Azadi Records is proud to present the latest single by Mumbai-based Tamil hip-hop artist Rak. Titled ‘Hardcore Paiyyan’, the single is the culmination of a two-year long journey that has seen the artist revisit and reconstruct his sound from scratch. He has emerged with a minimalistic production style that compliments his aggressively volatile and cathartic flow and leans into the horror-core, grime and drill influences. This versatility saw him get earmarked as a talent to watch out for when he first came to the fore as part of Mumbai’s then-nascent hip-hop scene.
‘Hardcore Paiyyan’ sees the rapper cum producer lay down a marker for the Indian rap scene at large. He introduces a brand new soundscape to the Tamil cultural landscape. This unparalleled outlook converts the abrasive street rhythms common across the state’s musical output into minimalistic, glacial percussive elements that when juxtaposed with aggressive, shapeshifting 808s – come together create Rak’s formidable and hard-hitting sonic identity.
