THE NEW FACE OF RAP

THE STORY BEHIND THE RAPPER, SONGWRITER AND ACTOR FROM KERALA, VISHNU MS OR THIRUMALI AS HE IS POPULARLY KNOWN AS

-  NAMITA GUPTA

This young boy, who dropped out of college to make music, is now being pitted to break away Malayalam rap from the margins and making it mainstream. Vishnu MS known as Thirumali is a popular rapper, songwriter and actor from Kerala. Not too long ago, Vishnu MS was on the streets of Kottayam, rolling off words that came from a deep space within, searching for an identity. Like most extraordinary rappers, who ever made it big, Thirumali (meaning honesty and greatness) has risen from the suburbs and is now making everyone in the music scene stand up and take notice of his art.

A cornerstone of the Southern heat, Thirumali started rapping at a time when Malayalam rap was almost getting obsolete. Thirumali was one of the pioneers who entered the field with a friendship anthem ‘ALIYA, a Malayalam term used for "Best Friends." This stellar song, an ode to true friendship was brimming with youthfulness and energetic fervour and soon became a perfect anthem for people who appreciated genuine friendship. The song that was recently released on YouTube has already crossed one million. Let's hear it from the rapper himself on his music and more.

1. You have been practicing and have mastered the art of music for a while now. Please share with us how the journey started and how you found your calling?

When I was in higher secondary school, I began listening to rap music. I used to listen to Eminem a lot before discovering other musicians like Drake, Kanye West, Kendrick, and many others. That's where my passion in rap music began. Rap is a very unique form of music, including the beats and the lyrics. The overall energy of rap has been extremely motivating to me, and that's how I began rapping in Malayalam.

2. What were the hurdles initially? How did you overcome them?