DJ Lyan And Baby Jean Team Up for Tumultuous New Song ‘Tapori’
Desi Trill launches the latest collaboration between the South Asian producer and the Malayalam rapper, with a video that glorifies the bull-surfing sport of Maramadi in Kerala
DJ Lyan and Baby Jean in a still from their "Tapori" music video. Photo: Desi Trill/YouTube
British-Asian producer DJ Lyan serves up a Kerala folk-driven dancefloor banger on “Tapori” with Malayalam rapper Baby Jean, released earlier this week via the label and movement Desi Trill.
Coming hot on the heels of Desi Trill’s previous global-yet-Indian song projects as well as the success of Hanumankind’s “Big Dawgs” music video with producer Kalmi, the look and feel of “Tapori” is clearly intended to send a message out to the world about Kerala’s folk traditions as well as its ground realities. Between shots of Malappuram’s Baby Jean and DJ Lyan shot in Kerala, there’s also a high-octane look at Kerala’s exhilarating bull surfing sport Maramadi. A press release says that the video “captures the raw energy and daring athleticism of bull surfing.”
Bookended by two rap sections by Baby Jean, there’s plenty of booming, topsy-turvy bass music treatment injected over South Indian percussive elements on “Tapori.” The video also veers into a reflection of the testosterone-fueled mayhem that awaits anyone crossing the wrong person in Kerala. The song is part of DJ LYAN’s eight-track EP Thank You Come Again, which released via Desi Trill on Aug. 30, 2024.
DJ Lyan says in a statement about the new release, “The growing popularity of Malayalam music in India inspired me to work with Baby Jean. His distinct voice and authentic approach to storytelling perfectly complemented the sound I envisioned for ‘Tapori.'”
Baby Jean added in his statement, “When I first heard Lyan’s production, I knew this was an opportunity to do something different and showcase our local culture on a global platform. The track allowed me to represent Malappuram’s street culture and shoot the video at my hometown was everything coming together full circle.”
Desi Trill’s co-founder Shabz Naqvi adds, “‘Tapori’ is a special record bringing together our very own DJ Lyan with Baby Jean – a hip-hop artist we are super excited about at the moment. At Desi Trill, we wanted to showcase the beauty and uniqueness of South India in a way that has never been seen before and this visual does exactly that.”
Watch the video for “Tapori” below.
