Srinagar: In a shocking announcement, Kashmiri rapper Ahmer Javed said that the upcoming mixtape will be his last project.
Taking to Instagram, Javed posted a story, saying: “This next mixtape will be my last project. Final. This is it. Gonna do it for the love, the music I fell in love with, for better.”
The 28-year-old rapper, who co-founded Koshur Nizam, a Srinagar-based hip-hop collective, broke into the scene in July 2019 with his debut album, Little Kid, Big Dreams, produced by ace producer Sajeel Kapoor aka Sez on the Beat. It was hailed as a ‘scorching debut’ by the critics.
The rapper, however, did not divulge into further details behind taking the decision. On the Instagram story, Ahmer wrote: “To all the budding rappers and those who look upto me: find love, it’s out there. Trust no one, take care of your family and those who care for you, no one will be there but them, and whatever you do, do it for you, and for better. Keep your circle tight.”
Since 2019, Ahmer released some of Kashmir’s most-celebrated hip-hop tracks, including Rukh and ID. His discography also consists of an EP, ‘Inqalab’, that traces life in Kashmir after the August 2019 clampdown.
His second album, ‘Azli’, released in 2022, brought his musical versatility to the fore. Ranking it among the top 15 albums of the year, Rolling Stone India noted: “Ahmer’s voice is as strong as ever, especially because he’s not afraid to show his deepest scars …”
Ahmer is the second headlining rapper from Kashmir to quit making music after Roushan Ilahi, aka MC Kash, in 2016. (Ilahi only returned for a feature in Ahmer’s Azli album, in a track titled ‘Kun’.)
“Made a lot of mistakes, not perfect, no one is, but we all learn and become better, at least we should try, that shouldn’t stop, that’s life,” Ahmer wrote in the Instagram story. “Keep God closer. Closest. I love you all, those who love and even those who loathe.”
