CLAD IN A TIGER-PRINT shirt on a cloudy Toronto morning, Shan Vincent de Paul is talking about his 2019 song “Out Alive.” A lot has changed in two years in the world outside and within Shan as well, but he talked about a “brown artist renaissance” for South Asian music makers back then.
Born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka and fleeing to Canada with his family as a child, the hip-hop artist put pen to paper and wrote powerful songs like “Die Iconic” in 2016, but he’s been at his most prolific in the past two years. He released two albums – SVDP 2 in 2019 and Kothu Boys with Canadian-Tamil producer-singer Yanchan in 2020 – and got worldwide acclaim for the song series “Mrithangam Raps” (also with Yanchan) and is now prepping to release his next album Made In Jaffna on September 3rd via record label and South Asian-focused platform maajja.
Rapping at breakneck speed and with the intensity of a torn heart, songs like “One Hundred Thousand Flowers,” “Savage” and most recently, “Neeye Oli” with fellow Tamil-origin hip-hop artist Navz-47, directly and metaphorically reference civil wars in Sri Lanka and the emigration of some Tamils from the country. He says over a video call, “The stuff for this album is representative of a larger people, not just me. That’s also reflective… the success that comes with it also really does feel like a success for my community.”
This story is from the August 2021 edition of RollingStone India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2021 edition of RollingStone India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
anumitanadesan
The singer-songwriter talks about her first Malayalam film song, her upcoming debut abum and working across genres and languages
amrit ramneath
Understanding the interplay between abiding by tradition and progress is no new feat for this 25-year-old composer
yashraj
With chart-topping collaborations with seasoned veterans, this rapper has consistently been in the conversations of industry observers
dǝbzee
The 'Malabari Banger' hitmaker shares exclusive insights on his upcoming projects, life, and his vision for the future of music in India
taba chake
The Arunachal Pradesh-based singer-song-writer discusses how his latest song \"Kahani\" reflects the power of love songs.
ranj x clifr
The Bengaluru singer-composer and producer duo may not be done with hip-hop, but they are venturing into pop, R&B and Tamil songs next
RESHAPING THE FUTURE OF MUSIC
How digital collectibles, especially for live events, have a tremendous potential
Evnne On 'Un: Seen,' Their 'Seen,' And 'Unseen' Sides
The Band Discusses How A Setback Early In Their Career Spurred Them On And How They Fused Those Experiences With Their Sound In Their Second Mini Album, ‘Un: Seen
kayan
Between fandoms and aesthetic-setting live shows, artist Ambika Nayak talks about wanting to put out an album
anoushka maskey
Taking her “self-organized” Sunny Side Tour across the country, the Sikkim-origin artist is prioritizing consistent releases and exploring bossa nova next