Uprising rapper chinnu is an underground indie artist with about 18 projects and over a hundred songs under his belt and he took time off to work on this new project titled 29. The 10-track project sees him diving into extremely delicate and vulnerable topics ranging from masculinity mental health, imbalanced relationships, family drama, personal loss and lack of faith among other real-time issues.
The first track “Black Hole” has a moody and solemn soundscape that fits the title perfectly while Chinnu takes a deep dive into the concept of self-loathing in the midst of love. He questions his own sanity with lines like “All I ever wanted was less love/I felt overwhelmed by their hugs/ I don’t think that I need to catch up/I think I should go and get some drugs” and breaks down a most unorthodox recovery path. In “Ripple Effect”, he talks about self-love and this is followed by “Erosion” and “FALSE IDOLS”, two records that give listeners more insight into themes like relationships, idol worship, hope and dreams. The former sees the rapper using off-kilter analogies to detail how relationships eventually fall apart while the latter talks about losing faith and hope in things that were once uplifting be it idols, moments and experiences. The theme continues on tracks like the jazz-infused “Fundraise” with its throwback vibe and the introspective “Moments With My Father” which serves as an open letter to his father and aims to bridge the gap between them. “ASSUMPTIONS” is a revealing and insightful track that tackles self-doubt, mental health and fledgling faith. backed by a sombre and soothing production made up of mellow horns and rich textures, Chinnu divulges some interesting facts about his life with lines like “I have been so pious but for now I’m stressing/ and that is why I’m quiet and I’m counting blessings and that’s why I am second guessing everything that I am”.

 

The mood changes once more in the melancholic “Fuck Planning” where listeners are thrown into Chinnu’s sad, moody world where hope is somewhat lost. He leads with a caveat in the lines “I am urging every oddity to always first protect your peace” and proceeds to dabble in the thin line between the duality of life with more minuses than pluses. The overall picture is quite gloomy but gives listeners something to ponder on at the end of the day.

The project closes out with “Underwater” and “Empire Of Love”. “Underwater”, is particularly striking with its layered ethereal soundscape and lack of drums that allows Chinnu’s off-kilter flow to truly shine.  using a stream of consciousness and a touch of his life experiences he pours out a floodgate of emotions, especially with lines like “Blood thicker than water but oil thicker than blood/ I was caught trying to barter my soul for some love/deprived of my crutch it feels hard to adjust/ but to adjust is the love so try that I must”. “Empire Of Love” closes out the project with a soulful and nostalgic aesthetic made up of summery textures and soft hushed drums. The rapper shares his own perspective on love and the things that make it therapeutic for him to hold on.

Overall 29 is quite dense with the topics while chinnu’s non-conventional flow might sound like an acquired taste for some, these elements are the main ingredients that make the project cohesive. He doesn’t try to please the crowd but rather shows listeners a deeper and emotional side of a young man trying to find his footing in this crazy world.

 

 

 

Watch the “Underwater” Music Video below.

 

Keep up with  chinnu | SoundCloud: Instagram

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