Meet musician from India, MC Manmeet Kaur.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
In today’s worth, I’m a curious vocalist that uses music of the moment to generate entertaining learnings and make social statements.
Describe the city you’re living in and what it’s like to live there.
I just had to vacate my house in ‘Oxel’, Goa to a friend’s apartment in ‘Pundalik Nagar’, Goa. Rebuilding zonal interactions, I feel new hence good… It is May and hot over here.
I just had to vacate my house in ‘Oxel’, Goa to a friend’s apartment in ‘Pundalik Nagar’, Goa. Rebuilding zonal interactions, I feel new hence good… It is May and hot over here.
What is the best and worst thing about living in your city?
Best thing: This house is upon a plateau facing the valley, right next to “Salim Ali” Bird Sanctuary. I wish to sample a lot of chirps for my next EP.
Worst thing: It’s also next to 3 overlapping bridges and a casino. So for the next couple of months, I’ll be embracing the civilizational duality of my vicinity.
Give us 3 words that describe what it’s like to be a creative in your city.
Explorant. opportunistically. Touristically slaved. (oops, that’s 4)
My brother brought home a folder full of different genres of music that I got to listen to for the first time in my life. It was magical to get introduced to Hip Hop music. I started to write upon the youtube “type” beats soon enough and continued eloping with my rap books to treat my bathroom like a concert hall.
How did you start your career in art?
My brother brought home a folder full of different genres of music that I got to listen to for the first time in my life. It was magical to get introduced to Hip Hop music. I started to write upon the youtube “type” beats soon enough and continued eloping with my rap books to treat my bathroom like a concert hall. I’m happy to remember it as Hip Hop visiting me home, I was 13, 14 years ago.
I pursued performing as a career soon as I shifted to Mumbai in 2011. I started to anchor
breaking championships, exhibitions, showcases and in 2014, released my debut album, “Hip Hop Bahu”. It was an honor to have
Kazi (Lootpack crew, California),
Chamber Records (Covina) and
Figub Brazlevic (Berlin), etc on the beats, my married life helped me form observations. Now that I’m out and about the single life, I feel more focused on other stimuli to perceive a better perspective to make music. “
Neophilia“, my second project came out in 2018, produced by
Fatbabs (France). It was a great experience for me to follow Fatbabs’ music and finish this album while being geographically away. It explains my derivations from my 2 European tours and 3 years of living on Indian streets as a traveler.
Upcoming is: I’m working on an EP with
Koolkal (Rennes, France). I shall share more upon it. I need funds to record this project, so keeping an eye out, while I read and write.
Were the people around you supportive of your decision on working as a creative?
Very few, just some friends. Family is supportive now. It took time, takes time, especially when your radicalism holds an intention of social harmony. But then again, it is my bias speaking.
What are some goals and ambitions you have for your future work?
To make beats, perform and record better narratives mentioning alternatives to troubles. I wish to include my parents in social educational engagements to reap the most till their health supports. I also wish to endorse zero waste innovations and solutions through music videos. I aspire to also demolish the monopoly of multinational industries, something my school taught me was development, it went wrong. I also plan to go meet my brother in New York soon, so, if I may, “Holler atcho girl Kaur, if you wish to see me perform in your locality”.
I wish to include my parents in social educational engagements to reap the most till their health supports. I also wish to endorse zero waste innovations and solutions through music videos. I aspire to also demolish the monopoly of multinational industries, something my school taught me was development, it went wrong.
If you could collaborate with any person in the world who would it be?
Bahamadia, my inspiration.
How would you describe the women around you?
All my girl friends are creatively charged. My neighbors have changed but women here, in general, don’t wear bras on the road, they wear cotton loose gowns, I like that swag. They are also loud on the streets, not shy sitting at home, they love to gossip about villagers, but so do celebrities and men so, all human.
Were there any local female creatives that you looked up to when you were growing up?
No one. I always imagined witnessing women of utmost power (the ultimate freedom including from cosmetics and unnecessary social shyness), I starve still, but the strugglers around me helped me believe, so I choose to aspire.
Are there any challenging aspects of being a female in your industry?
Being India’s first female Emcee, I, of course, faced a lot of resistance. But it gave me the desired urge to innovate a better alternative, to heal the mislead generation of selective modernization.
Be it the sausage fest of a monopoly of India’s artiste booking agencies, or Bollywood projects and ad jingles that I’m comfortable to decline. Hip Hop for me isn’t a”culture” but a “tool”.
So I ought to find a better way to continuously generate an organic following without having to wear makeup or jewelry. Since, as you can see, my digital following isn’t huge. Love the normalcy of my life that way. I don’t have a manager. I have been performing since year 2011. On my own. And it’ is an empowering challenge.
Being India’s first female Emcee, I, of course, faced a lot of resistance. But it gave me the desired urge to innovate a better alternative, to heal the mislead generation of selective modernization.
Do you have any advice to young women who are aspiring to work in your field?
Don’t wear makeup, come natural. Don’t strap your neck tight, it hurts me. There are more intelligent untapped ways to address patriarchy worldwide, starts with you and me. Let’s connect.
Photos courtesy of Manmeet Kaur.
