In the changing India, rap has also become a way to express dissent and to highlight the ignored issues. It has given voice to the unspoken feelings of the generation.
Although the term is familiar now, the profession is still not much explored by many. Many think of it as a hobby or passion, not as a career opportunity and they can be often seen questioning this field.
How to become a rapper?
Is rapping a good career?
To gain insights into the day-to-day struggle of a rapper. I interviewed Arrya, a budding rapper. Coming from a small town in Bihar the rapper carries the essence of his hometown Bhagalpur very well.
Arrya discovered himself as a rapper not much ago but now rap music is an integral part of him. Diwakar Kumar stage name Arrya tried his luck in rapping with his first video “Beti hona paap hai kya” and apart from thousand of views on the video he gained immense support and love from the people.
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| Image courtesy:Arrya |
The rapper prefers to rap in his regional language to promote the culture of Bihar. He is a student also and he manages all the expenses of his videos on his own. He started writing poems and lyrics in class 7 only got serious about it a year ago only.
Arrya idolized Rapper Raftaar and dreams to collaborate with him someday and he also wishes to hold a rap cipher in his hometown.
Q&A session with Arrya:
1. What is so good about rap?
Rap music allows me to explore myself. With rapping, I can express my feelings in
words. There are a lot of things that a person cannot express to others but with rap, I get to express my bottled-up feelings.
2. How many hours do you work?
It is not a 9 to 5 job, it is my passion. I go with the flow. I rap when I get the right vibes for it. A writer needs a vibe and a rapper needs a beat to give his best and I'm both so the vibe and beat both are important for me.
3. How do you practice rapping?
Practice matters a lot in rapping. I usually practiced by playing beats on my phone.
Your flow and your vocabulary also matters a lot and having the knowledge of your regional area and slang help to connect with the people of your area.
4. What equipment do you need for rapping?
A phone is enough for a good rap. You can play the beat on your own or from youtube. Skills matter more than any equipment.
5. What is the difference between rapper and singer?
Rapper and singer are not much different both are devotees of music but of different forms of music. Traditional music has limitations and rapping starts from the edge where these limitations end. A rapper is free to experiment and explore.
Rap is a culture that reflects society. It is a revolutionary movement started by foreigners.
6. What is the most important thing in rap?
Rhymes, beats, and good lyrics are very important for rapping.
7. Why are music videos important?
Music videos are important to grab the audience. There are already many rappers in the industry so the audience will not come to you unless you offer something unique and interesting to them.
8. How much does a music video cost?
From my personal experience, my first Youtube video cost around 8 thousand (3k in music and 5k in video and other expenses). However, the cost varies on the basis of the quality of the video and the place.
9. How do you balance passion and profession?
I manage everything on my own. I gave tuitions and earned revenue through them and managed my expenses. I have got a good support system including Shubham Nayak Bhaiya, Sangam Bhaiya, Rakshit bhaiya, and Esshav bhaiya, Aman, and my other friends.
10. How do music videos make money?
Music videos do make money on Youtube but first, it has to match standards set by Youtube. You need 1 thousand subscribers 4,000 hours of overall watch time to monetize the channel. The revenue generated by Youtube is not much initially but if your songs get popular you can earn well through live shows.
For earning money your priority should be the offline audience along with the online audience.
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