Pataka Boys - Megaloblast (Official Video)
Following on from the group’s debut single ‘Bappi Lahiri’, Desi supergroup Pataka Boys return with their next offering in the form of the soul-drenched ‘Megaloblast’. The single releases on independent Indian record label Azadi Records. Pataka Boys will release their debut album Thugs From Amritsaron July 12th.
‘Megaloblast’ carries an air of nonchalance in its instrumental, curated by producer Kartik, where soulful vocal samples and a lumbering drum beat create space for the rappers’ intricate verses. Displaying his Indian heritage proudly, Sonnyjim opens the track rapping in Punjabi for the first time ever, blending his mother tongue with his typical Brummie flow. On the track, both emcees detail their debaucherous adventures in their typically debonair fashion, PAV4N rapping ‘I’m Sidhu Moose Wala, you a cucaracha’, simultaneously disparaging the haters whilst giving a shout out to the late Indian rapper & singer.
As with their first release, the track is accompanied by a mind-bending visual treatment, directed and edited by Indian creative Meghan Katti. The kaleidoscopic video brings to life the vibrant depictions found in both rappers' lyrics, offering a never before seen perspective on daily life in India.
Pataka Boys are comprised of rappers PAV4N and Sonnyjim as well as upcoming producer Kartik. All three artists are of Indian origin, with Kartik being born and raised in the country. Both PAV4N and Sonnyjim have become cult figures in the UK hip-hop landscape and beyond, individually cementing their legacies as revered, boundary pushing artists.
PAV4N is a founding member of the Hip-Hop group Foreign Beggars, who during their near twenty year run were known for their unique sound, blending Rap, Dubstep and various experimental elements. During his career, PAV4N has worked with a wide range of critically acclaimed artists including Skrillex, Steve Aoki, Knife Party, DJ Vadim, Amp Fiddler and Sez On The Beat.
Sonnyjim is a rapper whose output spans over ten years, during which time he’s worked with an array of rap royalty including the likes of MF DOOM, Jay Electronica, Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, DJ Premier, Remy Banks, Lord Apex, The Purist, Madlib and more. Known for his unique style of luxury lifestyle rap, Sonnyjim’s stream of consciousness verses are packed in equal measures with larger-than-life images of excess and hilarious sequential vignettes.
Astonishingly, the Pataka Boys project is the first full body of work from Kartik, a young producer from Ludhiana, Punjab who cites the likes of Flying Lotus, Madlib and DJ Premier as some of his main influences.
Across Thugs From Amritsar, an organic, Golden Era Hip-Hop sound is blended with references, sound bites and samples taken from a vast wealth of Indian pop culture. The album being released on Azadi Records is of significant importance, as they are one of the lead pioneering record labels coming out of India, spearheading the huge boom of socially conscious and hard hitting rap music. With the project first starting out in the UK, both Sonnyjim and PAV4N travelled to India to continue recording and to shoot the accompanying visuals, creating a truly unique body of work to be appreciated by Hip-Hop lovers and the wider Indian diaspora at large.
With the release of ‘Megaloblast’ and the announcement of the Thugs From Amritsar album, Pataka Boys signal themselves to be a group on the cutting edge of exciting, culture blending Rap music.