Shabarish alias 'Joker' Felix, an accused in the twin murders in Hebbal-Kempapura on Tuesday, was reportedly a self-styled media influencer who wrote abusive lyrics targeting prominent rappers of the Kannada music industry.
Despite being shocked at the incident, the city’s rapper community said they were not surprised by Felix's involvement.
“He used rapping to gain Instagram followers, but his songs lacked depth and quality,” a popular Kannada rapper from RT Nagar told DH, requesting anonymity. “His lyrics were all about self-praise and demeaning others' works.”
The rapper also mentioned that Felix's lyrics often glorified violence and rowdyism. “Every song contained references to hitting people and praising gangsters,” he explained.
Another rapper noted that Felix was involved in drug use and purposely instigated fights with fellow rappers to attract attention.
Yet another rapper revealed that Felix would send his followers to search for young talents, who could join his group and collaborate with him, solely to increase his following.