Dharavi Rappers Saniya MQ and Kavikaar Build Resolve on ‘Baccha Kisko Bol Raha Hai’ EP

A year since launching, filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s label Tiger Baby Records – which counts singer-songwriter Ankur Tewari as co-founder – has kept its focus on children’s music to a large extent. Now, they’ve brought on The Dharavi Dream Project’s young artists Saniya MQ and Kavikaar, plus producer Hashbass for a hip-hop EP called Baccha Kisko Bol Raha Hai.

With the title translating to “Who are you calling a kid?” there’s a steely sense of confidence that permeates the six tracks’ tone and intent. Kavikaar leads the way with four tracks – “Antakshri,” “Vibe De,” “Maths Mera Dushman” and “Super Mom,” while Saniya MQ raps on “Ek Hi Baat Hai” and both artists deliver punchy rap on the title track. Saniya said in a statement on her contribution to the EP, “On one hand, there is frustration at how to handle studies, and on the other side, they say art doesn’t have an age restriction, and that anybody can be an artist – that’s what I wanted to write about.”

The title track is an instant draw to understand the crux of the EP featuring both rappers speaking their minds in their verses about why their life experiences and lessons learned matter more than ageist stereotypes. Kavikaar said in his statement, “Working alongside Saniya has been an incredible experience, and she is so dedicated to her art that it inspires me to. This EP will show to the world the creativity and passion that young artists like us can bring to the table!”

On the beat front, Hashbass and Tewari (who is credited as creative producer on the EP) traverse everything from glitzy bops, old-school hip-hop, bass-driven cuts, introspective synth lines and groovy funk/jazz sounds. Hashbass says he went into the project “with a completely open mind” about working with Saniya and Kavikaar. He adds in a statement, “I only had a brief that they were young and hungry. I felt like I really zoned in when I created the sounds of this EP. In two days, I had made six ideas based on just their scratch vocals. It was a really fulfilling experience, and as I made the beats, both Saniya and Ayush aka Kavikaar brought their best pen game out and what got created was very quick and deep. Real magic.”

Released on February 2nd, Baccha Kisko Bol Raha Hai is part of a series of four children’s music EPs – the first was Tewari’s Aaja Nindiya – and in collaboration with the music company Platoon Music. The company is owned by Apple and known for artist services, A&R and music distribution. Saniya and Kavikaar are recognized as “graduates” of The Dharavi Dream Project (TDDP), which mentors young talent from the Mumbai locality. Last month alone, the group’s members – rappers, beatboxers and b-boys – were performing at crowdfunded festival Control ALT Delete and greeting festival-goers at Lollapalooza India as well.

TDDP’s co-founder Dolly Rateswar, who picked the two artists for the EP, says in a statement, “Witnessing their journey from the early days of our hip-hop movement to now, collaborating on Baccha Kisko Bol Raha Hai with Ankur and Tiger Baby Records, has been truly rewarding,” she says. “The EP not only showcases their artistic growth but also reflects the spirit of collaboration and mentorship fostered by TDDP, and marks an important milestone, reinforcing our commitment to empowering and showcasing young talents from the streets of Dharavi,” she adds.