Photo: Mass Appeal
Breakthrough Punjabi emcee & songwriter Jaskaran has sent waves across the burgeoning underground rap scene in India. At just 20 years of age, the young prodigy from Rajpura, a massive industrial town in Patiala district few kilometres away from the bastion of Punjabi music Chandigarh, the rapper has released his massive debut album “Divine Violence” with Mass Appeal.
During an exclusive conversation with us, Jassa opens up about the brief 7-track project and discusses various influences, collaborations and even studying classic Jazzy B records and compositions of veteran Punjabi singer Kuldip Manak. The young rapper further speaks on working with the coveted record label and the project’s breakout record producer dox.
Thank you for speaking with us, Jaskaran. Your music is way ahead of its time and it’s an honour to have you here. Wassup? How’s Punjab?
Thank you so much for having me. I’m doing well. We’re doing well out here in Punjab. I’m glad to see the response on my album too. I’m so young and to see that people are listening to what I gotta say… it’s great. For sure, yeah.
The album is growing for sure. I can see the impact… and for you, to have a debut album with Mass Appeal at such a nascent stage in your career speaks a lot about your music. It’s such a flex, brother. However, it’s quite challenging too at the same time. How are you navigating through these things?
If I gotta be honest with you, I had this idea of a debut album ever since I started writing. I’m more of an album artist… I have always thought about myself as one. I invested a lotta time into this project and thought things through. People often ask me, “How long did it take for you to make this album?”. I always say 5 years. I further wanted the album to be concise and compact and it just felt right.
It certainly shows. For us personally, when we went through your earliest discography in 2019 to a project with Bagi Munda and starting in the scene so young… we could see how the music just kept on getting better and now here we are with a massive Mass Appeal debut.
Were the plans to drop “Divine Violence” intuitive or did the label reach out to you after recognising your music & you decided to drop this project?
Oh, it’s a tough one. For me, both. I just felt the timing was right… and no one can honestly tell me this except the circumstances and the experiences we as artists go through. Also, I have been listening to tracks by Mass Appeal for the past 3 or 4 years too. Whether it was Divine’s debut album or Ikka’s “I” LP, I was always drawn towards the label. The music is so authentic and I aspired to work with Mass Appeal since I started.
Even a couple of years ago, I told my friends in Punjab that one day I’d work with Mass Appeal. I’m glad that it just got manifested.
Your album arrives at such a crucial time in Punjabi music and for Mass Appeal too. Talwiinder dropped his debut album with the label preceded by top-tier Punjabi records “Attach” by Steel Banglez, Sidhu Moose Wala & Fredo, “Street Dreams” by Divine and Karan Aujla, Jass Manak and Raf Saperra’s EP in just one year. The label is gradually becoming a bastion for Punjabi, or even regional rap music.
Jassa, you’re now part of the same bill. How does it feel?
I feel honoured to be a part of this… yeah brother, when you put it like that, I feel glad to be here and just be able to do my own thing. Seeing the scene expand to such unprecedented levels brings so much hope. I’m so young and it opens so many doors for me… and for Mass Appeal to push my music and the scene as a whole encourages the underground scene to be at it too.
We gotta talk about the cadence and the production of your album. You’ve enlisted Boyblanck, another rising underground rapper on the title track.
That record is maddening and reminded me of “Mad Max” by Lil Durk & Future and even other tracks reminded me of grimy Chicago or Harlem trap as well. Where were you drawing inspiration from for “Divine Violence” the album?
I’m an avid listener of Jazzy B… always have been. In the past year, I also studied Imran Khan and Travis Scott while I was thinking really hard about the album. Their albums are so compact and every track is unskippable. That was something that I aimed for with my project too. It doesn’t matter if my album doesn’t have a runtime of over an hour… it’s about the impact and the dopamine hit that a listener should get from the project.
That’s what I strived to do. I’ve been a fan of “Astroworld” and “Rodeo” by Travis Scott for years now… the longevity is insane. That’s something I want for myself too and I tried to structure my album around it.
Since you mentioned “Divine Violence” with BB, even that track is heavily inspired by “Sicko Mode” too. The way we structured the track has a lot to do with the impact that Travis left on me as a listener. So, yeah and besides, Scott, there’s The Weeknd, Jazzy B, and Karan Aujla who influenced the project’s vision.
Recently, you spoke about Kuldeep Manak Ji and the impact that his music has left on you too.
Yes, Ustad Manak Ji and Jazzy B. Listening to those legendary musicians was a huge part of my growing up. Yo Yo Honey Singh was very popular too. Recently, Jazzy paaji dedicated an album for Kuldeep Ji titled “Ustad Ji King Forever”.
In that album, Jazzy B sampled a couple of songs by Kuldeep Ji and featured them on that project with his verses over pop synths and disco. I was amused when I listened to it and if you ask me, that’s how I look at my music too. Bringing the old into the new… I want to be a bridge which connects our rich Punjabi heritage with modern rap.
For my track “Ranjha” on the album, Kuldip Manak Ji’s “Ranjha Jogi Hoya” was a key inspiration too.
Alright, so Sidhu Moose Wala, Karan Aujla, Jass Manak, Raf Saperra, Talwiinder and now Jaskaran. This is the Mass Appeal catalogue that you’re the youngest part of now. How did that shape the grind behind this project?
It hyped me up and impacted my work ethic in so many ways. Even when I just signed to the label and released my debut single, Raf Saperra dropped his “5 Deadly Venomz” EP with Mass Appeal. I was blown away by the project and just knew that I had to deliver a solid project with the resources that I had and have now. Even when I heard Karan Aujla & Divine’s album too… I met Divine before he released the album and was shocked when I heard the album. It motivated me a lot.
So yeah, I have been working very hard to ensure that the production of my album is top-notch too. It has also made me more self-aware. I’m in touch with the fact that this is a big deal and I have to put my best foot forward.
How were the studio sessions with dox, the producer of the album, while making this project? However, this is the massive first breakthrough for you & dox.
When I initially thought of having my debut album, I told dox that we gotta to do an album together and he’d produce all the tracks.
So, when we started, it was certainly a challenge for both of us. In the first three to four months, me and dox definitely struggled to find that flow. There were also really good projects which were released at that time. So, we spent a lotta time just listening to new music initially and constructively criticised each other without any filters.
After that process, with so many studio sessions, me & dox are like… we’re brothers and that’s another outcome from this album that I cherish a lot.
We would love a Raf Saperra x Jaskaran for sure too.
Me as well, I mean why not. He is an incredible artist and a performer. Even Karan Aujla and Divine, to see where they started from and where they are now, I feel so connected to their hustle. However, as I said before, this journey has made me more self-aware. I certainly have a record with Mass Appeal but I have to work really hard to work with them… and that’s what I’m all about from here on. 10,000 hours.
Talk to us about writing this album. How was that?
Oh, I’m glad you asked me that. For me, writing raps is never that big of a challenge. I can write verses on the spot… amidst studio sessions. So yeah, it wasn’t difficult for me as such but there were some tracks which I wrote in weeks ‘cause I felt so stuck. For “Kurta”, I waited two months before writing anything over that beat.
And I like to take my time, to be honest. It’s more of my vibe. Otherwise, I even wrote the second verses of “Rasookh” and “Divine Violence” in the studio itself too. However, as a whole, I just took my time to finish songs and really think through this one.
Punjab is infamous for the death of Sidhu Moose Wala – one of the greatest performers to ever do it. There have been various cases of violence or vehement criticism against Punjabi emcees for their music and expression. Does that concern you as an artist?
Yes, it does a lot. For sure. I wouldn’t be making music if it wasn’t for Sidhu Moose Wala. I’m a lyricist because of him. So yes, I often think about this even though I’m so young. There’s a general air of threat which will always be there as long as you’re making rap music in Punjab… but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Have you ever censored your tracks because of this?
Yes, and in fact every rapper here does. But our culture is very strong, the music holds so much power in Punjab. So yeah, I don’t censor it much but I gotta be mindful sometimes. Even the greatest Punjabi rappers right now or the ones in the past, they’re aware of the general stress too… the bigger the artists, the heavier the weight that they’re carrying with them. Anything goes.
I can’t speak for others but Moose Wala’s killing has changed me. I’m a whole other person and an artist now. Punjabi music will never have a flagbearer like Sidhu paaji for a long time.
Do you view Nas differently now? How’s your relationship with the label?
Yes, a lot. Nas is one of the legends and his discography left a huge impact on me. Before I was an artist, I was a fan of his rap music… in fact, besides music, I always studied about his businesses outside of it. 50 Cent, too. I always have a keen interest in the decisions that they’re takin’ when they’re not making music. It’s deeply inspirational.
With Mass Appeal, my relationship is rock solid too. Working with Navjosh (A&R Head, Mass Appeal India) has been so fulfilling because of the freedom I feel with him. He is open about everything when it comes to record deals… the business part of things and that’s what an artist wants. So yeah, it was great to have the whole team on this.
What’s your message for the fans who are reading this conversation?
Jassa: Oh man. I don’t want to say something cliché… Haha. I mean yeah, what does an artist have to say really? Please do something which makes you glad… and please do it only till it makes you feel that way. Just do your thing and stick to your plan… and also, most importantly, think well. You’ll become exactly what you think about yourself so why not be positive about it?
Are you already working on new music?
Yeah. I’m always plotting my next moves and just challenging myself with every studio session. It never stops… that’s what I do.
Is there a session planned for this evening?
Nah, man. Haha Not today. I mean, the album just came out and we’ve been at it for the past months now. I’ve taken some time out and will attend a wedding today with my friends. Just have a good one with my people.
I’m so young and this is just the beginning.
Stream ‘Divine Violence’ by Jaskaran via Spotify below.
