Rapping For A Cause: Vedan's Rise Through Socially Relevant Performances
Kerala: Two days ago, in Nishagandhi Auditorium, Thiruvananthapuram, a concert lasted only 4 songs. The police intervened to cease the programme due to overcrowding. In the open auditorium, which will occupy 6000 people, there were more than 20000. The massive turnout was for none but rapper Vedan, who has turned out to be a sensation across Kerala with his hard-hitting sharp lines and performances.
Hirandas Murali, better known by his stage name Vedan, initially burst onto the scene in 2020 with his debut music video titled “The Voice of Voiceless”. He questioned the caste discrimination and the land disparities in his work. “I am not a panna, I am not a pulayan, you are not a lord” were lines the youth of Kerala embraced wholeheartedly.
Gradually captured hearts through his other rap songs after his maiden success, Vedan’s second music video titled “Bhoomi Njan Vazhunnidam” (The Earth is Where I Reign) addressed global atrocities. His works represented voiceless across the world, as he mentioned plight of the suppressed in Syria, Korea, Palestine, Rohingyans in Myanmar, Tigers in Sri Lanka, among several others. Written by himself, Vedan’s lines showed the world that he is not only a performing rapper, but living by it, carrying the weight of the voiceless onto every stage he steps on.
Vedan later stepped into the world of movies too, marking another feature to his fame. Among his works, the song “Kuthanthram” from the movie Manjummal Boys stood out, becoming a trend just like the film itself. His journey from street stages to cinema screens showed that his voice and message has a magnetic power which could not be contained.
Read Also: Police Seize Ganja From Rapper Vedan’s Flat In Kochi
Apart from his songs, Vedan used his stage as a platform to educate the youth about social relevant scenarios. During a recent concert in Kozhikode, Vedan told the youngsters that he has trust in them, not the outgoing generation. He took a dig at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on the house of the director and producer of the recently released controversial movie Empuraan.
Addressing the present political situation in India, the rapper stated, “This is the time when the ED comes if you make a movie.” He also urged the youth to be more conscious of the surroundings they are living in. Notably, on Monday, April 28, Vedan, along with his nine friends, were arrested from his apartment in Kochi for alleged use of ganja. Ironically, the rapper, during his performances, took a strong stand against the use of synthetic drugs. “Synthetics drug are eating brain, it would destroy our whole generation,” Vedan said.
However, several believed that Vedan was trapped, as his fearless voice against the powerful frustrated them enough for an opportunity to strike back. Many had perceived the rapper as an emerging powerful figure capable of wielding significant influence among the Kerala youth with his distinct artistic mettle.
(This Story Is Part Of Timeline Internship Project)
