Underground cyphers are helping young Kashmiris reclaim their … – Huck Magazine

Javed came into the limelight in 2019 a time when the Government of India had unilaterally abolished the special status of Kashmir and there was a widespread crackdown on free speech in the Himalayan region. His debut album Little Kid, Big Dreams, was an instant hit, but back home things were getting worse. After releasing his album in New Delhi, Javed came home and saw people restricted in their houses.

There wasnt much to do during the curfew days. So, I used to go near The Jhelum River for leisure, where I found other rap artists looking for a platform to exhibit their talent, he said. There, they came together to form a hip-hop community called "Kashur Nizam (Kashmiri Culture)."

Comparing their motivation to Rage Against the Machine, whose unapologetic rock targets everything from Americancorporations and warmongeringto racial discrimination and police brutality. Like them, Javed says, Kashmiri hip-hop also refuses to shy away from reality.

We (rappers) are not political people. We just rap about what we see and observe," he explains. "And if our circumstances led us to rap about the atrocities that are happening around us, it is not our fault. It is conscious music.

Hip-hop first made its way to Kashmir in early 2000s when the valley was introduced to rappers likeEminem, 50 Cent and Tupac. The lyrical themes of oppression, poverty and racism resonated with young people, who saw mirrors of theirown experiences.

Thirteen years since Illahi's popularity threw a light on Kashmiri hip-hop, the scene is small but passionate. There are aroundrappers in Kashmir today spitting about politics, human rights violation, militarisation and speaking truth to power. In doing so, they are inspiring generations to come.

Among the crowd to watch Javed are two young boys from downtown Srinagar nodding their heads to beats.Arsalan (18) and Dawood (19) have been friends since childhood, and listening to hip-hop for eight years now. For them, Kashmiri hip-hopreflects what young people like them go through in their day-to-day lives.

Its like someone is singing our story, they say. We live in the most volatile area in the city, and we have seen so much turmoil right from our childhood. This music gives us a chance to listen to our own feelings.

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Underground cyphers are helping young Kashmiris reclaim their ... - Huck Magazine