Watch: Pakistan’s ‘first rapper’ returns after 15 years with a song that asks many pointed questions
‘Shikwa Pakistani’ draws inspiration from Iqbal’s famed poem ‘Shikwa’.
Actor, television host and Pakistan’s first true rap star Fakhr-e-Alam has made his way back to music after a 15-year hiatus. On the occasion of Pakistan’s Independence Day, he released Shikwa Pakistani, for which he collaborated with Shezan Saleem aka JoG.
The FASS the Band number takes inspiration from Iqbal’s famed poem Shikwa(below) which was written as a “complaint to god”. Fakhr-e-Alam riffs on the original to talk about current issues such as unemployment, corruption, lack of infrastructure and inflation in Pakistan. There are also references to internet sensations such as Aunty Gormint.
Said Fakhr-e-Alam: “Shikwa-e-Pakistani is based on Pakistan, its history, current affairs and future. When you hear the lyrics you can relate them to your daily life.” The video is described as “brutally honest and bordering on being offensive” on their YouTube channel. Naturally, there’s been some criticism. One particularly outspoken article called it an example of “How not to rap” and said: “Is it too much to ask for something original?”
