MC Altaf: ‘My Vision Is to Bring Indian Music on The Charts’

2020 for Mumbai rapper MC Altaf was quite prolific, to say the least. The hip-hop artist not only released a slew of singles including the trap-leaning “Cash Do,” but also sat in on fellow rapper DIVINE’s hit track “Mirchi” off his album Punya Paap. Altaf has begun this year in almost the same vein by collaborating with artists Su Real, Dutty Deedz and DJ SKIP on the whimsical “Hi Uncle” and also released his latest solo single “Soch” last month. “After the response on ‘Cash Do’ I was encouraged more to experiment on my sound, and I’ve been focusing on fresh sounds.”

Those fresh sounds definitely come across on “Soch” with the help of producers Saif and The Loud Pack. There’s elements of melancholy juxtaposed with banging beats while also retaining Altaf’s smashing delivery. He says, “This song was all about my daily experiences which is very common amongst most of us. I am trying to inspire the younger generation to work hard on their dreams.” The rapper adds, “It’s a letter from a friend for a friend. I also used lots of street slang to connect with people from similar backgrounds.”

Altaf also released a one-take music video of him performing the track on an empty street in New Delhi in the middle of the night. He says, “It was freezing cold, it was three degrees!” Directed by Mohit Mukhi aka Gltch, the clip is fairly simple due to the fact that the rapper wanted fans to pick up on his lyrics. “We used scribbling art to emphasize the lyrics and portray the meaning, which I feel was a creative touch to a simple video which has nothing fancy except me spitting facts,” says Altaf.

Recently, Altaf and his Gully Gang Records label mates tied up with tech and education platform FrontRow for a seven-hour crash course called Learn Rap. The ever-busy Altaf also featured on rapper Dee MC’s new fiery single “Piece of Mind” which came out recently. Although the hip-hop artist keeps mum about what’s in store next for him, he says, “I’m grateful for everything interesting coming up.” He adds, “My vision is to bring Indian music on the charts.”

Watch the video for “Soch” below: