THE HIT LIST
1 VOICE OF CHANGE
Kashmiri rapper Ahmer Javed shows that the personal is always political
When 24-year-old Ahmer Javed returned home to Srinagar, following the abrogation of Article 370, he was struck by what he witnessed—living under curfew, choking on tear gas. He documented the experience in his new mixtape, Inqalab. Through rap, he reproduces the angst of Kashmiri people so their palpable sense of loss and betrayal strikes the listener with urgency. But the four tracks are not merely despairing, they are defiant. “Buzz off, this land is sacred,” he thunders. Bazaar speaks to the Delhi-based artist.
Tell us more about Inqalab. It was born of intense frustration. During the lockdown, I was in a room with some children when tear gas fumes drifted inside. To see them coughing, locked indoors instead of going to school, angered me. In Kashmir, we are forced to grow up under such circumstances.
Was this also the impulse behind your debut album Little Boy, Big Dreams (Azadi Records, June 2019)? The album is deeply personal, and is informed by my childhood days. For instance, my favourite track Uncle is inspired by my uncle, Shaheed Ajaz Ahmed Dar, who stood up against human rights violations in Kashmir but was martyred in an encounter. With my music, I portray Kashmir through first-hand knowledge.
Why choose rap to convey Rap is not confined by the rigours of training. It is accessible and relatable. Kashmiri rappers, in particular, bear a common pain that punctuates our music.
