Music

BAP. Is All Set to Become Your New Favourite Indonesian Rapper

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When most Malaysians think of Indonesian hip-hop, two names probably loom large above all others: Homicide—and associated label Grimloc Records—for those in the underground, and Rich Brian (fka Rich Chigga) for, well, everyone else. BAP. isn’t a name that will be on anyone’s lips, but that might all change sooner rather than later.

BAP., real name Kareem Soenharjo, has a resolutely contemporary underground style that sets himself apart from a lot of Indonesian (and Southeast Asian) rap. His debut, monkshood, is a diverse offering, with jazz-inflected opening and closing tracks bookending a gloriously eclectic set of 10 tracks that showcase the depth of his influences and musical knowledge. From “goya”‘s mashup of tribal beats and (what sounds like a) King Crimson sample to “vain”‘s autotuned intro and late night jazz-hop vibes, BAP. has enough tricks up his sleeve to run rings around most of the competition.

If you’re a fan of the LA beat scene and names such as Flying Lotus and Gaslamp Killer, then BAP.’s upcoming performance in KL isn’t one you want to miss. Catch him on April 20 alongside Fauxe, Pastel Lite, Ichu, Lust, Cahaya, Viktoria, and Killeur Calculateur at Tingkat Dua, Dataran Ara Damansara. Check out the flyer below for more info, and get your tickets over on the Sabdha website.

Check out BAP. on Bandcamp and Soundcloud, and follow him on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.