By Zaffar Iqbal

In the heart of the enchanting Kashmir Valley in North India, where beauty and conflict coexist, a stirring movement has emerged echoing the indomitable spirit of the region. The realm of rap has become a powerful medium for the youth to channel their aspirations and resilience.

The words of Kashmiri rappers paint an unwavering canvas of hope amid adversity. A decade ago, verses of M.C. Kash, a young rapper, struck a chord with a generation haunted by the shadows of conflict. The winds of change brought forth a storm. Amid the tempest, a new star emerged: Mir Ghazanfar, 31, the soul-stirring rapper known as SXR whose music transcends the shackles of fear, speaking of love and hope, capturing hearts like a symphony of resilience.

“One of my friends introduced me to hip-hop at a time when a song called ‘I Protest’ by M.C. Kash had become quite famous in Kashmir,” Gazanfar said. “Fortunately, I met him one day and mentioned his song to him. I asked him how I could start rapping, and he told me that I needed to write and listen to a lot of hip-hop music. He gave me a brief idea of the hip-hop genre and provided insights into what hip-hop entails.”

“It was very tough for me; nothing comes easy. If I run a studio today and can organize events and produce many songs, we wouldn’t have even imagined such a possibility in Kashmir ten years ago. Many hurdles came my way.”

Launched into the spotlight, SXR’s captivating performance marked the dawn of a new era in Kashmir’s rap scene. With relentless determination, he embraced the world of rhythm and rhyme, captivating hearts, one verse at a time. As SXR embarked on his musical journey many others joined in, they formed a rap group called “Kashur Nizam,” or the Kashmiri system.

“I suggested that we should form a group and decided to name it ‘Koshur Nizam,’ which translates to the ‘Kashmiri System.’ All our friends believed that we could make this gig a reality. However, we encountered financial constraints initially and resorted to pooling our resources for booking a venue,” SXR said.

This story was originally published in religionunplugged.com. Read the full story here .