Six youngsters in Kashmir Valley are taking to hip-hop and rap music to create awareness among people against the prevalent social evils like rape, poverty, drugs in the society
The group of friends - including a girl and a member as young as 15 - has come together to form a music band 'The Rhyme Machines' and has chosen hip-hop and rap to give vent to their emotions and create awareness against social evils through music.
The band has recently launched its music album 'Anecdote EP' which has struck a chord with the young listeners.
The album raises the issue of many social evils prevalent in the society and seeks to highlight those to bring awareness among the people.
"We have raised the issue of many social evils, which are emerging or are prevalent in the society, like eve-teasing, drugs, rapes, poverty and ban on Hijab at some places in the Valley," Aamir Ame (22), a member of the band told PTI.
One of the seven songs in the album calls upon people to unite to fight the social evils.
"The biggest problem in Kashmir is the lack of unity. The song calls upon the people to unite and take a stand for the motherland. We want to inspire people as we think we can only fight the evils if we are united," Aamir, who sold his laptop for realising his dream of creating the album, said.
The album has another song completely focusing on poverty with an aim to highlight the plight poor people who cannot even afford their treatment and another one raises the critical issue of unemployment.
"Through music, we want to highlight the problems faced by poor people so that the government helps them by coming out with schemes for the poor. Our album also highlights the helplessness of many cancer patients, even as there are government funds which could help them," Aamir, battling personal trauma after his father was diagnosed with the disease, said.
The youngest member of the band, Khan Yawar, said music
inspires people and motivates them to do more.
"I am the youngest rapper of the Valley. Boys play with toys or video games at the age of 15, but I chose hip-hop music. According to me music inspires people and motivates them to do more," Kay-y, as Yawar, is known, said.
The lone female member of the band, Iram Bhat, who is popularly called as 'Eye-Bee', is fighting a different battle in the aftermath of a fatwa (a religious decree) issued by Grand Mufti of Kashmir Bashiruddin Ahmad in 2013.
"Singing is my passion and I will continue it. When there is no ban on acting by girls on television especially on Kashmir Channel, why ban singing?" she said.
Iram said she respected her religion and there was no inequality in Islam.
"There is no inequality in our religion. Women also have a role in building a society. I respect my religion and will not go against it.
"I have not done any stage performance. I record songs in a studio only and cover my body with a veil," she said.
Supporting Iram, another member, Danish Bhat (called as Dope D) said "if a boy can sing, why cannot a girl"?
"Then there should be a Sharia law in place and everything which is perceived un-Islamic should be banned," Malik Suhail (Illest Killah), another member of the band, said.
The youth said there is a lot of talent in the Valley which just needed a right platform, but lamented the lack of support and encouragement.
The band now plans to launch another album which highlights many other issues prevalent at the national level.
