‘Pyar vs Love’, ‘Mudda Bahut Ba’ (there are a lot of issues), ‘Dhanda’, ‘Ashlilta ki Tata Thaiya’ (goodbye to vulgarity) — rapper Rohiteshwar Sahaya aka Gypsy Soul, originally from Chapra in Bihar, is no ‘Gully Boy’.
A former head of the DD Sports Graphics Department, Soul who raps only in Bhojpuri and is a rage among teenagers in Bihar and Jharkhand, says his work has never been ‘commercial’, as every song of his takes up burning issues of his home state Bihar.
“Pick up any of my work, and it would reflect the social reality of our time. Gypsy Soul’s soul is not for sale,” he says with all the seriousness in the world.
And he changes avatars too — dressing up like a student in the ‘UPSC Wala Pyaar’ song, a tough guy in ‘Ehe Rajneet Ba’ (this is politics), in ‘Badass’ — a mafiosi look, and well a Bappi Lehri-inspired one in another.
By the way, he also did a Safdar Hashmi play at the age of 14.
“To communicate with youngsters and ensure they understand that only they can change Bihar, I must be in the ‘right’ look. I record all the music in Mumbai to get access to the best of professionals and technology,” asserts the rapper, who is inspired by American legends like Tupac Shakur and Bigg D.
Early on, Soul would write lyrics for other rappers but later decided to jump into the field to make Biharis look within. And he assures all this happened much before ‘Gully Boy’ was released.
“Look I am a terrible singer, so rapping made a lot of sense. Also, many people asked why I was not working on my lyrics myself?”
And the name — ‘Gypsy Soul’… He says he loves travelling and just cannot be still in life as that would lead to stagnation.
For someone who grew up in small town Chapra but worked in Delhi, and now constantly travels between his hometown, Delhi and Mumbai, Chapra will always hold a special place, and that is where his lyrics emerge from.
“Small-town India has not changed, and I am not talking about roads or superstores. How many new schools have been set up? Have the streets become safer for women compared to 20 years ago, has migration become a thing of the past? Think about it,” says this BFA degree holder.
Soul insists that whenever he thinks about such issues, the pen is his catharsis.
“It is important to constantly talk about issues. Being an entertainer does not mean that you start living in an alternate reality,” he cautions.
As he sets to release his new single ‘Khelwar’ which focuses on the state of sports infrastructure in his home state, the rapper points out that he knows several top players who never get selected, lack experienced coaches, fewer grounds and policies for sportsmen that never reach them.
“No wonder you see so many of them selling tea,” laments the artist.
Disclosing that he plans to work on rap numbers around migration and the rising drug menace in Bihar, Soul says, “What efforts have been made to reopen the sugar mills? Did anyone think that Prohibition could result in an increased narcotics inflow in the state?”
Talking about the rap scene in India, he is optimistic that it is going in the right direction.
“One must witness the underground rapping that takes place in Mumbai and Kolkata where people share their work.”
Maintaining that despite numerous offers to rap on lyrics that may become instant hits, he concludes, “But then, Gypsy Soul’s soul will bleed, no?”
