Sxnchay is an up-and-coming Delhi based artist who aspires to construct his sound and strives for musical independence. Taking inspiration from Malcolm X and XXXTENTACION, his hunger for creative control as an artist has allowed him to stand out and become a free bird with an eccentric mind. His lyrical rawness has found pleasure in freestyling and rapping in English which takes him a step closer to his dream- becoming a global artist and paving the way for mainstream English rap music in the Indian Hip-Hop scene.
He dropped his first project “Mistakes and Mixtapes, Vol.1” on January 2023. His goal has always been “Making old-school music.” With this idea, he created physical copies of his mixtape and gave it to people to add a nostalgic touch to the project and revive the authentic culture of music-making and streaming. The project itself is a complex emotion; from English raps to sampling Old Bollywood music, it encompasses life’s good, bad, and ugly moments. The project transcends into a picturesque story that would allow his listeners to create a series of visuals and emotions that they can personally resonate with.
Let us break down four of the most popular tracks on this project. First is the track, “North West”. A fan favorite that has given its listeners a sense of belonging through its witty lyrics and distorted vocals. The track has a groovy baseline and thump-y drums which adds an oomph to the song. Sxnchay reveals himself to be a rebel with an introspective approach and a passion to prove himself. He opens up about toxic coping mechanisms and living a life battling with people who want to see him fail. The song is full of double entendres- my favorite one being- “The three C’ cool, calm and collected but how can you mention Kalm but not Encore.” SeedheMaut stans unite!
The second track is “Same Place” whose video Sxnhcay shot himself. The track has a wavy guitar and trappy drums with a folk twist to it added by tabla and harmonium at the end. The track is an amalgamation of Hindi and English rap that persists in proving a point- The road to success and happiness is a lonely one. The track has a beautiful hidden story of self-recognition and finding solace in oneself.
The third track is “Off My Chest”, a song that Sxnchay has proclaimed to be a rant. “I was going through a lot mentally and I focused all the negativities into a song.” The sonics complement the mood of the track pretty well too with a catchy vocal sample and thumpy drums that add to the cinematic feel of the song. I believe it to be a song that you would put on when you wake up and just go along with. The song is not a cry for help but a pent-up anger and rage ingrained beautifully into a track.
The fourth track is “DON JON”. A groovy, pop-rap track that makes it a perfect party song. A huge chunk of the music video was shot in Majnu ka Tilla that encapturing the place in its full beauty. “This video is how a movie should be, a crazy, amazing movie.”- Sxnchay says with a smirk. The track has a bouncy melodic sample which is complemented by hard-hitting drums. The song has fun vocals that would make its listeners take a step back and enjoy living in the moment.
The artwork of the project itself is minimalist with a photograph of the track listed carefully painted on Sxnxhay’s back. A customized creation that attributes to Sxnchay’s unconventional nature. The entire project has been crafted delicately with not a speck of materiality to it. It is sonically versatile with a cohesive wave to it with an individual sound to it. The project is a reflection of the comfort that one gets from music, a drive to create more music and open up bigger multifaceted music in Indian Hip-Hop.
“My name is Sxnchay with an X, that’s all I gotta say..”- Sxnchay
