By Durga Chakravarty

New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS): She is just 23 and has already created a storm with her unfiltered lyrics in songs such as 'Chill Kinda Guy' and 'Main Nahi Toh Koun' -rapper Srushti Tawade, who's a holds Master's degree in English, started off as a poetess and metamorphosed into a raging rapper with her tracks.

The Mumbai-born artiste did her schooling from National English High School and her college from SNDT Women's college. It was her love for rap and pop culture that helped her reach where she is today.

"Being from Mumbai I have loved rap and pop culture since childhood. I like to spread my work through social media and so I use Instagram to expand myself with my unfiltered lyrics. I am identified as a writer, poet, rapper, satirist," she said.

"On the other hand, I am a writer whose content is renowned for being caustic and unafraid," she added.

She has also written a lot of musical parodies.

"I had things to say and I knew how to say them in songs so I did that," said the Internet sensation, who is currently seen on 'MTV Hustle 2.0'.

Throwing light on her journey, the rapper said: "During the Covid epidemic, I discovered a new gift for myself and started fusing poetry with some rhythm and pulse. After investing a lot of time and energy into this field, and by continually working hard laid the foundation for MTV Hustle season 2, India's first Rap/Hip-Hop reality show."

She added: "Despite having participated in and won most of the poetry competitions prior to the lockdown, I only started rapping after that. I always believed that expressing your emotions through creating poetry and stories helps you unwind."

Srushti made a name with her rap 'Chill Kinda Guy'. The song is based on God and religious fanatics. However, it is the catchy lyrics and hip-swaying music that has caught the eyes of many.

"In 'Chill Kinda Guy', a call from God is depicted. Packaged by fanatics (anti-fans?), God wishes to clarify the facts so that "Dikhawe ke liye woh bhakti bhi na kar paaye /Mandiron se masjidon se apne apne ghar jaayein (they leave the pretense of devotion/head home from temples and mosques)."

Then there is 'Main Nahi Toh Kaun?'

"It is like a dream come true after performing Main Nahi Toh Kaun rap in five different languages English, Hindi, Haryanvi, Marathi, and Bengali. I make fun of myself and even roast the competitors, but explain that was really a shoutout, 'Ek minute, hit kiya hee nahi. Maine shoutout diya, diss kiya hee nahi (One minute, it didn't even hit. I gave a shootout, didn't even diss)."

Srushti stole everyone's heart when she spoke about domestic violence she faced in her childhood with 'Bachpan'.

From fun to an intense number, what was she thinking?

"I felt like I started to look like a funny rapper on the show but I have other sides to me. I had not spoken about myself at that point. So I decided to do it with 'Bachapan'."