What started as penning down words during the lockdown, led to a recent viral Malayalam single ‘Lokame’ by RJ Ekalavyan. It talks about current issues and tries to instigate a change.
The song which released a week ago has picked up a lot of attention and been shared by actors across the industry.
In a candid chat with Metrolife, the singer talks about the single and the journey.
What triggered the song?
Time triggered the song. I always wanted to write and make music. Everyone had ample time on themselves during the lockdown. Even I was at home wondering about what to do. One fine day, I took a pen and paper and started writing the lyrics and finished it in an hour. I wrote around eight songs in a span of two weeks.
How did the lyrics happen? What is the inspiration behind the song and the words?
The lyrics just happened. I just started writing ‘Lokame, ningal onnu ingu sradhiku’ (meaning Hey world, listen up). The rest just instantly came to me and I liked the sound of it.
The world was under stress and everyone was facing the heat. I wanted my lines to be socio-political. The song talks about a number of issues — note ban and demonetisation, fake votes, fake news and asks people to unite.
What pushed you to create the song?
I was at a homestay with some friends, which is were it all started. By then the lines were ready and I knew that I wanted to make it into a rap video. I was jamming with some friends and one of them asked me to sing a song, which is when I rapped a part of the song. A common friend took a video and convinced me about uploading it online. It went viral.
The ‘sneak peek’ video was appreciated by many in the industry, after which it got the attention of a big production house, but things didn’t work out because of their earlier commitments. Soon after, actress Mamta Mohandas agreed to produce the song.
What was your reaction when Mamta agreed to produce the single?
I was so happy that it is unexplainable. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. I was just very thankful to god and nature.
Does music have to reflect issues and talk about today’s times?
I don’t believe that every track has to talk about it. For rap and hiphop, it is a factor. I would like to work on tracks with genuine issues, but not all my tracks will be socio-political.
Who is your favourite rap artiste?
I am not someone who has followed rap music strictly. To me, Eminem is the rap god and I listen to him. I love listening to Arijit Singh, Sonu Nigam and Lucky Ali.
Any projects lined up?
I have a few songs planned for the future. One of my upcoming numbers will be about a never-say-die attitude.
Apart from being an RJ, what are other things you have tried?
I like trying everything. Other than radio, I’m into football refereeing. I’m a qualified football referee under Kerala Football Association and the All India Football Federation.