Krantinaari’s ‘Roots’ Is the Rapper’s Resounding Birthday Gift to Herself

Mumbai rapper Krantinaari tells the world just how deeply interwoven her artistry and her identity are on “Roots,” produced by C4GE and featuring singer-songwriter Brecilla on vocals and saxophone.

The seemingly folk and West Asian-inspired beats coupled with an understated saxophone outro set the pace for a confident yet soul-searching lyrical tale from Krantinaari aka Ashwini Hiremath. Releasing the song on her birthday, the music video for “Roots” brings in cinematography from Abhimanyu Ulhas, Aklesh Sutar (aka MC Mawali from hip-hop crew Swadesi) and producer C4GE.

With Krantinaari and Brecilla seated by a bonfire for a vocal jam, the “Roots” video also sees the rapper by the beach, edited together scenes from daily life in India – of fisherfolk communities, a theyyam dancer and more.

The artist delves into the idea of roots and culture in a note written to mark the release. Krantinaari says, “What are we without our roots and culture? They are the essence of our identity, the foundation upon which we build our lives. I see culture as more than just a set of traditions; it’s a precious parcel of time, a spine that guides us through the ages. It binds us together, nourishing the very essence of humanity.”

Linking the idea of culture to the freedom of expression, Krantinaari adds in her note, “The concept of roots urges us to pause and reflect, to rediscover ourselves and acknowledge the origins of our existence. It’s about embracing where we come from and understand how it shapes who we are today.”

With an ear to the ground when it comes to her actions as well as the world at large, the rapper says each voice and perspective adds a new layer to her story, culture and identity. “While walking through this journey I learn to embrace the complexities, the uncertainties, and the beauty of my existence. Together, I want to redefine and redesign our spaces to make them safe to live with freedom,” she adds.

On teaming up with Brecilla – who recently released her single “Memories” with a music video as well – Krantinaari counts the singer-songwriter and saxophonist as an inspiration when it comes to arranging music and “the style of laying out a song.” The rapper adds, “Her skills and understanding of music is so unique as it also comes from an overall performance artist perspective as she is a Bharatnatyam dancer as well. The connection sits well because even I have a multi-disciplinary approach to art, so our ideation drew parallels from experiences from different art forms. I learned tons of techniques of expression from her during the making of this which was very necessary for a rap project. Genre’s merging together was the core idea for this project when it started and Brecilla was the right person to do justice to it.”

“Roots” marks Krantinaari’s first release of 2024, coming after her punchy single “Anushasan.” In the short span of a couple of years, the rapper has performed at the likes of Roskilde International Music Festival in Denmark (a first for Indian hip-hop), joined the U.S. fellowship OneBeat and took part in the residency program Hers Is Ours in Rajasthan.

Watch the video for “Roots” below. Stream the song here.