Hear Mumbai-Based Rapper Mohak’s Dynamic New Single ‘Nakabandi’

Mumbaikar Mohak Kukreja (who goes by his first name) is a rapper, singer and songwriter who has been consistently productive amid the pandemic, releasing six songs since May 2020. His most recent single, “Nakabandi,” is a lyrical trap bop that encapsulates Mohak’s love for storytelling and is inspired by real-life situations that concern the artist. 

Mohak says about his new track, “My words serve to convey the truth as I see it, and my music is based around the raw emotions of reality.” Over a choppy melody-led beat made by producer Prithvi Shetty, Mohak recounts the chaos of an unpleasant midnight encounter during the nakabandi (barricading) by city cops. The snare-heavy hook aims to drill the words “band kar le darwaaze, aaya sher” (close your doors, the lion is coming) into the listener’s head straight off. The energy that Mohak brings to “Nakabandi” makes it come across like a soundtrack to any rebellious teenager’s life of fearlessness and freedom. Mohak, however, adds, “This nakabandi or blockage also refers to that confinement mentally that can cause frustration due to a creator’s block, and this track is the creator coming back in his element after that block and absolutely killing it.” 

Another important and evident inspiration behind the song is the relentless labor of the Mumbai Police during the lockdown to keep the public safe. “Big ups to @mumbaipolice for being out there and sacrificing so that we stay in and stay safe, also for being a sport and letting me do this,” Mohak said on Instagram, while promoting “Nakabandi.”

Listen to “Nakabandi” below. Stream on more platforms here.