my friends. They found it quite impressive and encouraged me to make it into a full-fledged song. At that time, I knew that no one will agree to produce the song. So I decided to do it myself. I came up with my own label, and made the video for ‘Sherni.’” Kaur has been a born rebel and “Sherni” is a reflection of that. She says, “I always speak my mind and my fans know that.”
Speaking about her sabbatical, Kaur says, “These past few years have been tough. I lost my 12-year-old brother and was depressed. But now I am happy and recharged. I know I am capable of making good music, and I am looking for a fresh start.” So, does she think this industry is male dominated? “Without a doubt. There is only one woman composer I can think of — Sneha Khanvilkar and we also had Usha Khanna. But I am going to change this. I have been composing stuff for the last two years. My next one is going to be a song in the film Ticket To Bollywood, which has a qawwali feel to it.”
In the last five years, the Indian music industry has also witnessed the rise of rappers including Honey Singh and Badshah. What does she think of the trend? “I have been composing this kind of music for so many years. I like Honey because he is a good producer, but Badshah has no melody. He sings songs like reciting a poem. It doesn’t appeal to me.” Hard has sung, danced and acted in the film Patiala House and has even been a contestant on the reality dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. So what else is left for her to explore? “I love cooking, so I want to participate in a show like Masterchef,” she says with a smile.