‘Hip-Hop is about owning your identity’ : MC Couper

Rapper MC Couper’s caller way ‘Dayumm’ is astir identity—a spirited solemnisation of the self. “I americium assured astir who I americium present and the way is simply a reflection of that,” helium says. ‘Dayumm’, which dropped 3 weeks ago, has a playful vibe with funky kuthu beats backing Couper’s diagnostic flow. “I usually fto the opus bash its thing, but here, a batch of thought has gone into the video, arsenic well,” helium says.

The video was changeable astatine his flat and features him “in his space”, being himself and gaming. “In this time and age, your ocular crippled has to beryllium apical notch. I effort to support the ocular facet of my videos much successful sync with who I am,” helium says.

Though overmuch of his penning present is spontaneous, helium does spell into self-imposed penning camps, thing helium utilized to bash successful his archetypal years. These camps are erstwhile helium experiments with linguistic texture and lyricism. ‘Dayumm’ was calved retired of 1 specified camp, says Couper. “It came unneurotic successful a substance of hours. The ‘ratatata’ successful the opus is the pen going off,” helium explains.

Couper similar to item his verses; keeping it real, reflecting connected life, identity, societal realities and idiosyncratic choices. Powerful lyrics don’t ever person to stem from a spot of anger, helium says. “Most of america (rappers) commencement retired angry. The stress, the frustration... and hip-hop is simply a almighty instrumentality for aforesaid expression,” says Couper, “but I deliberation I person moved connected from there. For me, it has been astir idiosyncratic growth. I americium comfy successful my skin. Now, my creation is often astir the radical that I truly emotion successful my life. Hip-hop is simply a locally-rooted creation form. It is astir owning your identity.” 

Couper was among the earliest artistes to interruption into the hip-hop country successful Kerala with his 2019 debut merchandise ‘Nerchapaattu’,which was much of an experiment, says Couper. He built his repertoire, connection by word. Fast, powerpacked verses that made radical instrumentality note. Always inclined to languages, Couper was much fluent successful English. ‘Nerchapaattu’ was spontaneous and it made him realise helium was arsenic felicitous with Malayalam.

He was inspired by American rappers Eminem, Mac Miller and J Cole. “Artistes specified arsenic Mac Miller and J Cole taught maine that 1 tin rap astir feelings, make emotionally resonant verses. That was a turning constituent successful my writing,” says Couper.

He soon created his ain abstraction successful Kerala’s nascent hip-hop scene. ‘Ayyayyo’, a way featuring him, with Thirumali, Hanumankind and Parimal Shais successful 2023, broke the net and everyone was talking astir the “Malabar boys from the southbound side.” 

The tryst with films helped. Having written and performed for Aavesham, Romancham, Purusha Pretham, Naradan, Nadikar – helium co-wrote ‘Mathapithakkale’ from Aavesham and sang it too, on with Malayali Monkeys and sang ‘Thalatherichavar’ successful Romancham along with Zia Ul Haq, some of which became instant hits. “That is the happening astir films. It opens up an full world,” says Couper.

He was successful the oculus of a contention precocious erstwhile a fewer radical from the assemblage gathered for a amusement successful Kannur, started hurling abuses astatine the performing artistes. Couper reacted and videos of the incidental went viral. “We did not expect this benignant of intolerance. A inferior artiste was performing and it truly shook him. Hip-hop is simply a assemblage thing. You request to basal up for your radical and that was what I did,” helium says.

“Every gig is simply a challenge; you are successful a precise susceptible abstraction portion connected the stage. Over the years, I person gained confidence. At the extremity of the day, it is astir connecting with people,” says Couper.

He has an full database of tracks coming up — ‘Chaappa Kurishu’ with shaper Akash Shravan, ‘Mannira’ with songwriter and shaper Loozmathai, ‘Atta‘ with euphony shaper Hrishi. So, erstwhile does helium instrumentality a break? “Life and enactment coincide. I don’t truly instrumentality a break, but to play Xbox,” helium says.