Dubai-born artist and member of the defunct hip-hop Foreign Beggars crew talks about his new solo project

Dubai-born Pavan Mukhi explores his Indian roots through his solo project PAV4N

After topping charts in the UK rap scene for nearly two decades and being featured in the Rolling Stone magazine, founding member of grime hip-hop group Pavan Mukhi, better known as Orifice Vulgatron kickstarts his solo career as PAV4N. The Dubai-born and schooled Indian artist Mukhi, hopes to explore his cultural roots. "I can really venture into my history and heritage through artistic expression," says Mukhi, who has kicked off his solo musical journey with the worldwide release of his debut track, Karma, also the first track from his album, which is due to launch later this year.
Released last month, the music video of Karma features myriad colourful elements from Indian tradition and culture, with mythical characters rapping in the urban settings of Indian cities like Vrindavan, Mathrua and New Delhi.
But just making music isn't enough; Mukhi understands the importance of being a humanitarian. He founded yehyeh.org, an initiative that constructs water wells and aims to provide freshwater to underprivileged communities.
"Coming out as a solo artist has made me dig deeper into myself, my artistry, heritage, place in the world and my purpose as a conduit for the change I wish to see," said Mukhi, who studied in Dubai English Speaking School.
Having already played an influential role in the grassroots evolution of India's 'Gully Rap' scene, Mukhi revealed he is working closely with the underground genre's pioneers as he transitions to a solo artist.
"This freedom has given much more dimension to express myself and opened new doors to collaboration. It gives me a lot of pride to reconnect and align with my ancestry," says Mukhi, whose band has played in festivals alongside industry stalwarts like Public Enemy, Snoop Dogg, the Wu Tang Clan and Prodigy, to name a few.
We speak to PAV4N, aka Pavan Mukhi, to know more about his music and his latest project.
Since the Coronavirus has affected many industries, including music, how are you holding up during this period of self-isolation?
I'm very fortunate to be around my family. I have my studio with me so I am writing music, painting, and thanks to the internet, I'm reconnecting with friends and artists all around the world.
How different is PAV4N from Foreign Beggars?
Musically, it's still rap, but I feel I have a lot more creative freedom. I feel much more of a responsibility to represent people who may not necessarily have a voice or confidence. I also feel a connection to my diaspora, its sound, and culture.
Tell us about PAV4N. How did that come about, where do you see it on a larger scale?
As Foreign Beggars was coming to a close, I was searching for how to relaunch myself as a solo artist. Over the last few years, people in India have found a collective voice through hip-hop music. Many artists have since really started to be accepted into the mainstream. As one of the first Indian rap artists to forge an international career in hip-hop, I felt that I could really bring something to the table and progress the movement as well as connect with my cultural roots. Everything seemed to fall into place and PAV4N is the result. On a larger scale, PAV4N is a living art project. It combines everything that is important to me and concentrates it on purpose. The track Karma launched the project. The next release is Stasis. The whole project is deeply personal, and all art.
What made you come back to your Indian roots after 17 years?
Honestly, those roots have always been there, embedded in the lyrics and the music. I've never been shy about them. So I haven't so much "come back" to my roots as distilled them for where the world is now.
Are you the first one in the family to get into music?
My brothers and I have always played, recorded, performed and released music. We studied music at school and started a band as early as 1992. We started recording demos in Jumeirah, recorded our first proper Death Metal demos in 1994 at Dolphin Studios in Dubai and won the battle of the bands 1996 as Eskimo Disco. We then started playing Drum & Bass on the radio in Dubai and recording hip-hop albums with my crew SKA. My brothers went on to form the UAE band Abhorred, while I moved to London in 1999 to start a hip-hop label, Dented Records with my friend Dag Torgersbraten who produced the first three Foreign Beggars albums.
So what are your brothers doing right now?
Pravin manages record labels in London and his Grime/Punk band Peng Shui is critically acclaimed and has remixed The Prodigy. My youngest brother, Niki is a Flamenco guitarist and is the CEO of a music tech company. He was also featured playing guitar in front of the Taj Mahal for the UAE National Anthem Expo 2020 video. My other brother Pritam doesn't work in music.
What was the light bulb moment when you thought of taking up music seriously?
Well, we always had the dream when we were in our teens, we always believed that was what we wanted to do and were working towards it in the best way we knew how. We continued on that mission, but I think once I'd started rapping with our crew and found Jungle/ D&B, something clicked in my head and I understood the path to making it a reality. I think I may have been 17 and every waking moment was spent scheming on writing, recording and getting on stage.
What do you think is the reason for the sudden upsurge in rap/hip-hop music in India
.In the last 15 years, we've seen exponential growth in the middle class in India and a boom of smartphones and high-speed internet which meant the youth has direct access to all sorts of content and information. For a very long time, this was heavily controlled by the censorship board and the fact entertainment & pop culture were defined from the top down and dominated by entertainment industries such as Bollywood and Cricket. Much of the music and popular culture was watered down and imitations of Western culture. With the advent of technology and access to art and the true understanding of hip-hop culture as a medium of communicating localized truths & struggles, the youth and people finally found a voice that could be communicated and amplified through the genre.
Is there anyone from the Indian rap scene that you would love to work with?
Divine, Altaf, Seedhe Maut, Ahmer, Prabhdeep, Yung Raj, Bamboy & Azadi Records.
Who are the artists that have inspired your work?
Recently for the PAV4N project, I'd probably cite Sevdaliza, FKA Twigs, P Money, Outkast, Cas Is Dead, Divine, Azadi Records & The Aga Khan.
Nmae your favorite song?
It's obviously really hard to just choose one! But if I had to choose one track that I love it's 93 to Infinity from Souls Of Mischief.

What changes have you seen in the industry since your early days?
Waves of leveling the playing field have occurred across the board worldwide and it's an exciting time to get involved, to be determined and to be heard.
What's the best advice you would give someone taking up music as a career?
Understand that you have something unique to bring to the table and your voice is relevant. Study your art form and understand that you are aiming to be world class. The industry is made up of people, so speak to as many people as you can but learn from them as opposed to blindly promoting yourself. Be prolific, bold, humble and understand what you can do for the art, not what the art can do for you.
michael@khaleejtimes.com