Harass Gets Verbose and Multilingual on Grime-Informed New EP ‘Aapah’

Focusing on themes of spirituality, self-awareness and more, Noida-based hip-hop artist Harass aka Harsh Parmar’s new EP Aapah (written as आपः) dives into grime, with an able assist from producer Laudrup across five tracks in different languages.

Harass says he also explores the “concept of the existence of a divine particle within each individual” on the EP, which has songs in Farsi, Sanskrit, Urdu and Hindi. Writing for the project started off with the hard-hitting song “Rudaaki” in January 2022 and the track now closes Aapah in the most propulsive manner. The rapper says songs like “Yod,” “Jaun Kaun?” and “Ustaad” followed. That last track took four months to complete, which Harass says was the longest he’s taken to write a song.

One of the turning points in his writing journey also came when he released “Mrig Trishna” in 2021. “I made the conscious choice to embark on a grime project that encapsulated our unique sound, emotions, thoughts, pain, and happiness,” he says. From thereon, he counts how it took 300 days to “shape it into something truly valuable” in Aapah.

The laborious process is evident on Aapah, which sees Harass craft his bars with a force that’s reminiscent of Mumbai multilingual crew Swadesi. Harass cuts lose on “Yod” and keeps his storytelling going on “Mayuk” over seemingly lo-fi informed production. “Jaun Kaun?” has all the makers of a banger, while “Ustaad” has Harass weigh every word, with ad-libs to hype up the track. When asked about what it’s like to write bars in Farsi, Harass brushes off any concerns by saying that with practice, any difficulty can be accomplished. He adds, “Farsi is an exceptional language, and our culture has already intertwined with it in our everyday conversations. I must admit that there are no strict rules when it comes to expressing the truth, especially regarding a specific language.”

Harass is all praise for Laudrup as well, who makes Aapah more grime-influenced by rhythmic elements that add to the urgency of the rapper’s vocals. Up next, Harass plans to release a few videos from the EP and dive into making his debut full-length album. He says, “It will be a comprehensive project, showcasing my artistic vision in its entirety […] The album will be divided into two distinct sides, featuring a total of 20 songs. We are determined to mark this year with greatness.”

Listen to ‘Aapah’ below. Stream on more platforms here.