Two artists and one producer came together and had the best sessions- full of eclectic sonics, and witty lyricism creating a fun tape that they named MMFP Vol.1 (Mauj Masti Full Party Vol.1). Delhi-based rapper Mehul Malik a.k.a Shinigxmi, Ghaziabad-based rapper Shantanu Razdaan a.k.a Raztaan and Delhi-based producer Gagandeep Kakkar a.k.a Yksdog have always been inspired by hyper-pop and East Coast bangers and created MMFP as an experiment with the genre and their twist of old school Hindi rap and unique vocal dictionary. “We know for many people, the idea of releasing three short songs together as a cohesive tape might sound weird, but for us, it was never a planned collective, it just so happened that we created something beautiful while playing around with music and having fun and we wanted to share it with the rest of the world,” said Yksdog. For the trio, it was their fusion of visions and their trust and respect for each other that allowed them to risk working on a genre like hyper-pop that is seldom worked with, especially in the Indian hip-hop scene.
Shinigxmi stated, “The process of making this project was full of mauj masti and felt like a party- fun, and roaring and that is the same feeling we want our listeners to have through the three songs, you know like a little five-minute get away from reality and have a little mauj masti.”
The three tracks on the tape have a mesmerizing euphoric experience and are a love child of three artists experimenting with futuristic sonic blends. It is an adrenaline rollercoaster and a beautiful amalgamation of trap-hyper pop and Indian R&B. The tape was a perfect opportunity for the three crazy head artists to try out areas they never had. Raztaan melodies lifted the song with his unique vocal delivery, Shinigxmi created a hook soo different that it combined classic old-school rap and witty lyricism and Yksdog structured the tracks with an oddly satisfying sonic fusion. The tracks were mix-mastered by Wamp who did an amazing job condensing and combining the vocals and helped shape such a whimsical tape. Mihir Batra is the mastermind behind the artwork who has beautifully illustrated a picture of the trio standing next to each other which was captured by Uday (Wolfman), each with their quirky style and their heads held up high.
More interesting than the process of making the mixtape are the names of each track. Let’s break down all three tracks and explore the madness behind them. The first track is ‘High Voltage Daze’, a song they have dedicated to all the confused and eccentric minds doing their best to enjoy a game they call life. Raztaan says “For my part of the song I tried to lyrically express how constantly try to be myself and not create an alternative fake persona of myself simply to become a successful artist, but it’s not that easy. There’s a constant blur from the moment you step on the stage as an artist to the moment you step down and are just a regular individual.” On the other hand, Shinigxmi asserts that “I write without fear and this song specifically focuses on how I have crowned myself the king, in the sense that I have learned to love and prioritize myself because other people will accept and love you only if you love yourself in the first place.” Sonically, Yksdog has created this track to kick off with a high-pitched synth, a crazy raging melody that drives the entire racks’ energy, and bass-boosted bouncy drums with a crazy 808 pattern.
The second track is ‘Galat||$cenez’, a song that they have dedicated to all the so-called rebels among us, enjoying life and thriving by breaking the norms of society. The song was made as an anthem for those who do not fit in and found people along the way who embraced their oddness. For Raztaan, it was his way of celebrating brotherhood, a bond between his friends who were always his partners in crime and stuck with him for better or worse. “I dream that I could make it big so I got to wake up every day to put on a better show”, one of the few witty bars by Shinigxmi. For him, this song is a motivation to all who are constantly working to achieve their dreams in hopes of breaking the “societal standard” and riding a new wave. Sonically, Yksdog worked on the track with an oddly satisfying sample. The precision of this track gives it a real bounce from the get-go and the drums add to it to make your neck go bonkers.
The last track “Wide Eyed Boyz”, is a song dedicated to all the trippy and dazed souls, who are happily clueless about the negativities of life and choose to focus on the little things they can enjoy in life. I feel that this track has truly brought Shinigxmi’s out-of-the-world bars and hooks. “Seedha Achilles, jalane aaya hu pura mei Troy”, and more jocular lyricism and humorous hooks is the reason this song has become the crowd favorite. I believe this song is a perfect example of the relationship between Raztaan, Shinigxmi, and Yksdog- a mad unison of three individuals who are working to create a new sound together and explore and expand new non-traditional genres of music. Sonically, the track kicks off with a spacey-vibed synth and the melody layered onto the chords with synth distorted bass giving the track its initial low end, and later drops into a thumpy and bouncy drum grove with crazy 808’s, and an easter egg for this track is two different hooks going on at the same time.
I loved the tape simply because it allowed me to enjoy myself and not put much thought into the more complex ideas of the songs. I think the tape did what it was supposed to do; allow its listeners to have a full-on rager, energize them with a jolt of exhilarating beats and bounce, and enjoy the small pockets of relatability and nostalgia. The genre of hyper-pop is still an alien genre in mainstream Indian hip-hop but a mixtape like this is a small step to opening up new music for the listeners.
