New kids on the block

City-based trilingual rap duo, Kaccheri Boys, released their debut EP last month

Bharath Gururagavendran and Chidambaram Palaniappan, two fresh law school graduates have made a splash on the city’s rap scene. Going by the pseudonyms Dr. G and Dank Sinatra, the Kaccheri Boys rap in English, Kannada and Tamil. Dr. G has vocal training in Carnatic music and only picked up rapping in high school. Dank got into rapping in his fourth year of college and has since released 44 songs. Metrolife caught up with the duo to talk about the release of their EP - ‘Mixtape Volume 1’, which is available on all streaming platforms.

What led to the formation of the Kaccheri Boys?

Dr. G: At our university’s graduation ceremony, I had heard that Dank was rapping, and my close friends suggested that it would be really great if I rapped with him. Back then, it was purely intended to be a throwback.

Dank Sinatra: It all happened in one day. When we sat down to write, everything flowed really well. Half an hour later, we had finished writing a full song, and we knew that this was a collaboration that would last beyond the grad ceremony.

Dr. G: During the lockdown, when some travel restrictions had eased up, we decided to start making music seriously, and here we are, 12 songs down. I guess that’s our origin story.

How do you hold on to an individual style and make sure the duo works?

Dr. G: I don’t think there’s a trade-off at all to be made. In fact, it’s probably the diverse nature of our individual styles that makes the duo work. So, to that effect, we actually try to embrace our uniqueness.

Dank Sinatra: There’s no set definition of what the Kaccheri Boys looks like, and that really gives us freedom to explore. Our goal as a rap-duo to reinvent ourselves with every song, I think greatly aids us in keeping it fresh.

What was it like making an album during the lockdown?

Dr. G: Definitely a surreal experience. It’s a bit strange for me because I’ve only ever made music in the lockdown, so I guess it’ll be fun to find out how making music under normal circumstances will feel.

Dank Sinatra: The pandemic has helped my creative process as a rapper too. You rarely get this much freedom and time in your life, and I wanted to make the most of it. In fact, in addition to the Kaccheri Boys EP and singles, I made and released my solo EP (‘Identity Crisis’) during the lockdown as well.

Dr. G: I honestly think that this wouldn’t be there in the absence of a pandemic; Dank would have been off to Delhi, and I would have gone abroad for my Masters.

What’s your writing process like?

Dr. G: We start by just listening to beats that producers have sent across, and then we’ll talk about what kind of vibe the beat creates. It’s a very stream-of-consciousness type
discussion with ideas being thrown around. Once we narrow down on something thematically, we’ll think of how the beat can be tweaked and talk to the producer to accommodate these modifications.

Dank Sinatra: We write our verses separately, and then re-group to work out arrangements, post which we record. Then, we work with the engineers on getting the perfect mix, so that it can be mastered for release.

What’s next for you both?

Dr. G: I’m not going to compromise on either academia or music. On the music front, I’ve formed a band with my really close friends. We’re called ‘Pimped up Butterflies’, and we’re currently working on a sci-fi concept album that melds rap with rock and jazz inspired sounds.

Dank Sinatra: I plan on building a career in law and music. On the rapping front, I’ve already started working on my next solo EP. On the Kaccheri Boys front, I think our EP’s name makes it clear: Vol. 2 will be coming your way!