Fresh off a blazing-hot album drop with 2020âs Mr. Nair, Dilin Nair AKA Raftaar took over our very own MensXP Instagram - sharing juicy deets about his new album along with fun sessions alongside hundreds of fans - encouraging them to share their own covers and original raps, promoting the spirit of creativity that has fueled desi hip-hop all the way through itâs early days to the talent powerhouse it is today.

© MensXP/Raftaar

This week also saw the release of Mr. Nairâs latest music video with Me and My Pen - a serious banger that draws on killer lyrics from Raftaar and Shah Rule, combined with a slick âshinobiâ aesthetic. 

In the livestream, the rapper explains that the message of the song is to âkeep your attention on your pen and words, your appearance will always change.â 

Check it out below.

Raftaar kicked off the session by giving a shoutout to a young fan who was busy streaming the new album along with his mother - following it up with a request to fans to not just listen to the album - but understand it as well.

This makes complete sense given the lyrical depth of Mr. Nair - while it does have the usual hard-hitting tracks weâve come to expect from Raaftar such as the aforementioned Me And My Pen, The School Song and album closer Proud, thereâs a hint of autobiographical wordplay layered across each one of its 16 songs.  

Whatâs my personal favourite? Itâs gottaâ be Dilli Waali Baatcheet - a song that rips apart everything from social media hypocrisy and personal controversy with some of the rapperâs best lines to date. 

Returning to the livestream, Raftaar also dropped a fun easter egg from the album cover - take a closer look at the rapperâs neck on the album art, and you might spot the outline of Kerala in the form of a tattoo, echoing the rapperâs roots from Thiruvananthapuram. 

© Zee Music Company

The questions coming in from fans got straight to the point as well, with the rapper answering key questions on much-speculated collabs and unreleased tracks that Raftaar has, so far, only performed on stage - two major points of interest were Raftaar teasing a future release of fan favourite Chopper Flow ft. Manj Musik, and a future collaboration with none other than Pakistani-American artist BOHEMIA - who paved the way for desi hip-hop back in the mid-2000s. 

Name your favourite EUPHORIA song. Go follow them right now on Euphoria . I specially request all the 80s and 90s baby...

âI donât want to say too much,â admits Raftaar after confirming a song in the works. âI want to just put the product in front of you since I love that element of surprise.â

Along with fan interactions and insider information, Raftaar also took a pretty serious question head-on, ready and willing to discuss his diss history with Mumbai-based rapper Emiway.

âIt started off because he had a misconception,â Raftaar shares. âThen, it got blown out of proportion. Now, thereâs no fight, itâs very tu-tu, mein-mein. Weâre just putting fingers on each other, aur woh chalta hi rahega - thereâs no end to it. I donât know when or how itâll stop, it is what it is, man. Mere paas samay nahi hain.â

Finally, Raftaar opened up the IG Live to introduce fans who wanted to drop their own bars - while some amateurs stepped up to share their skills, one stood out from the crowd - dropping a flow so sick Raftaar couldnât help but beatbox along.

With a quick âAdios!â, Raftaar wrapped up the livestream and kept us waiting with the promise of more to come.

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