Sri Lankans in the UK today are infiltrating every professional sector from Medicine, Law, I.T. and accounting to, it would now appear, the Hip Hop Industry.  Twenty year old MC SubZer0, from Kent is one such break from the norm. His stage name is something of an irony when one considers that his
music is frankly, as ‘hot’ as it gets.
 

            London-born Varunan Balasunderam, who quietly shuns the American label of rapper, has been MC-ing since the tender age of 12, and has since produced numerous songs showcasing his unique and varied skills.  His lyrics exhibit a level of articulation and creativity lacking from those of many of his contemporaries. What sets him apart in particular is his recognition and consistent references to his cultural heritage, a tendency more akin to Asian artists in other genres such as R’n’B.  SubZer0, through the medium of Hip Hop displays a profound pride in his Sri Lankan identity and seems somehow to invoke the same in his Lankan listeners. That said, his lyrical content is particularly diverse and as such has earned him an army of fans from a variety of backgrounds, as he declares on one of his tracks “UK Hip Hop, that’s what I’m related to”

            The real venom in this youngster’s bite however is in his technical style, something he prides himself on.   Whilst effortlessly speeding through complex and seemingly chaotic rhymes and wordplay, his technique is in fact based on careful calculation and measurement.  Few would disagree that MC-ing is an art form, and SubZer0 himself would concur with this. He does however take it one stage further. By his own admission, he adheres to a new breed of Hip Hop that should be regarded as something of a scientific art.

            On current mainstream Hip Hop artists, UK and US alike, SubZer0 pulls no punches. Deeming Hip Hop today as lacking depth and above all, being at a standstill, he argues that “artists today aren’t bringing anything new…. There’s no true value to their music”. On ‘valuable’ Hip Hop then, as well as the prerequisite strong lyrics, which themselves need to be compounded and arrayed into intricate and painstakingly assessed patterns, he urges is the need for an ability to “ride or flow over the beat” syndicated with “careful breath control” this, he re-iterates is the technical science of Hip Hop, a prime specimen of which is SubZer0’s own work.

            SubZer0’s talents have not gone unacknowledged, in fact in 2004 after entering a competition, apparently “jus’ for jokes”, on the website of one of his favourite acts Cypress Hill, the modest MC was shocked to discover later that he had won. The twofold contest was searching for both new MCs and new producers. The triumphant SubZer0, as well as attaining the recognition and accolade of his icons, was paired with the winning producer Stikky Ikki, and together they created the dark and intense ‘Breathe’.  The track was then sent back to B-Real of Cypress Hill who, just before uploading it to their official fansite, finished it with the inclusion of a verse of his own.  The icing on an already sumptuous cake came when ‘Breathe’ was then put out on general release in music retailers worldwide. The released version which also featured verses by notoriously controversial rapper Eminem and his protйgй Bizarre, served to bring global recognition to the previously virtually unknown MC SubZer0.

            SubZer0 cites New York rapper Tonedeff, known for his rapid-fire technique, as his own personal idol and inspiration. Tonedeff, like Cypress Hill has also recognized SubZer0’s talents and has personally acknowledged the young mc on his own album ‘The Archetype’ - a record which SubZer0 himself testifies “sets the standard for new Hip Hop”. SubZer0’s own rather explicit track ‘Wigglesworth’ is a good example of the MC’s quite successful attempt to emulate the breakneck delivery that typifies his idol.

            SubZer0’s music reveals a multifaceted character, where behind a street-credible toughened exterior lies a deep and emotional soul that expresses itself though earnest and emotive lyrics delivered with a spine-tingling intricacy and speed.

            The analeptic that medicates MC SubZer0 is the awe he evokes in his listeners. It nourishes and drives him to arouse and astound them more and more. His goal simply put is to ‘put a smile on people’s faces’. That, and to “have a girl in every country” he jests with an almost convincing coyness.

            SubZer0’s true love, and his ‘longest relationship’ is with Hip Hop and he works on it with dedication and diligence. “I live it.. I breathe it… I block out everything else and give my all to it”. He is nothing if not passionate, and it is perhaps this enthusiasm and level of commitment that explains how at such a young age he exudes professionalism that otherwise comes from years of experience in the industry.

            Like most of his contemporaries SubZer0 feels he was born for Hip Hop but unlike many of them has not turned his back on education. Presently studying a BA in Multimedia Computing the MC has shrewd plans to use his academia to better his art.  His loyalty to his studies, keeps him in his parent’s favour, but interestingly they themselves are fully supportive of his musical aspirations.  “They did say ‘be a doctor’” he jokingly recollects but as he goes on to he goes on to assert “They have always been supportive and interested in what I’m doing – that’s a beautiful thing”. For his parents Varunan has nothing but the utmost reverence and moreover gratitude, to the detriment however of the country that sired him. “Britain has been nothing but a hindrance to my mind - its so impure…..my parents put this together....not Britain”. It is this view then that would explain his very deliberate omission of the otherwise commonly prefixed ‘British’ in his description of himself as simply a Hindu Sri Lankan.  Talk of Sri Lanka itself however evokes nothing but fondness and pride in the MC, who holds desires to rediscover his roots and ultimately retire to his ‘homeland’.

            “If Heaven Was A Mile Away”, which samples a popular Jagged edge hook is SubZer0’s most recent track to date. This reflective track features frank and hard-hitting lyrics poured over a sensuous and melodic bass-line.  The song is moving to say the least as it recounts the events of Boxing Day 2004 and more recently the Stockwell shooting of Brazilian Jean Charles De Menezes. The candid and uninhibited lyrics are a classic example of SubZer0’s policy to “water nothing down and speak the truth”
What hits the listener most is the depth of emotion filtered through an edgy sound. The track reaches inside you and touches parts of your mind and soul that can leave you rather shaken.

            ‘Heaven’ features the graceful and sultry tones of Ahalya, an up and coming vocalist, who also happens to be the MC’s elder sister. SubZer0’s recruitment of his sibling proves a magical blend as their vocals coalesce to produce a heart-wrenching track that leaves both a bittersweet aftertaste and like most of his music, frankly, a lot to think about.

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