One of the most prominent faces in the Indian hip-hop scene and a squad boss or judge in MTV Hustle (a platform for emerging Indian hip-hop artistes), EPR Iyer kickstarted his solo journey after parting ways with his Calcutta-based former band Underground Authority this year. After gaining immense fame with Protest Poetry he’s released his latest album, Uncertainty Principle - The Feel Good Project. It explores the realm of endless possibilities and draws inspiration from existential and nihilist philosophies.
On the cusp of reaching a remarkable milestone of one million Spotify listeners, EPR chats with t2 about his album, his journey and more…
There’s a prelude and an epilogue to the album. Why did you incorporate those?
Uncertainty Principle is a thought-provoking concept-driven rap album that intricately weaves Heisenberg’s quantum theory into its lyrical fabric, metaphorically. Through imagery-laden poetic verses, it explores the unpredictable nature of life, where circumstances can be as elusive as subatomic particles. The album also draws inspiration from Albert Camus’ philosophy of embracing life’s inherent meaninglessness and encourages listeners to live it to the fullest, finding purpose in the midst of chaos. This is why, there is a prologue establishing the context, serving as a foundation for a sonic voyage which is then completed, with the epilogue of hope.
It seems like you’re telling a story through the numbers. Can you explain the story?
The album consists of eight unique individual tracks and one skit interlude, each of which has its own distinctly cadenced sonorous story to tell and yet is connected to the mother theme of Uncertainty Principle in all its entirety. For example, Never Lose Focus is a purely motivational piece which talks about overcoming obstacles and sparks up the spirit of never giving up in life, over alt-pop and hip-hop infused soundscape, while Rock Fort is a motivational piece as well, but it delves deeper into the hardships I have faced personally over an industrial-hip hop beat laced with South Indian devotional folk elements.
What inspired you to create this?
The concept was lurking in and around the corners of my head for quite some time, since the beginning of this year, but then the drive to make it come alive, in the format of an album/EP, developed much later. Quantum Physics, philosophy, abstractionist poetry, anime and existential thoughts coupled with some personal experiences, all served as a primary inspiration for this feel-good project.
Can you reflect on the journey of recording this album?
The process started, with me, brainstorming a million ideas and thus penning my thoughts on a piece of paper and then heading to the studio, to work with GJ Storm (Kuntal De), who is also my bandmate and the one who took charge of production, programming, mix and masters for the project. We took on completing each song at a time and once when we had all the songs ready, we collectively sat with the masters and decided the sequence of it, to give our listeners the best experience, sonically and so as to make all the tracks come together to be a concrete part of a single concept that drives throughout the EP.
What were the challenges?
The only challenge is that we are treading on thin ice or rather we are walking a thin line between complexity and simplicity, which we tried to keep in balance all throughout while exploring lyrical and musical themes in the EP.
This is your second album as a soloist. What else is in the pipeline?
A lot of collaboration tracks are in the pipeline! Shaikhspeare, Dee Mc, and Deep Kalsi to name a few, are the artistes that I have worked with recently and their respective tracks are to be released soon, within this year most probably. A full-fledged web series in which the audience is going to see me act for the first time and also, give music to, directed by Devanshu Singh, is to release as well.
So far how has your solo journey been?
My journey has been nothing less than a roller coaster ride for sure and I’m loving, every bit of it. Fully focused and determined to achieve all my dreams through music and to spread, the message of empowerment, through hip-hop.
We are loving you on (MTV) Hustle! What’s your takeaway from it?
Hustle is like a family to me. It’s my third season overall and my second, as a squad boss/judge. Every year, the goal, is pretty simple, which is to promote young hip-hop talent and give them the platform they need to showcase their art. I’m glad I’m associated with this legendary movement, that sees Indian hip-hop win super big on national television. Much love to the showrunners, the music producers, the contestants this year, my fellow squad bosses, Ikka, Dino James and Dee Mc and most importantly, much respect for Badshah, whose efforts have been incomparable on the show.