Rap music has become an increasingly integral part of Hindi film music and artistes like Hard Kaur are redefining the hip hop scene in India. The �Move ya body' singer, one of the few female rappers around, spills the beans about the rap scene in India, the challenges of being a female rapper and her forthcoming projects, in a candid conversation with Radioandmusic.com's Anita Iyer.

Excerpts:

How has the experience of being a part of Bollywood been?

It is great to work with music directors where you are given complete freedom of creativity. In rap, you need to write and compose your own lyrics and create your own stuff. It would be a crime if a rapper is not given the freedom to make his own music.
My work varies with different projects; there is no resemblance to any of the earlier compositions.

Many times, I have composers coming to me and saying, "Hard Kaur, add some masala to the track with your rap."So, hip hop pumps added flavour to the Bollywood number and acts like a tastemaker.

I have recently been a part of Singh is Kinng, Kismat Konnection, Haal-e-dil, Ugli aur Pagli, Bachna ae Haseeno and have been lucky so far.

How difficult was it for you to convince the music industry?

It was in 2006 that I came to India with my album Glassy, the song was well received by the Indian audiences. But I knew that one hit doesn't prove anything and so I approached music labels after that. Many people from the industry just shooed me away, saying, "Get lost with your Bhangra, yahan ye nahi chalega.... And I wondered, how they could say that when Bhangra was very well a part of Bollywood and there were some big Bhangra names in the music industry. The problem lay in the fact that I was a female bhangra rapper!

You believe acceptability came late your way just because you were a female rapper…-

Some people marveled at the fact that I was an Indian girl rapping, and so gave me a chance. On the other hand, there were people who said, "An Indian girl rapping will not work here, go back to the UK because there are no takers in India."I used to laugh at their foolishness as here I was - of Indian origin and they were asking me to go to the UK and perform!

Did you face racism when you were in the UK?

I would not say that people in the UK are racists, rather I know many Asians who were racists when I was growing up. I remember when I was young and started rapping, people from my community used to express their displeasure saying, "Ladkiyan rapping aur naachti nahi!"That's when I took up the challenge to make it big in the hip hop scene and today the same community feels proud that I have proved myself.

What is your take on rap in Bollywood?

In Bollywood, composers are now ready to experiment and add on different elements to give flavour to songs. With the song, �Move ya body', Shankar Ehsaan Loy brought in a new revolution in the industry and even Anu Malek has incorporated rap in the song �Talli' from Ugli aur Pagli. Rap seems to be a hit formula in Bollywood and many composers are hammering on it.

Does being a part of a music video help you?

I enjoy being part of the video as I feel connected to the track. The other advantage is it helps me to gain visibility and people readily connect with the artiste. When I came to know that my latest video for Ugli aur Pagli would also be included in the movie, I was happy as I would be part of a Bollywood flick now! In the earlier video, Move ya body, the track was only a promotional track for Johnny Gaddar and wasn't included in the movie.

You own an independent label…

The label is titled Kaur Music Ltd. and it is mainly a platform for artistes who find it difficult to cut an album with music labels. We have 21 and 22 year old young lads coming with excellent talent looking for a label to publish their work. The advantage of having an independent label is that you have your own creative space with no interference in your way of working.

What do you think about the royalty scene in India and abroad?

In India, there are many licensing bodies like IPRS and PPL, who are working and I am getting a fair share of the royalties. Abroad, the royalty scene is clearer and artistes make good money sitting at home after delivering a single album.

How different are the audiences in India and abroad?

In India, there is greater acceptability now and the rap scene is here to stay for long. There are many underground bands which are gaining exposure and the popularity is further going to increase. Performing live for Indian audiences is fun because you have audiences foot tapping and screaming for your music.

What are your forthcoming projects?

I am doing director Punnet Sira's Jai Veeru staring Kunal Khemu and Fardeen Khan, and the music has been composed by Bappa Lahiri. Then there is Kumar Mangat's latest venture, Toonpur Ka Superhero, directed by Kireet Khurana with Anu Malek composing, and Onir's Kill Chabbra. I also have some projects lined up with Sajid wajid, YashRaj and an album with Big Music.

Tell us something about your album with Big Music?

The new album is composed by Shankar Ehsaan loy and Bappa Lahiri, among others. Some of the singers who have rendered their vocals are Anushka Manchanda, Mika and I have done the rapping bit. The album is slated to release this October.

There is soon going to be a movie on your life?

I have been approached by Aditya Bhattacharya to make a movie on my journey towards becoming a female rapper. I would like to play the role of the glamorous Hard Kaur rather than the Hard Kaur with two pigtails! If it clicks, I would like to act in the film.