Exclusive Premiere: Chennai Hip-Hop Artist Demon They Call Troy Rages on Eponymous Track

After a couple of years in hip-hop, Chennai rapper Jerome Prateek aka D-Troy turns to a lesser explored realm of trap in India – the noisier, scarier and metal-influence kind. But the hip-hop artist – who now has a new solo project Demon they call Troy – says he isn’t just riding a wave.

On his new self-titled song “Demon They Call Troy,” he proves just that. There’s a snarling intensity in the rapper’s voice over trap metal beats from producer Akash Shravan. Jerome, who is part of hip-hop collective Elevated Pride, says, “Metal was the next genre after rap I grew up listening to. I often screamed, growled and chopped while rapping back in 2016.”

The 22-year-old credits Elevated Pride’s fellow rapper PHiL aka Ganesh Kumaran and producer Viraj Arvind for updating his influences from Eminem and Limp Bizkit to rap acts like Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Peep, Trippie Redd and more. PHiL later told him about experimental hip-hop artists like Scarlxrd, Denzel Curry and Death Grips. Jerome adds, “Instead of riding on whatever wave, I decided to explore and experiment with music and see what else I can do. That’s the best part about music. Once you’re in it, there’s just so much to do, it excites me.”

Sonically, “Demon They Call Troy” is an all-out trap track that moves in and out of murky territory, set to monochrome visuals from Chennai-based filmmaker and gig promoter Roy Dipankar. The color comes in at around the 2:40 mark, as Jerome announces himself with a growl. “We vibed pretty quick like bros and decided to work on something dark and demonic,” the rapper says. Lyrically leaning towards blasphemy (“owing to my personal hatred towards God and religion,” Jerome says), Dipankar’s visuals also conjure a ghoulish aesthetic of nuns and what look like satanic rituals. Watch the video below.