Rapper Pal Dabba | Photo Credit: Thamodharan B

Amidst the crowded streets of Sovkarpet, there is a house with spiraling green stairs that leads to rapper Pal Dabba’s haven – his best friend’s house. It’s retro, sparse and full of nooks and crannies – the perfect setting for their hit independent single ‘170cm’, a video game within a song, full of trippy colors and a beat that makes you want to move.

“We had to paint the walls back white because my friend’s father wanted that. In the video, we had all kinds of weird colors. Today, it seems calm compared to all the chaos,” says Aneesh, laughing.

Even a cursory glance at the videos of Pal Dabba’s songs screams ‘fresh’. Vivid, stylish costumes, use of words from Yoruba songs, cryptic clues and an effortless irreverence towards life are probably why the 23-year-old shines in today’s indie rapper scene. It also helps that he’s a dancer with a natural flair for rhythm and rhythm. “As long as the first four lines are OK, I’m good. The rest just flows away,” he says.

Rapper Pal Dabba | Photo Credit: Thamodharan B

The pal dabba on the rooftop where the song was shot seems to be in contrast to their video. “I don’t really go out much. I only go to my friends’ houses. You must have heard mention of places like Pulianthope, Otteri and Sokarpet in my songs. These are the places where I’ve spent the most time,” he says.

Over the past year, Paal Dabba has been riding the wave of five hit films. He has released several independent songs, and also sang ‘Galatta’ for music director Sushin Shyam in the recent blockbuster. passion And in Harris Jayaraj ‘His name is John’ Dhruva Natchathiram, However none of this was part of the plan.

“I started learning dance reluctantly, and stopped while I was in school. But interest returned several years later when I started watching reality shows. I eventually joined BFab (a dance troupe that represented India) and participated in a few reality shows. Rap was a likely phenomenon because I enjoyed listening to Afro beats and artists like Rema (of ‘Calm Down’ fame) and Omha Lay. It was an experiment,” he says.

Pal loves the idea of ​​Easter eggs in his songs. You will find that there are lines and words that you cannot make out the meaning of such as ‘ek’ero’ or ‘bawo ni?’ Which means ‘good day’ and ‘how are you’ in the Nigerian language Yoruba. However, more importantly, you will be challenged to figure out what the first few lines of ‘OCB’ mean. “Let me tell you a small story of moving from one place to another after stealing a bike. The words ‘vya to anna ac bi tako’ is actually visarpadhi for thakko adichikittu (theft) of the bike of Anna Nagar, Assistant Commissioner of Police.. it goes on and on. I end with this ‘Purielle la?‘(You don’t understand, no?) Because it’s a puzzle,” he says.

He says that the onomatopoeic properties of words excite him. He likes area names and silly rhymes. He does not write songs keeping any theme in mind. It’s usually a mixture of everything and nothing.

Success is a strange bag that he is still learning to grapple with. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t like it. Although there are obvious benefits, people still ask many questions about them. There is a common thing about his name. “I really enjoyed drinking cold milk after dance practice. My mother and grandmother would often keep aside a packet or two for me,” he says. He further says that there are even more strange questions. “My relatives and friends sometimes say that I have become a big player. He never spoke to me in this tone before. It’s very strange,” he says.

Rapper Pal Dabba | Photo Credit: Thamodharan B

Pal says he wants to work with music director Santosh Narayanan soon, but mostly wants to represent the South’s indie scene around the world. Directing their videos and giving them interesting color and flavor are important steps towards achieving this goal.

“My mother is a huge support to me but often asks me what I am doing with my life. I started with dancing, then started rapping. ‘What’s next,’ she asks. I am not sure. Right now, I want to make great songs that maintain my style,” he says.