The Fresh List 2018: Samir Rishu Mohanty (Araki)

Inspiring people to chase their dreams has been the high point for Samir Rishu Mohanty (Araki) aka Big Deal. Having won the Radio City Freedom Best Hip Hop Artist 2016 award, the Puri-born performer has, in a short span of time, formed a symbiotic bond with his audiences.

You, in three words: persistent, hungry and deserving.

Your inspirations and icons are…Eminem, who made me want to start rapping, and J. Cole, who inspired me to be myself and tell my story.

An era of music you cherish: I’ll have to choose the 2000s, when hip-hop was still very lyrics-oriented and the beats were equally dope. But I’m an artist of this era and there are people like J. Cole, Joey Badass, Hopsin and Drake, who are still making very honest and inspiring music.

Dream collaborators: Eminem, J. Cole, A. R. Rahman, Dr Dre, Jay Z, Kanye West — the list is never-ending! But I’ll make sure that I work with at least a few of them before I retire.

A passion outside of work: well, music consumes me, and so it’s a gift and a curse to not be able to be so passionate about anything else. But, I do like dressing well, making money, travelling, and good food.

A dream come true would be…my next single becoming one of the biggest rap records to ever come out of India.

Your musical style is…entertaining, catchy, honest, inspiring, story-oriented, and a perfect blend of the commercial and the underground.

Your driving force in life is: my goals and aspirations influence most of the decisions I take and a large part of my happiness relies on them being achieved. But I do realise that true happiness lies in the relationships I have.

On the year that was: it’s been a great year; I released my debut EP One Kid With A Dream that reached out to so many people nationally, and then the first Odia rap Mu Heli Odia!

Wishes for the year ahead include…expanding my career, doing bigger tours, putting out another impactful EP, and acquiring happiness from my goals and relationships.