J Trix and SubSpace Get Menacing, Playful and Introspective on ‘Middle Class Boys’ EP
The rapper and producer duo have released three songs off the five-track record arriving via Def Jam India – “Sexy,” “Gundagardi” and “I Wish”
Kolkata rapper J Trix. Photo: Courtesy of Def Jam India
After years of building their own following and putting out music on their own channel Kolkata rapper J Trix and producer SubSpace have begun releasing their latest EP Middle Class Boys via Def Jam India. With three wide-ranging singles out so far – “Gundagardi” featuring Ikka, “Sexy” and most recently, “I Wish” – J Trix says that working with a label was to reach newer audiences and put to use Def Jam India’s “bespoke marketing.”
With bigger budgets, the music video production for each of the three tracks from the five-song EP out so far also tells how much J Trix and SubSpace have leveraged the label deal – they get on the high seas on a speedboat with Ikka for “Gundagardi,” lounge about in a mansion with a pool on “Sexy” and have a monochromatic visual palette of urban living for the soul-seeking “I Wish.” J Trix says, “I do have creative inputs for the videos, but working with a good production/creative team is critical. We have notched up the video production for these tracks, but again, a lot depends on the track, it’s vibe and what needs to be conveyed to the audience.”
In terms of the message, there are different ones on each track so far from the EP – “Gundagardi” as the title suggests, borrows from gangsta rap and has lethal flows from J Trix and Ikka with a guest verse. “Ikka Bhai is like a big brother now and he is one of the most passionate artists when it comes to music. He had given me a shoutout on one of his tracks and we were in touch. When I shared the idea for ‘Gundagardi,’ he was game for it at once,” J Trix says about how the New Delhi rapper came aboard.
“Sexy,” on the other hand, leans on loverboy charm, which is sometimes goofy but openhearted, making it one of the more commercial tracks according to the rapper. “I Wish” switches up the tone of the EP to become much more serious, talking about mental health and wishful thinking for a secure life in a chaotic and unjust world. “The genre grows as artists explore newer sounds. There’s a lot more to showcase,” J Trix says about their varied songwriting on the EP.
There are a couple of more tracks set to be released from Middle Class Boys EP. Live shows are also in the works, according to the rapper. He adds, “I’m also making fresh tracks with varied vibes to end the year with a bang.”
Watch the video for “I Wish” below.
