Tarun (a.k.a Beere) came out with his first body of work in 2 years (since “Beere”, a solo project and “Gadbad” with Sammad and 3bhk in 2022) titled “Business Hours” , in collaboration with Nived, who produced all the tracks on here. A filmmaker by profession, Beere is based in Canada, but is still one of the most respected and talked about artists in the DHH scene. The unique texture of his voice and his ability to create magic over beats has brought him to this stage. Business Hours has been in the works for more than a year, Tarun revealed on his Instagram, with some tracks being revised and reworked 10 times before they were released.
Beere comes out the gates swinging, with the unmistakable gravelly and deep timbre of his voice, perfect for hip-hop. The titular intro is a percussion heavy track over which he gives us a rundown of what the tape is gonna be like, and what his mindset was going into it. He flexes on the competition, talking about his rhyming skills and acquisition of funds alike. The hook is a reference to the boy-band Tarun is 1/4th of (GAIR KANOONI). It could also be a shoutout to Bhaktaaa (who is also featured on this EP) with the “Gair Kaanuni, vehem paalu ni” lyric being an interpolation of the song “Gair Kaanuni” from Bhaktaaa’s classic album “Kaan ke Neeche”. The track ends with a Business Hours chant-like hook.
BAJWA is my favourite song from this EP. The super catchy instrumental is put together with the perfect rhythm section using short, snappy, and in-your-face drum sounds which give Beere and Bhaktaaa the carte blanche they need to go crazy. Beere takes the mic first, talking about how when he spits a verse, everyone listens, while also adding on to the themes addressed in the intro track. The hook is a total earworm, with the flute lead line adding the cherry on the icing. Coupled with the lyrics which feature Beere singing about New Delhi and a girl by his side who goes by the name of Bajwa, this one was an instant hit from this EP, and rightly so.
As Beere closes out the hook, we seamlessly transition into the second verse where it’s Bhaktaaa’s turn to take centre stage. He’s in his bag on this one, dropping bars about how messing with him and Beere is not a good idea, advising the competition to not bite the hand that feeds them, issuing out a warning. He also touches upon the fact that people know his name, but don’t know the city he comes from, which is how it should be because if one goes to his town, they better not have any hopes of going back home. He closes out his verse rapping about the struggle he went through and how he’s reaping the benefits of it now. Beere comes in for the hook one more time as the song ends. The music video for this one is also an absolute banger with some great camera work, rapid cuts and visual themes that go perfectly with the lyrics, the work of Beere and Bhaktaaa I believe, who are both professional filmmakers, along with the visual team (Naman Gulati and Daksh Chopra)
Gediyan is the commercial Punjabi track from this EP. It combines elements of both standard Punjabi Pop with hip-hop. Featuring Abhinsane and 3bhk, the hook is something that I can hear blasting on the radio while you cruise down a highway, talking about a girl who’s caught your eye, asking her to go for a gedi with you. Beere, 3bhk and Abhinsane all take a completely different and interesting approach to their verses on this, adding a nice touch of variety and variation to the track. From a gritty, aggressive hip-hop verse to mellow sung verses, this track is the perfect radio banger.
Roof is the song that stands out from all the other ones on this EP. From 3 tracks based around Punjabi and hip-hop music, we suddenly go into this soul-sampled-DnB-house track. Paired with some laid back delivery of the sung verses, this is an unexpected combo which I’ve never heard before, but it works so well. Beere steps out of the hip-hop zone on this track to sing his heart out, talking about taking the girl he likes away from the life and loop she’s stuck in. Nanku does what he does best, with an emotional verse with rapid delivery, giving a good bit of contrast to the lines. He sings about how he knows the stuff this girl did, and how he still doesn’t know a lot, but he’s willing to let that go and take her away from the real world for a minute. The outro features some beautiful harmonies and backing vocals, giving the home stretch of this song a great vibe.
The final song 95 starts off with a news report about the Pitampura area of Delhi, where the reporter narrates the news about how thieves took advantage of the heavy foggy and cold weather to steal jewels from a jewellery showroom, by tying up the guard and making their escape with stuff worth crores. The intro sets up the stage for the song and what it’s about, the city of Delhi where Beere hails from. He talks about how people in every area from Pitampura to the jamnapar area (in East Delhi, considered the underbelly and dark side of the capital) know and respect him.The hook talks about how Delhi influenced him and Aakarshit growing up and how they became the street-smart, resolute and confident people they are because of this city. The title 95 (pichanve) is also referenced here, talking about driving down the road at the speed of 95 kmph. Aaakrashit does a great job with his verse, cycling between English and Hindi with witty and funny one liners showing off his braggadocious and funny side, also blending in some staple flex elements into his bars.
Although Business Hours contains only 5 songs, they’re all bangers, worth the 2 year wait fans had to go through for them. With a runtime of less than 13 minutes, Beere, Nived and 3bhk were able to weave together an amazing sonic experience, consisting of everything a hip hop record needs and more. The work put into Business Hours shines through, the attention to detail to make sure every single sound and verse hits like it does, is what makes fans love Beere and his work. Until the next release comes around, the fans are gonna have a great time bumping these tracks.
