Rapper Mischief Announces New Trap-Leaning Single ‘Blue Pills’

Mumbai rapper Mischief aka Aiden Aziz’s gravelly Hindi and English rap combo will be heard next in “Blue Pills,” which follows his solo single “The World Is Mine” from August 2024 and “Rakshak,” his debut and collaboration with pop artist Shannon K.

Releasing on Sept. 25, Mischief says he wants the upcoming track to “evoke an immersive psychedelic experience” for both, himself and the listener. Moving away from the often-heard “tough-talk battle raps” with “intricate wordplay” in the lyrics, Mischief says his road to authentic rap isn’t about chasing clout or “forcing a vibe or tough image” superficially. “You don’t have to be a G or tough talk all the time to pull an audience,” he says.

To that end, “Blue Pills” likely offers more “flawed and vulnerable” lyricism from Mischief. He adds, “It’s okay to feel messed up without feeling like you’re coming across as weak or gangsta […] Even when I’m vulnerable, you’ll know I’m unfuckwitable, and that’s what I want my audience to feel about themselves when experiencing my music.”

Mischief might be rap moniker for Aziz, but he’s also got a musical lineage he can’t deny – being the older son of ghazal legend Talat Aziz. While the worlds of rap and ghazal are pretty far apart, the senior Aziz has shared Mischief’s music in the past. His “Rakshak” collaborator Shannon K, too, is a pop artist who is also the daughter of veteran singer Kumar Sanu.

In a podcast interview released in June, Aziz says his son never told him about taking to rap, and the ghazal singer never enquired because he was often busy with classes, music and travels. He said, “On his own, he began writing rap. He sent a rough track to his mother, but told her not to tell me. As he went along, I found out and asked to listen to it. I heard it and even though it’s a different genre with a different mood, I said, ‘Okay, do what you want, but do it well’ […] Whatever he’s doing now, is by his own strengths and abilities and I wish him all the best.”

While the early industry push came actor and producer Zayed Khan (who directed the “Rakshak” video under his banner Hungry Wolves Entertainment Production), Mischief has also found his own tribe. He points to his mix and master engineer Priest (“Dude also looks like Nav by the way,” the rapper jokes, referring to the Punjabi-Canadian hip-hop artist), plus Guwahati producer Rawhit. (“He’s cookin’ fire with his ATL sound,” Mischief says). There’s also Buzzookha, who’s “working on AI” for the rapper’s projects.

Mischief says about his process, “When I’m in my zone and I create my music to evoke a sense of euphoria in me, that’s when I know this is gonna hit, so I stop working on it when it gets me emotional. That’s when I know I’ve hit the sweet spot.”