“Main chauthi seh cockier than thou not fronting”. There’s a certain confidence shauharty and pakeezah have in their artistic vision. In the weeks leading up to the release, the duo organised listening parties throughout metro cities in India, released a documentary about the making and dropped numerous teasers. The dedication to their craft and the obsession with creating an immersive atmosphere (like the one MF DOOM, one of shauharty’s main influences had around him) is remarkable. As shauharty said in a recent podcast, he doesn’t want to come off as “complicated”; it’s just his art. With Paint It, Dull, the frequent collaborators leave another indelible mark in the alternative hip-hop scene.
Paint It, Dull (a nod to the Rolling Stones’ classic “Paint It, Black”) is a 6-track EP and the inaugural full-length release from mqbool collective. While on the shorter side, leaning more toward a traditional EP format, Paint It, Dull chronicles the tale of a morally conflicted protagonist on a quest for perhaps, self-discovery?
The opening track “Live At The Cold Brewery” sets the tone for the project. Starting with a grungy Rolling Stones interpolation by Dohnraj, This introduction gradually morphs into a new beat, and a sampled voice utters the phrase, “Paint It, Dull, inviting the listener. shauharty comes out spitting, dropping one of his best verses ever. It’s no surprise it took him 2 weeks to write it. He’s braggadocious, skilful and exudes confidence. pakeezah crafts a jazzy layer, chopping samples with his signature finesse while incorporating live instrumentation from Green Park. The song sets the stage and is a show of how well the duo works together.
The transition into “Lone Ranger, Tonto” feels seamless, with the closing sample from “Cold Brewery” carrying over into the new track. shauharty and pakeezah continue on a similar tip, using the track to further set the stage. The title of the track, a reference to the duo of Tonto and Lone Ranger from the 40s Western show “Lone Ranger” is also describing the relationship between shauharty and pakeezah: synergetic and complementary. The beat switches and shauharty spits: “new delhi’s finest”, which might just be true.
While the first two tracks find shauharty comfortably in his wheelhouse with pakeezah’s jazz-flecked productions, “Painted Dull (The Thousand-Yard Stare)” shakes things up and serves as the thematic crux. It’s the tale of a man in deep thought, questioning his morality. The lyrics are introspective and somewhat filled with dread but the real spotlight is the masterful arrangement by pakeezah. Multiple samples morph together to form one uniform arrangement. But for me, the most interesting thing was how each vocal was mixed. Shauhar’s vocals gradually become murky and submerged in the breakdown, expertly conveying the protagonist drowning in anguish. The breakdown feels similar to the one Mersault has in The Stranger when he’s put in his cell: absolute fear of impending doom. By contrast, the hook by Rounak Maiti cuts clearly through the breakdown, providing a form of relief. The song also features Lit Trust (who dropped his own project recently) who raps in Hindi and English, and a bit of magahi in his verse! As someone who spends every summer in Patna, it felt very reminiscent (at least to me) and in Lit’s own words “ekdum patna streets”. In the outro, Shantanu Pandit summarises how the protagonist is struggling on his journey for redemption and how the struggle feels neverending: “one step forward two steps backward/in the circus time is fractured”.
Even weeks after its release, “Pritis” still hits hard. As I’ve previously covered this track extensively elsewhere, I’ll refrain from delving into it again here and let the music speak for itself. Suffice to say, this remains a standout cut.
The only track that gives me pause is “Call It A Chorus.” While shauharty and pakeezah typically maximise features, granting someone as good at rapping as Lil Kabeer his own interlude makes sense. However, I find myself wanting an additional verse from shauharty to balance out the track. That said, the composition remains top-notch with pakeezah’s production on point as always along with adlibs in Malayali from Nerdyrengan. The transition from track to track is insane and that continues when we progress from “Call It A Chorus” to “Angithiyaan”.
After “Cold Brewery,” probably my personal favourite track, “Angithiyaan” is a reminder after a few songs with features that shauharty and pakeezah are the main events here. shauharty returns to bars which feel like Joel 3:9. “Paint It, Dull” starts with a bold announcement and ends emphatically.
Despite a departure from the style of “Madheera”, pakeezah and shauharty have created a complete piece of work here. The tracks feel fully realised and shauharty feels more of a complete “artist”. I feel like pakeezah has established himself as someone with strong curation skills and the multiple layers of samples or the complex vocal arrangements act as proof of this. Together in the form of “Paint It, Dull”, shauharty and pakeezah have produced something permanent.
Listen to the EP Here
