Sambata and Karan Kanchan Bring the Heat on ‘Vazan’

Sambata has once again proved himself with the new track “Vazan” for Red Bull 64 Bars, and it’s confirmed to be a banger, produced by ace beatsmith Karan Kanchan.

Known for hits such as “Pinnak,” “Kaarte Nibaar,” “Nako Raste Changle” and “Sod Lacharicha Paksh,” Sambata has ruled the Marathi rap scene with sharp, raw, and unapologetically real lyrics. His emergence as a major player in Indian hip-hop feels all the more inevitable: He is tirelessly energetic, his stories are drawn from real life, and his rhymes are remarkably heavy with the burden of both lyrical sophistication and swag. With “Vazan,” Sambata, commonly known among his fans as Don, further solidifies his position among big hitters of the scene, spitting heavy bars showing off his lyrical finesse and braggadocio.

“Vazan” which translates to “weight,” is more is the rapper’s declaration of complete dominance. The song features Karan Kanchan’s intense, pounding production, and Sambata spitting just over 64 relentless bars, detailing a vivid picture of his place in the rap game. The Red Bull 64 Bars challenge puts rappers into the ring with nothing but a beat and their mind and pushes artists to craft uninterrupted streams of lyricism. For Sambata, it’s a perfect fit — no hooks, no mercy, no ad-libs, just pure unfiltered bars flowing one after the other.

It’s in the verses that Sambata really busts his muscles. He talks about people in the industry despising him because of jealousy but no matter what they say, he still carries that heavy weight, he’s still on top, still the king of this scene. He throws some bars about how the ladies love him and that his fans worship him like he is god, and how his loyalty to his mom and his crew is non-negotiable. Then there’s a rare take — where fans say he looks like YG’s cousin, which is such a flex, but you just end up smiling because he effortlessly blends humor with some serious gangster vibes. It’s the kind of track that plays to Sambata’s strength: he is good at bringing street realism and a larger-than-life personality.

This is not Sambata’s first foray into lyrically heavyweight tracks, but “Vazan” feels like that moment where his persona as Don finally shines through. The signature ‘choppy’ flow couldn’t blend any better with Kanchan’s beats to create a piece of sound that’s gritty and polished at the same time, a balance very few artists manage to achieve. The way Sambata dominates this track mirrors his impact on the streets of Pune, which is where he hails from. Every verse is cut deep, so vivid with the pictures of life in the street, but always within truth.

“Vazan” is the third release off Red Bull’s 64 Bars season 2, following Tamil artist Paal Dabba and Sez On The Beat’s “Torrie Wilson” and Malayalam rapper Fejo’s and Parimal Shais’ “Top Tier Talk.” Five more rapper-producer combinations will be revealed in the coming weeks.