King Qzer takes on Karachi

Recently, my six-year-old daughter accompanied me to a football freestyle event at a local mall. Needless to say, we had a blast as rap and hip hop blared in the background and desi kids ranging from 18 to 25 years old performed some incredible moves on stage with a bouncing football. Even more thrilling was a chance encounter with an 18-year-old rapper, Qasim Naqvi – better known as King Qzer in Karachi’s underground hip hop scene.

I caught up with King Qzer to chat about Pakistani rap, what inspires him, and the two things that can put a smile on one’s face.

Q. How did you become a rapper?

A. You know what they say, expect the unexpected. Rapping is a talent that you cannot get into; you have to be born with it. I was nine years old when I found it within me. Honestly, I didn’t even listen to hip hop music before that. One random day, I found myself bursting with rhythmic lyrics while I was watching a football match on the internet with a really ill beat. The lyrics went, “no pain, no gain, I feel like I’m wrapped up in chains, this ain’t no game and you can’t play it and you can’t stay in it, oh yeah…”

In hip hop culture we call this freestyle – you come up with lyrics on the spot; no pre-written or pre-heard stuff. Not a lot of rappers nowadays can freestyle. Luckily, I am one of the few who can, so I decided to take it to the next level, which involved writing and recording rap lyrics.

Q. Fakhre Alam is the only other desi rapper I recall who made it big. Who are your musical influences?

A. As I dug into this hip hop music more and more I got influenced by a lot of rappers, but it was not the subject of their rap (money, weed, gangsters) that inspired me, but the depth of rap, the reality they went into. It had a major influence on me, not as a follower, but as a competitor. I wanted to make my lyrics deeper and more soul-touching. And the only way to do that was by interacting with my surroundings and other people to get a taste of their lives.

Once I have done my research, I want to make something that can create a bridge between what I have to say and what they have to hear. You can say my rap songs act as a musical thread between me and the environment.

Q. The music scene in Pakistan is dominated by ballads, pop and a smattering of rock. Do you think you can carve a niche for yourself?

A. Your question can also be read as: “once there’s a way, there’s a will.” Hence, my answer is, “once there’s a will, then there’s a way.” Also Newton stated that “an object at motion will continue at steady motion as long as there’s an equal but opposite force acting on it.” I consider myself as that object, and there has to be an opposite force acting on me. In this case, the opposite force can be considered as other genres of music, de-motivation by people who think differently, and even my studies.

Now, I don’t want to be an object that’s rolling with an uncontrollable pace which is likely to crash. I personally prefer the opposing force to be there because that’s what keeps me balanced. I don’t want to break a barrier and succeed in crossing it – I want to blend through it and succeed in not changing my original self. In hip hop language we call this “keeping it real.” There’s no doubt that I will find a place for myself, I’m more concerned about expanding my place and providing like-minded people with a platform to work with me for the same cause. I also plan on mixing rap music with rock, pop, classic, bhangra, and all other genres of music which will lead me through the barrier.

Q. What themes do your rap songs address?

A. I had to rap about things similar to what I criticise in order to drift the actual message back to where it’s supposed to be. Still, a lot of people misunderstand my songs.

I started off rapping about historical events, but it got too boring. It didn’t attract the listeners, nor was it appealing to me at a later stage. After many mood swings and brainstorming, I came to the conclusion to stick to my original plan, which was creating a musical interaction between me and others. The moment you use the word “I” on a song, people automatically put themselves in your shoes. After that, I just have to explain my life in a rhythm. A lot of people in this world listen to music that can pump them so they can motivate themselves, and I’m the man behind this.

Q. Have you produced any of your songs?

A. By production you mean making beats, which I have often tried, even succeeded, but never really liked doing. I was never really into making beats, since my mind expresses itself in words.

Many people confuse production with composing. Composing means coming up with your own lyrics, your own flow, and that’s what I love doing. In order to survive on your own you need to be able to do both, the production and composition.

Q. You are studying to be a dentist. These two interests seem worlds apart…

A. I needed to do something with which I can support myself financially as well as something I like doing. There are two things in this world that can put a smile on a face – music and a good dentist. For that reason, I figured that these two were the perfect match and just went ahead with dentistry. So far it’s pretty interesting, and my studies give me a lot of material and words that I can use in my rap songs to increase the depth. Although it is hard to maintain the balance between studies and rap music, I am not giving up until one of these quits on me.

Q. Do you have a message for your fans and readers out there?

A. I’m only 18 years old; I have a long road to go. If I make mistakes along the way, I sincerely request people not to give up on me. I need the readers to be my fans, and my fans need to be my lovers. I need your support in everything I do, every decision that I make (good or bad). I’m just a flying bird that needs a building on which to rest and rely upon. I may fly high or low, but I need my fans to be that building for me. I love you all. Qzer is the name. Peace and may Allah bless you all.

Faisal Kapadia is a Karachi-based entrepreneur and writer. He blogs at Deadpan Thoughts.