SlowCheeta’s ‘Wannabe Rapper’ is Pure, Heartwarming Hip-Hop Channelling Childhood Dreams

As a teen, Chaitnya Sharma aka SlowCheeta wanted to be a performer, like most kids that age. The best thing is that he grew up to become one. The popular rapper’s latest video might boast of a self-deprecating title but in substance “Wannabe Rapper” is just a heartwarming chronicle of childhood aspirations. “It stems from a vivid memory I have of being a ‘wannabe rapper’, performing with a TV remote in my hand, which served as a mic, in front of a dressing table as a short, fat 13-year-old boy,” he says.

The music video, which released earlier this month, features camcorder footage of a young SlowCheeta performing on stage and at gatherings. Grainy and nostalgic, these clips reveal a whole new layer to the artistry of the rapper who launched his debut EP, Rok Nahi Paayega, along with this new single. The rapper emerged on the circuit with his 2017 video “To The Top” featuring singer-songwriter Taaruk. In 2019, he was announced as one of the first signees of independent hip-hop label IncInk, founded by actor Ranveer Singh and filmmaker Navzar Eranee.

The EP, released on IncInk Records, features three tracks

With “Wannabe Rapper,” SlowCheeta is revisiting familiar places with a sense of gratitude and new ambition. He says, “It takes me back to a time where a free-willed kid dreamed of doing something out of the box and sowed the seeds of a tree that stands tall today. The video is truly special with footage that my mom has preserved for over two decades now!”

The track is also a collaboration between singer Delraaz Bunshah, who the rapper considers “one of the most talented singers I’ve come across.” He adds, “She really took the song to another level.” It’s produced by Kolkata musician Rishiraj Doss aka Mr Doss. “He is someone I have been aching to work with and finally we got to create this and I’m glad it worked out the way it did. Navzar, Shreeda (Patel) and Anushka (Manchanda) are magicians and they have made an outstanding video from nothing!”