Q1: Hey vinayvvs! SpiderLyfe sounds like a real game-changer. Could you share a bit about how this mixtape represents your growth and evolution as an artist since you started at 14?
I started out as a producer; I started producing beats when I was 13. I started rapping a year later, at 14, after hearing DIVINE. I was like, “shit, this guy is fucking insane”. I didn’t know I could rap in Hindi. All I’d ever heard in India was Bollywood. When I look back now, my first singles in 2020, when I was 15, sounded too much like DIVINE. I think when you start rapping, you always try to sound like who you look up to. But since then to SpiderLyfe, I’ve really paved my own sound, a fusion between psychedelic trap, cloud rap and everything in between. I’m just 18 right now though, I’ll still evolve and grow a whole lot.
Q2: Your music blends genres in a way that’s truly unique. Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you go about merging psychedelic trap and cloud rap to create your signature sound?
I take inspiration from everywhere man, not just music but daily life. For SpiderLyfe, I got back to producing beats. Me and Hazedwood (vinayvvs’ main producer), we both had similar ideas in mind; we both wanted to create atmospheric, psychedelic and trippy beats, just like we’ve always done throughout my career. My creative process is simple; I’ll make a beat, vibe to it, craft a melody, and record vocals. It takes me a lot of takes before I get the vocals I really like. I’m a perfectionist in that sense, it’s a blessing and a curse.
Q3: SpiderLyfe seems to be more than just an auditory experience; it’s almost like a movie for the ears. Could you tell us about the inspiration behind crafting this cinematic sensation and the kind of emotions you aim to evoke in your listeners?
I’ve always been a body-of-work type of artist; I don’t fuck with dropping singles. I was trynna create a cohesive project that follows the ideas I had with SpiderLyfe. Whenever someone listens to SpiderLyfe, I want them to get immersed in the music and see the world from my eyes. I want them to feel the music, and maybe make their life a ‘SpiderLyfe’ too [laughs]. I don’t want to create content or fast-food music, fuck that. I want to create art and sonic experiences, and I think with SpiderLyfe I’ve created both art and an experience for my community.
Q4: The mixtape has some tracks that are high-energy and others that are more dreamlike. How do you manage to seamlessly transition between these different moods and create a cohesive sonic journey for your listeners?
Those transitions between high-energy and dreamlike represent my life. At times, I’ll be hyped as fuck and other times I’ll be a lot more chill and melancholic. I took inspiration from those waves of moods/emotions in my life and translated them into the tracklist. I want my community to feel that way as well; this mixtape is really a look into my life, from my eyes.
Q5: Your vocals in SpiderLyfe are like an instrument in their own right, blending seamlessly with the beats. Can you share some insights into how you approach this aspect of your music-making and the techniques you use to achieve this fusion?
When recording music, I treat my voice as an instrument, as part of the beat. I don’t treat it as a separate element in the mix. The way I deliver my vocals, the vocal effects and plugins I use and all that type of shit really enhances my voice as an instrument in the beat. If I close my eyes and listen to the master, my voice should sound a part of the beat, not as a separate element. This also has to do with the psychedelic and surreal vision I have for my music.
Q6: It’s clear that you’re unafraid to push boundaries within the Indian hip-hop scene. How do you see SpiderLyfe challenging the traditional norms of the genre and presenting a fresh perspective to your audience?
Since I was a kid, I’ve always tried to pave my own way and carve my own lane. I’ve always done shit out of the box and created stuff nobody else has created. That’s how I fused psychedelic, surreal vibes with trap and high-pitched cadences. It’s taking inspiration from everywhere, and laying down all the inspiration on a song. There’s a lot of great music coming out from the industry. The trap subgenre has grown a lot and has given rise to artists I fuck with. In the trap subgenre especially. You have DRV, who’s mastered seamlessly sliding on beats, making the song sound wavy as fuck, and you have Vasudev, who’s on his R&B wave, fused with trap. I really fuck with these two artists, and it shows how insane the trap subgenre is in India.
Q7: You’ve mentioned the influence of artists like DIVINE, Travis Scott, and Playboi Carti. Could you dive into how these influences have shaped your musical journey and the ways in which they’ve impacted your growth as an artist?
These three artists, along with Frank Ocean, are the reason I do what I do. I first heard Travis Scott when I was 13. His vibes and music influenced me to start producing music. Then I heard DIVINE at 14, he showed me I can rap in Hindi and how far Hindi rap can be taken, inspiring me to start rapping as well. Then I heard Carti at 14 or 15, and he taught me to think and do things outside the box, outside the norms, outside the boundaries. Frank Ocean taught me to use my music as a safe haven to express my emotions and life.
Q8: SpiderLyfe’s release date must be exciting for your fans. Can you take us behind the scenes of your recording process for the mixtape? Any memorable anecdotes or moments that stand out during the creation of this project?
My sessions usually have 3 people in total. Me, my producer Hazedwood, and my engineer Rick Tron. Sometimes a couple of my boys might join in for vibes, but usually it’s the 3 of us. I might make a beat at 2pm, and then hit the studio at 12am where Hazedwood will make changes to the beat and then I’ll record. I clock in to the studio really late. Like 12am or 1am. I stay there till 3am or 4am. I’m the type of artist that does like 2 or 3 sessions per song, I’m not the type to record 12 songs in one session. I take my time with songs, so if my vision changes for a certain song, I can implement the changes.
