'Rap music is about poetry and emotion'- Punkstah

An active member of the desi hip-hop scene, Ifteakhar Hossain aka Punkstah has been creating roars and spitting bars since 2010. Having worked beside notable artists like Black Zang and Fuad, Punkstah recently showcased his musical prowess performing in 'Fuad live in Dhaka' .An editor and animator by profession, Punkstah sits down with us virtually to talk about holding up the Bangladeshi flag in the global hip-hop scene, Extraction and his journey with music.

What was it like sharing the stage with Fuad and Black Zang?

Growing up listening to Fuad and 15 years later performing on the same stage with the man himself  was a surreal experience. Me and Zang were both determined to do our best because his music means a lot to us. Starting from the venue, the sound; along with the response of the crowd was immaculate! Also, being a hip hop artist myself, it was a personal milestone having had the chance to share the spotlight with one of the biggest rappers and an icon, Black Zang. His music served as inspiration to my artistic expression and the whole experience was amazing in every sense.

You also performed with DJ Invisible, A Detroit based musician and cultural representative, how was the experience in working with artists and coaches from the other end of the world?

The musical showcase I participated, was a seven day workshop on HipHop and was organized by American Voices.The experience working with DJ Invisible was uncanny! He reinvented our showmanship and the way we present ourselves. We made a song called "Bangla Banger" in which we represented Dhaka city. Participating in the workshop made a real connection with the people from the roots of HipHop Genre and marked our flag in the global HipHop scene.

From bedroom productions to the Netflix credits of Extraction, how was the journey behind the composition and working in collaboration with seven other local artists?

A high point in my decade-long career, The song "Cypher Bangla 2K16" was a collaboration between 6 rappers and a producer . This was also a self-invested project, the only help we got in the project was promotional help from the show Planet HipHop 101.6, Black Zang and DesiHipHops Platform. The song and the video was exclusively released  through DesiHipHop, a platform where artists from the UK and the south Asia converge.During the pandemic we got a wind of the movie called Extraction and we were surprised that Cypher Bangla 2K16 was selected to be in the movie! DesiHipHop helped us to bridge the connection between Netflix and the artist, and the rest is History!

Every artist has their own creative process in getting into the zone, can you walk us through yours?

I try to be as honest as I can when I write. Rap music is about poetry and emotion-it is a great outlet for a person to say whatever is going on, it is about honesty and relevance. I use the global philosophy or relevance in my writing- creating connections with the listener, whoever they are.