Psychologist, Academic, and author Nida Kirmani, in an official tweet, mentioned that rap is a form of the marginalized and that the elites should distance themselves from it. The tweet came after Coke Studio dropped Faris Shafi, which enraged many individuals, including his sister, Meesha Shafi.
The activist tweeted: “Class & ethnic privilege affect every field in Pakistan, but one of its most profound effects is on the arts. From music to literature to tv/film, most of those who make it big are members of the Punjabi elite. Coke studios throw in some Sindhis & Baloch as tokens but that’s it.”
She continued: “Faris Shafi’s rap may be entertaining but only reinforces this. Rap is an art form of the marginalised, adopted & transformed by folks from the inner city. This is why the rappers like Eva B coming from Lyari are part of a wider tradition. The elite should leave at least this.”
When researcher, writer, and socialist Ammar Rashid replied writing that they ‘don’t think any artist should be asked to renounce an art because of their social origins, everyone who can express themselves creatively in any art form should do it.
She replied: “Sure, everyone has a right to express themselves however they want, but we need to step back & look at the structural reasons why certain people get opportunities & attention. Similar critiques have been made of white people co-opting black music. It’s not about individuals.”
Class & ethnic privilege effect every field in Pakistan, but one of its most profound effects is on the arts. From music to literature to tv/film, most of those who make it big are members of the Punjabi elite. Coke studios throws in some Sindhis & Baloch as tokens but that’s it.
— Nida Kirmani (@NidaKirmani) January 31, 2022
On the other hand, in a recent interview with Balochi rapper Eva B, Geo Digital asked the famous rapper who gained popularity followed to her hit track titled ‘Kanna Yari’ and ‘Rozi’ that was featured in Ms Marvel, what are her two cents on the tweet.
Eva B stated, “Only the poor don’t need to do it,” adding that in rap, everyone has the right to speak up no matter what their background is. “It’s not like everyone will be poor and say ‘I am poor, I do not eat anything, drink anything, I do not have money, so I will rap’,” explained Eva.
“Now, there are some people with money who want to prove themselves…Faris has also written and sang songs that are about society, that is based on reality. If anyone says that the rich shouldn’t do it and only the poor should do it, they do not know anything about rap’s history,” she added.
“Now obviously, one will rap about what happens in their daily lives. Everyone has their own choice in rap. Rap is free music; totally free!” she shared.
Even though the Lyari-famed rapper has made a successful debut in Hollywood, she still has a dream to one day perform with her icon – Eminem.
We hope that Eva’s dreams come true. Until then, stay tuned to WOW360 for more news and updates.
7 Interesting Facts About Pakistani Rapper Eva B You Probably Didn’t Know
