EPR Iyer — hip-hop sensation from Chanditala Lane, Calcutta — formed Artivism in Action with his mates, GJ Storm aka Kuntal De (on the guitar) and Bob (on the drums), with a purpose. It’s EPR’s solo hip-hop setup that has gained fame in the last few years. Looking their best in black, the boys got together for a photoshoot recently. A t2 chat with EPR.
What is Artivism in Action?
If I have to break down Artivism in Action then it is where art meets activism and it gives rise to a musical movement, called Artivism in Action. It’s my solo hip-hop setup with my long-standing producer friend GJ Storm aka Kuntal De and Bob on the drums. We wanted to make music that has an impact and tells stories from our surroundings. We wanted to make music together and also tell people that hip-hop is not about the conventional cars, money, guns, and using as many cuss words as possible. Hip-hop is basically a culture which is to empower people, educates people and also to help uplift society. So that’s what we intend to do with this project. We also want to make music together, which will have an impact on the people who listen to us.
That’s interesting! So, could you tell us more about how Artivism in Action was conceptualised?
When I dropped my debut solo album with GJ Storm titled Protest Poetry, it had 17 songs, of which some were heard on MTV Hustle 2.0. So, when I started off many people told me, ‘You need to write about cars, you need to be a certain way to appeal to a hip-hop-loving audience’. So GJ was one of the people to tell me that it’s best to be yourself. I’ve always been keen on the socio-political scenario of our country and wanted to speak about what I believed in. So when Artivism in Action dropped its first album called Protest Poetry with 17 songs on different issues, be it Agneepath on acid attack survivor, Laxmi Agarwal and other acid attack victims, Badluram ka badan — on the regimental theme song of the Assam Rifles and songs like Srini bana EPR dealing with my journey of becoming EPR from Srinivasan, representing the grassroots of Chanditala Lane in Calcutta and not faking hip-hop — so all of these have been covered in our debut album. Ekla cholo re talks about the struggle of the farmers in our country, so I really wanted to make music with a meaning and the message — ‘right to express and not to impress’. When this album got millions of streams on its release, without any backing — that’s when we really thought that GJ Storm aka Kuntal, Bob and myself should take Artivism in Action forward and keep dropping albums year after year like we are doing.
What are your plans with the band?
We want to make music together and that’s the plan. Our major plan is to start touring. Hip-hop is like gospel and we want to preach the gospel of hip-hop and tell people that it’s one of the major art forms and tools to uplift society. Hip-hop has the power to uplift you from depression, mental agony and pain and also help you become more aware and a better person on your way ahead in life. So that’s what we want to do. We want to tour, make music, make impactful music videos and give our audience a lot of it to enjoy and savour.
(L-R) GJ Storm aka Kuntal De, Bob
All smiles at the beautiful Maayer ghaat
EPR with a fan who spotted him on a North Calcutta street
What makes your music stand apart from the rest?
All three of us come from a very live music setup. When you see a traditional hip-hop artist, you’ll spot them more in a studio setup and not so much in the live setup. We come from the era where we participated in college-level western band competitions, attended fests and performed at concerts at a time when hip-hop was not so popular. So, we tried blending hip-hop and rock music, breathing in the imprints left upon us by bands like Linkin Park, Rage Against the Machine and Limp Bizkit, among others. I think we have the experience as well as a strong live setup, plus a strong hip-hop production to express what we want. My lyrics are rooted in the socio-economic-political issues deep-embedded in our country and are a stark depiction of the troubles and aftermath emerging from the same. The three of us are on the same page and that’s why we got together to make music and follow the path we believe in — that’s Artivism in Action.
EPR you’ve come a long way from Western band competitions. Could you tell us about your journey in music and MTV Hustle?
I’ve been into music for 15 to 16 years now and it’s been a roller coaster ride from explaining to people every day what rap music is, about how it’s not simply speaking super fast but a form of art, to going places where people are recognising me. This one time, a person who was washing his car and I was standing outside, surrounded by so many people... he came up to me and said, “Bhai, aapka bada fan hoon main,” and that’s still very overwhelming and special to me, as I’m glad my message is reaching people across platforms through my music. The guy reiterated two Spanish phrases — Hasta la victoria siempre (translating to Until victory, always) and Viva la revolución (translating to Long live revolution), which happen to be my favourite and I say a lot. From days of being an underdog to these days when people can recognise me, it has been a rollercoaster ride for sure.
MTV Hustle 2.0 is where I represented my city, my state, my roots and my country as a whole. After the season’s success, 2022 is when I came back as a squad boss and a judge and got the opportunity to mentor young hip-hop talent at MTV Hustle and guide them — it has been one memorable journey and here’s expecting that things are just going to get better from here because hip-hop is everywhere in the country right now. From the days that I’ve seen to now, where hip-hop is everywhere from MC Stan winning Bigg Boss to people from outside of the hip-hop background embracing the genre and becoming the voice of hip-hop, like Srushti Tawade and artistes like Raftaar and Badshaah doing so well. The progress in the genre has proved that in India, if you have to be successful you don’t have to be a doctor or an engineer, you can have hip-hop music to support your career as well. If you believe in hip-hop it’s going to help you as well. I hope when people see us living our dreams, it’s going to encourage them to explore the hip-hop culture more and pursue it.
Srini became EPR because of hip-hop and that can be the way for others as well. It’s very much possible!
Apart from hip-hop what other genres of music do you like? Name some songs from your current playlist.
I love listening to a variety of genres (smiles). Currently, I’m listening to a lot of K-Pop and sometimes I go back to new metal classics and pretty much everything. My playlist is like a mixed platter including Bollywood music, Indian classical, Japanese new jazz or K-Pop. A lot of music…. (smiles).
There’s this new K-Pop song I’m hooked on, called Vengeance by BIBI, Hype Boy by NewJeans and in hip-hop, I’ve been listening to a lot of Cordae and his new album From a Birds Eye View is crazy!
What do you enjoy the most about K-Pop music?
I love their production and music videos and the fact that they have taken the pop music culture and incorporated their mother tongue into it is just fab! K-Pop has become a global phenomenon and they’ve put in their all to make it so! K-Pop girl groups and bands are breaking records right now, so that’s superb. Nicki Minaj’s collaboration with BLACKPINK is an example of how even leading names from the music industries are heading to collab with K-Pop groups and artistes.
KNOW EPR
Santhanam Srinivasan Iyer aka EPR Iyer burst onto the hip-hop scene around 16 years back at rock shows across colleges and claimed fame at MTV Hustle season 1 with his solo hip-hop setlist and has gone ahead to become the squad leader and judge for the same reality show eventually in 2.0. EPR’s school of work has been deeply inspired by legends like Tupac Shakur, Busta Rhymes, KRS-one, Bob Marley and Eminem, among a host of others. The range of music he practices is nothing short of rare and remarkable. It won’t be entirely incorrect to say that EPR has no specific genre, as he’s on his journey to carve a niche for himself and define his own genre.
WHEN IT ALL BEGAN!
An emcee, poet, and rapper — EPR Iyer found his identity hailing from the Chanditala Lane of Calcutta by forming in 2010, our good old Underground Authority — a rock band from Calcutta. Over the years, UA headlined concerts like the NH7 Weekender in places like Shillong, Pune and Calcutta. They garnered accolades across 20 competitions and put themselves on the national map by appearing in India’s Got Talent: Khoj 2 and ushered in a momentous leap in making their name across India.
THE ERA OF THE SQUAD BOSS
EPR’s journey in MTV Hustle, which premiered in 2019 was a rampant tale of truth he voiced through his music and in MTV Hustle 2.0 he returned as the Squad Boss along with Badshah, King, Dee MC, Dino James and Kuntal De aka GJ Storm. He belted out top hit numbers like Ek baar haan and also a hard-hitting number titled Religious Extremism. “It feels amazing judging MTV Hustle in 2022 as it’s a big thing for Calcutta and Bengal hip hop. I’d like to tell all t2 readers and hip hop fans to exercise their right to express and not to impress, to inspire and create a revolution,” EPR Iyer had told t2 when asked about his journey in MTV Hustle and hip hop music earlier this January (2023).
EPR THE EMCEE AND THE SOLO ARTIST
Nurturing lyrical prowess and honing his capability to cater to the audience, EPR Iyer and Kuntal De’s duo emerged as Artivism in Action, joined by their drummer Bob. Their first studio album Protest Poetry paved way for their soaring success and started ruling Instagram reels, story features and myriad song requests. EPR treaded this unputdownable journey by composing original music, theme tracks, anthems, jingles and even the anthem of MTV Hustle 2.0 and was the man behind the title track of MTV Super Model of the Year as well. Amazon’s Case toh banta hai, TVS Raider Bike jingle, Bajaj Pulsar NS125 theme song and Yamaha Call of the Blue rendition are some of the famous vocals that EPR is known for among the rich body of other works that he’s done. “I was a competitor once and now I go back to the same places as the headliner of concerts. That in itself is like a journey to me,” he told t2 at a concert earlier this year. It is indeed mesmerising that a musician who rose to fame from the very basics could taste success so closely and venture into diverse arenas to explore his talent.
OTT AND WEB SERIES
It’s not just limited to the stage, the fiery performer that he is, he’s producing an expansive range of work that’s featured across OTT and other platforms. “It feels great when someone from the hip-hop community makes it big on Indian television, we all feel proud of it,” EPR had told t2 in a chat about MC Stan’s win at Bigg Boss season 16. He indeed is exploring the genre of hip-hop and rock and adding his unique touches to make it super special. When EPR was asked about the kind of couple Bollywood and hip-hop could be described as by t2, he answered: “I think, right now Bollywood and hip-hop are kind of in a popular phase. So previously, it would have been a rap portion in a song, but right now, you have fullfledged rap songs in Bollywood. So, it’s pretty much growing now.”
SONGS HE LOVES:
On World Music Day last year (2022) EPR told t2 about his love for In the End by Linkin Park and Lose Yourself by Eminem. “Both these songs are responsible for the drive that generated in me to pursue my career in music,” he said. Both Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and the famous rapper, Eminem’s flow of work and repository of music seem to have had a deep impact on the hip-hop sensation. From his impactful lyrics to freestyling with tunes, they reflect the deep-seated influence of these artistes on EPR.
UPCOMING NUMBERS TO WATCH OUT FOR!
EPR’s Artivism in Action, which stands for the blend of art and socio-political issues, are coming up with their music videos for EPR’s famous tracks from MTV Hustle 2.0 titled, Religious Extremism and Ek bar haan. Gear up for the brand new music video and official audio titled Rangsaari. The dates of the releases are yet to be announced. So watch out for more in t2. “Rangisari is a blend of imagery-laden poetry and folk vocals, infused, with a lofi or chill hip-hop ambience. The music video of Religious Extremism will showcase the band’s playthrough in a grunge or industrial backdrop with symbolisms that justify the lyrics and for Ek baar haan we are trying, to go shoot as much of it amidst nature, be it the mountains or the seas, to enrich the essence of the track,” said EPR when asked about the upcoming release of the songs being worked on by Artivism in Action.