DIVINE Cheats Death in Incendiary ‘Punya Paap’ Video

Coffins, confessions and rebirth are amongst the motifs in Mumbai-based hip-hop artist DIVINE‘s latest single “Punya Paap,” which comes along with an announcement of the successor to 2019’s Kohinoor. Although the title track from the album is out, more details of the release are yet to be known from DIVINE, his label Gully Gang Entertainment and Mass Appeal India.

Produced by Jamaican beatsmith iLL Wayno aka Dwayne Shippy (who also worked on “Chal Bombay” off Kohinoor), DIVINE fires off two quick verses about his own struggle, drawing a comparison between privileged hip-hop artists and himself. DIVINE says in a statement, “’Punya Paap’ is a very personal offering that gives a perspective of my life, the good, the bad and the ugly. Family, God and music have been my fortune and blessing (punya). Parallelly temptations and vices (paap) have also been around me in the form of money, fame, wrong company.”

With references to COVID-19 as well as how fallible humans are compared to God, the rapper is seen in a church in the music video directed by filmmaker Abhay Raha. The menacing clip also shows masked figures carrying DIVINE away in a coffin, setting it ablaze but he soon emerges outside, exacting revenge. “The title track of the album is an authentic reflection of my life and how I want to reconstruct it from hereon. Whether I want to continue to partake in the unabashed drama or whether I want to seek redemption, the pandemic has presented this choice to me,” DIVINE adds.

Watch the video for “Punya Paap” below. Stream here.