Rapper Ikka on new album ‘Only Love…’, collab with ‘elder brothers’ Diljit Dosanjh, Badshah & more

Indian rapper Ikka wants you to watch out for his latest album which is called Only Love Gets Reply as he collaborates with some of the biggest names from the current Indian music scene like Diljit Dosanjh, Badshah, Karan Aujla and others. Calling it his “best work to date”, Ikka is super proud of his latest work which he feels not only features some great music but emotes his current thoughts.

Ikka wants his new album to serve as a reminder that the world needs more love to trump all the toxicity and negativity. For the new album, Ikka has joined hands with T-Series. So far, the rapper has released two tracks from the album, “Urvashi” and “Laadla” and both have become chart-topping numbers amassing brilliant numbers onstreaming platforms.

Here are the excerpts:

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You have chosen a very interesting name for your album, Only Love Gets Reply. Why is it called that?

The name came organically to me. For the past few years ever since I have been making music, I have seen so much hatred and negativity on social media. People are always angry, always so vicious and hateful. It’s sometimes frustrating as an artist to be doing what you love and getting trolled for the same. People are always so judgemental on the internet - they always want to find something hurtful. I would sometimes get so angry and reply to them. It would spoil my mood.

Then one day I decided, I would stop replying to people who had nothing good to say. I realised that I couldn’t keep replying to people who were in no mood to understand and listen. That’s when this thought came to me– that only love will get a reply. That thought translated to the name of my album.

How would you describe the mood of the album?

This is my third album. As an artist, I love making albums. It gives me the space to explore my thoughts. It gives me the space to play and share my experiences and stories with my fans. I love music. With my third, Only Love Gets Reply, I wanted to make a commercial album unlike my previous two which were hip-hop albums.

I am thankful for the support I have received from T-Series and for supporting my vision.

Your album talks about love getting a reply. Is there any specific love you are referring to?

(He laughs….) All kinds and any kind, it could be those between friends, between lovers, between family members, it could be a heartbreak kind of love…..My thought was to tell people to give love a chance and to nurture love in their lives. In times like this when hatred is all around us, give only love a reply and discard any other negative messaging.

What can you tell us about your collaboration with celebrated stars like Diljit Dosanjh and Badshah in your album?

What should I say, they are my ideals. I respect and love them. Their music inspires me. I have written many songs for Diljit. He has worked and helped me improve on so many of my melodies and compositions. As for Badshah, I have always been a fan of his. Both as an artist and a human being, they are fantastic individuals. This is my third or fourth song with Badshah.

I’m so grateful to both for collaborating with me on this album, for respecting my art and for working with me. I’m blessed to have their support.

What is your equation with Diljit and Badshah when not discussingmusic?

They are like elder brothers to me. They have always motivated me and guided me to find my path. I first met Diljit Dosanjh in 2013. He is so dedicated to his work, which is why I think he is so successful. I love both Diljit and Badshah. Diljit’s singing style and Badshah’s prowess in writing are unmatched. They have an amazing sense of music. I love them.

Since the Indian rapping scene has been booming for the past few years, we can see more Indian artists making their name globally. Do you think the Indian music scene has made its mark globally?

We have started to receive the love we deserve. In the coming times, we will receive all the more. So many artists are performing at Coachella now. It's a big thing but we still have a long way to go.

What is your take on Artificial Intelligence taking over human creativity in the music scene since globallymany artists are now experimenting with AI and are getting famous?

In my opinion, it is very harmful but we can’t do much. I understand that change is important but what matters is how we use it. I feel people will become very lazy because of AI. It could pose a problem in the future.