Street Academics Explained

Street Academics
Landscape:yes
Origin:Kerala, India
Genre:Alternative hip-hop
Years Active:2009–present
Instrument:Vocals, Sampler, Drum machine, Synthesizer, Turntables.

Street Academics is an Indian alternative hip-hop group from Kerala, known for their songs blending malayalam, english and tamil lyrics. The collective of rappers based out of various districts from their home state are noted for emphasizing on contemporary and philosophical themes ranging from social realism to dystopian fantasy.[1] [2] [3] [4] They collaborate with projects like Mappila Lahala and Palakkadan Dystopia, to release songs that focus on having cultural discussions set in avant-garde backdrops.[5] [6] [7] [8]

History

Street Academics was an idea brought forward by Rjv Ernesto in 1999, as a small group for spoken word poetry and making pause tapes.[9] Later he was introduced to Haris Saleem through hip-hop communities in Myspace and Orkut. After recording various demo tracks, they brought in Amjad Nadeem, Abhimanyu Raman and Pranav to move forward as a hip-hop collective in 2009. Keyboardist & music producer Ruthin Thej worked with the group to produce a couple of singles, before leaving to pursue his career as keyboardist for Thaikkudam Bridge. Later Vivek Radhakrishnan joined the group as the DJ/producer providing a bass-oriented sound. They started collaborating with the cultural music collective Mappila Lahala, led by filmmaker Muhsin Parari, to release politically oriented singles which featured veteran actor Mamukkoya and national award-winning composer Bijibal.[10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] The group has also formed avant garde hip-hop project Palakkadan Dystopia to release singles and went on to collaborate with experimental theatre acts, performing shows which combined spoken word, theatre, hip-hop music & graffiti.[5] [17] After working on singles and compilations over the years, the group released a complete multilingual album titled "Loop" loosely based on seven deadly sins.[18] [19] [20]

On July 13, 2019, a live performance of Street Academics along with Bandish Projekt and Swadesi, was interrupted by a group of people who demanded the venue officials to play Kannada songs, instead of the group's original Malayalam tracks, as they were in Bengaluru. The group's set was cut short and forced off stage. After the performance, rapper/vocalist Amjad and few of his friends were taken away by the police, allegedly for causing public nuisance. Venue management later released a public statement, apologizing to Street Academics regarding the incident.[21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] The group released a protest song titled "Hara Hara" along with a music video, and performed it live during Citizenship Amendment Act protests at Kozhikode.[27] [28] [29] [30] [31]

Themes and influences

Members state that they started off through slam poetry before getting introduced to hip-hop music.[32] Rjv Ernesto cites spoken word poetry and sports/pro-wrestling commentary as his influence in rap music. Developing an interest towards drum solos, he recalls creating beats by cutting out bits of tape from cassettes using a razor blade and glueing them back before inserting the tape into the cartridge.[11] [33] The group's multilingual lyricism usually brings up questions of expression & identity, affirming the place of vernacular rap in India, being one of the first acts to do so.[4] [34] [35] [36] [37] Street Academics is considered to be one of the oldest independent hip-hop outfits in India.[38] [39] [40] They are noted for pioneering Malayalam rap with serious content & multisyllabic rhyme patterns, against the comical parody image that rap/hip-hop music has had in their region. Even though the production relies on minimal boom bap oriented sampling as the backbone, the collective effort exhibits influences of musique concrète, lo-fi, glitch, folk, ambient, R&B, jazz poetry, grime and funk.[41] [42] [43] [44] Most of the themes are set in an alternate reality or a post-apocalyptic world, often presented from the narrative mode of various alter egos. It is noted that majority of those plots are inter-connected & follow a particular nonlinear storyline throughout the body of their work.[5] [45] [46] [7] [47] [48] The "Dead Crow" symbolism goes hand in hand with their journey and has pretty much established itself as a mascot for Street Academics over time.[49] The group's singles Vandi Puncture and Native Bapa, both released in 2012, are often held responsible for taking Malayalam hip-hop music to mainstream.[9] [50]

Members

Former Members:-

Discography

Albums:-

Remix Albums:-

Film Soundtracks:-

Singles:-

Collaboration Albums:-

Mixtapes/Solo Albums:-

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Mathew . Mathew Joy . 2016-10-16 . This gang of five will 'rap-spire' you . New Indian Express . 2017-07-18.
  2. News: Chandy . Susanna . 2014-07-11 . Hip Hop goes 'South' with our rappers . https://archive.today/20170915093931/http://indulge.newindianexpress.com/hip-hop-goes-south-with-our-rappers/section/13034 . dead . 2017-09-15 . New Indian Express Indulge . 2017-07-18.
  3. News: 2018-02-23 . Radio City's Indie Revolution Enthralls Bangalore with 'Radio City Freedom Awards 5.0' . The Retail Times . 2018-02-23.
  4. News: Jovial . Nirmal. 2020-09-06 . Up Beat . The Week . 2020-08-28.
  5. News: Abhishek . Abhishek . 2018-05-18 . Decoding desi Hip-Hop: Street Academics . MusicPlus . 2017-11-21.
  6. News: Gujubhai . IQ . 2013-01-16 . Hip Hop in Kerala! "Native Bapa" by Mappila Lahala . DesiHiphop . 2017-07-18.
  7. News: K . Anjana. 2017-11-21 . Street art goes on to a whole new level with Kalapila from Street Academics . WtzupCity . 2017-11-21.
  8. News: Magan . Srishti. 2019-01-09 . 21 Fire Indian Rappers You Should Know About Beyond Gully Boy . ScoopWhoop . 2019-01-09.
  9. News: Karunakaran . Binu. 2020-06-25 . How Malayalam rap broke out of the margins . Times of India . 2020-06-25.
  10. News: MG . Gokul. 2019-04-03 . Rapper's delight . Deccan Chronicle . 2019-04-03.
  11. News: Suhasini . Lalitha . 2019-08-09 . Sounds from Malabar . Pune Mirror India Times . 2019-08-09.
  12. News: 2018-02-20 . Know Your Band - Street Academics . Radio City . 2018-02-20.
  13. News: Menon . Bindu. 2014-07-06 . Modern Media & Kerala's Rap Music . Navamalayali . 2017-07-18.
  14. News: Basith . Abdul. 2013-01-07 . Native Bapa: A hip-hop song from Kerala challenges narrative on terrorism . TwoCircles . 2017-07-18.
  15. News: M . Rajeev . 2024-06-19 . റെക്കോഡ് പ്ലെയറിന്റെ സൂചി ആയുധമാക്കിയ സംഗീതലോകത്തെ ആന്റി-ഹീറോ. Mathrubhumi . 2024-06-19.
  16. News: Bhatt . Shephali. 2024-09-07 . Hip-Hop Stars from Kerala: How Malayalam rappers create a remarkable sound that is both familiar and inventive . Economic Times . 2024-09-07.
  17. News: T . Sreejith . 2014-10-25 . An Insolence Combining Graffiti, Hip-hop & DJ . Mathrubhumi . 2017-07-18.
  18. News: 2019-07-01 . Kerala-based band 'Street Academics' raps on seven deadly sins . New Indian Express . 2019-07-01.
  19. News: Joy . Jose . 2019-07-12 . Street Academics: tracing the evolution of Malayalam hip-hop music . New Indian Express Indulge . 2019-07-12.
  20. News: Dings . Dhinoj . 2020-01-05 . Street Academics' 'Loop' is a Malayalam hip hop album worthy of adoration . Medium . 2020-01-05.
  21. News: 2019-07-15 . Stopped for singing in Malayalam? Hip-hop band protests shoddy treatment in B'luru pub . The News Minute . 2019-07-15.
  22. News: Praveen . S.R. . 2019-07-15 . Bengaluru organisers pull the plug on Kerala band . The Hindu . 2019-07-15.
  23. News: 2019-07-15 . Bengaluru: Music Performance Cut Short Over Language Row . Times of India . 2019-07-15.
  24. News: Tagat . Anurag . 2019-07-15 . Kerala Hip-Hop Group Street Academics Forced Off Stage at Bengaluru Venue . Rolling Stone India . 2019-07-15.
  25. News: S . Joy . 2019-07-15 . Malayalam hip-hop act Street Academics is forced off stage . New indian Express Indulge . 2019-07-15.
  26. News: Murthi . Rajrishi . 2019-07-15 . Kerala-Based Hip-Hop Crew Street Academics Forced Off Stage In Bengaluru For Singing In Malayalam . Bangin Beats . 2019-07-15.
  27. News: Praveen . S.R. . 2019-12-30 . Hard-hitting music adds fuel to anti-citizenship Act protests . The Hindu . 2019-12-30.
  28. News: 2019-12-28 . Kerala music bands bring out songs to protest against CAA and NRC . The News Minute . 2019-12-28.
  29. News: K.M. . Rakesh . 2020-01-03 . Music of protest rises in Kerala . The Telegraph . 2020-01-03 .
  30. News: Kaav . Sweety . 2020-01-06 . The two music bands of Kerala protest against CAA: Street Academics, The Down Troddence . Mathrubhumi . 2020-01-06 .
  31. News: Satvika Kundu . Amaan Khan . 2020-01-10 . Voice Of The People: Protest Music In India . Wild City . 2020-01-10 .
  32. News: Chandy . Susanna . 2014-07-11 . Hip Hop goes 'South' with our rappers . https://archive.today/20170915093931/http://indulge.newindianexpress.com/hip-hop-goes-south-with-our-rappers/section/13034 . dead . 2017-09-15 . New Indian Express . 2017-07-18.
  33. News: Varier . Soumya . 2020-12-23 . Hip Hop And The Kerala Connect: How A New Breed Of Rappers Is Using The Genre To Speak Of Our Reality . Film Companion . 2020-12-23.
  34. Straight Outta Mumbai . BBC . BBC . 28 March 2018. 08:20. 28 March 2018.
  35. News: Kapur . Uday. 2019-03-03 . The power of language in Indian hip-hop . Sole DXB . 2019-03-03.
  36. News: Menon . Bindu. 2014-02-19 . The Blazon Call Of HipHop - Lyrical Storms In Kerala's Music Culture . Sage Publications . 2017-07-18.
  37. News: 2016-06-03 . Street Academics: Haris Saleem . Deccan Chronicle . 2017-07-18.
  38. News: 2018-02-22 . Know Your Band - Street Academics . Radio City . 2018-02-22.
  39. News: Balram . Dhruva. 2018-11-12 . The Commodification Of Hip-Hop In India: A Discussion . Border Movement . 2018-11-12.
  40. News: Joy . Jose. 2019-04-26 . Street Academics releases song video for Sky with a collaboration . New Indian Express . 2019-04-26.
  41. News: Joy . Jose . 2019-07-12 . Street Academics: tracing the evolution of Malayalam hip-hop music . New Indian Express Indulge . 2019-07-12.
  42. News: Balram . Dhruva . 2020-02-22 . 10 Indian Rappers You Need to Know . Highsnobiety . 2020-02-22.
  43. News: Balram . Dhruva . 2020-04-29 . Indian Artists are Fighting Theocracy With Music . Bandcamp . 2020-04-29.
  44. News: Kavu . Sweety . 2023-06-10 . 'മലയാളത്തിലെ റാപ് ബാലികേറാമലയെന്ന് കരുതിയ കാലമുണ്ടായിരുന്നു; കപ്പയുടെ സംരംഭം പ്രശംസനീയം'. Mathrubhumi . 2023-06-10.
  45. News: 2018-02-20 . Know Your Band - Street Academics . Radio City . 2018-02-20.
  46. News: Datta . Sravasti . 2018-12-07 . Electrifying beats . The Hindu . 2018-12-07.
  47. News: Justis . Poetik . 2017-12-02 . An Ode To The Producers In Indian Hip-Hop . DesiHipHop . 2017-12-02.
  48. News: Justis . Poetik . 2019-02-20 . Voices Beyond Gully Boy - The South . DesiHipHop . 2019-02-20.
  49. News: Unnikrishnan . Navaneethakrishnan. 2022-05-07 . Uncovering The Genius Of Street Academics . Pink Lungi . 2022-05-07.
  50. News: Muraleedharan . Vishnu. 2024-06-02 . Kerala rappers spit bars, break into mainstream with a bang . On Manorama . 2024-06-02.
  51. News Song "Vandi Puncture" by Street Academics . Asianet News . 2012-06-11.
  52. News: Chakrabarti . Ajachi . 2013-10-16 . What Rhymes with Self-Respect? . Tehelka . 2017-07-18.
  53. News: Gujubhai . IQ . 2013-01-31 . Street Academics – "Trapped In Rhymes" . DesiHiphop . 2017-07-18.
  54. News: Bobkat . Enkore . 2015-06-15 . Street Academics Return with a Fire Single . Voice Of Tha People . 2017-07-18.
  55. News: Sebastian Edmond . Deepu . 2016-06-30 . Distilling Dissent . The Hindu . 2018-07-18.
  56. News: Fernandes . Denver . 2017-09-19 . Exclusive: Watch videos from The Clash EP - Edition One . RedBull . 2017-09-19.
  57. News: Fernandes . Denver . 2017-11-09 . Exclusive: Stream The Clash EP -Edition One . RedBull . 2017-11-09.
  58. News: Britto . David . 2017-11-27 . Hear India's Rap, Rock and Metal Worlds Collide on 'The Clash' Compilation . Rolling Stone India . 2017-11-27.
  59. News: Unnikrishnan . Deepa . 2017-12-05 . The Clash - One Of A Kind EP Where Hip Hop Meets Other Genres . DesiHipHop . 2017-12-05.
  60. News: Justis . Poetik . 2017-11-09 . Exclusive Interview - Street Academics' "Kalapila" Just Changed The Game . DesiHipHop . 2017-11-09.
  61. News: Srinivasan . Karthik . 2017-12-08 . Milliblog Annual Music round-up 2017 . Milliblog . 2017-12-08.
  62. News: Kadiyala . Swetha . 2020-03-10 . Spinning a sensation . The New Indian Express . 2020-03-10.
  63. News: Bobkat . Enkore . 2015-05-18 . Episode 12 – The VOTP Show (Podcast) . Voice Of Tha People . 2017-07-18.

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