Meet Meghalaya rapper Reble, and here's why she's the future of rap in India

From the mistsoaked hills of Meghalaya 24yearold rapper Reble is making noise that refuses to be ignored Her latest single New Riot is a storm of distorted synths heavy guitars and unapologetic emotion And it lands just as she prepares to perform at the first Indian edition of the worldrsquos biggest hiphop festival Rolling Loud IndiaDaiaphi Lamare aka Reble is part of a new generation of artistes breaking through Indiarsquos mainstream from the countryrsquos most overlooked corners She says her new track isnrsquot just a song itrsquos a declaration ldquoEmotionally I was in a very difficult place I was pretty depressed when I wrote it and I just wanted to scream I needed to venthellip to just let it out So I went to the studio and thatrsquos when New Riot was bornrdquoThe track produced by Parimal Shais and Krishna M Sujith is drenched in phonk and Memphis rap influences ldquoWorking with Parimal was amazingrdquo she says ldquoOur creative chemistry was instant I told him I wanted something dirty and aggressive Every time we tweaked the sound I kept saying lsquoLetrsquos make it heavier dirtierrsquo Thatrsquos the energy we wantedrdquo The result is a highvoltage anthem that is all rage chaos and releaseFor Reble that chaos is not just one trackrsquos aesthetic Itrsquos a philosophy ldquoRiot means saying lsquoF itrsquordquo she says ldquoItrsquos about letting the anger and the frustration out Society requires us to be functional and confined within its norms But sometimes we just need to be human Sometimes we need to break apart Riot is my way of saying Irsquove had enough Itrsquos my rebellion against being normalrdquoThat rebellion takes shape through her alter ego Reble Itrsquos a persona that allows her to say what Daiaphi canrsquot ldquoShersquos the part of me that doesnrsquot filter emotions Shersquos allowed to express anger pain jealousy pride mdash all the things society tells us to suppress As Daiaphi I still have to be mindful to filter what I say or do but not her She says what she wants feels what she feelsrdquo explaining where her alter egorsquos name stems from ldquoReble isnrsquot just a name it represents rebellion as an ongoing process not a fixed identityrdquo she saysHer music is fearless sometimes unsettlingly honest But are people ready to listen to female anger ldquoHonestly I donrsquot think people are ready Not just for female anger but anger in generalrdquo she says Adding that society still doesnrsquot know how to deal with anger ldquoBut itrsquos a human emotion and humans should be allowed to feel itrdquoReble admires artistes like Limp Bizkit and Rage Against the Machine because they channel anger well She says you can feel their anger and thatrsquos beautiful ldquoI want my music to do the samehellipto let people feel something realrdquo she addsHer beginning however was already loud Reblersquos previous single LOKAH brought her 17 million Spotify listeners and editorial playlist love With New Riot shersquos pushing further into her signature sound that sits between punk defiance and poetic rage She laughs when asked if performing such raw emotion reopens old wounds ldquoPerforming this music is absolutely cathartic It doesnrsquot reopen wounds it heals them Every time I scream into the mic or hear the crowd shout back I feel elevated Music is therapy an outlet I walk off stage thinking lsquoDamn I made thatrsquordquoHer origin in Nongbah has shaped Reble in ways that cultural capitals could not have The limited access to resources or exposure has driven her to dream bigger She adds that she doesnrsquot care much about being boxed into regional or gendered narratives ldquoMaybe people overlook where Irsquom from but I donrsquot care My focus is on making good musicrdquoInstead shersquos chasing originality ldquoPeople need to experiment more and create their own soundrdquo she says ldquoDesi hiphop has become a bit monotonous everyonersquos trying to fit into the same sonic space We need more diversity more boldness more individualityrdquo New Riot is her contribution to that change Itrsquos a record that invites listeners to confront their own messNew Riot is Reblersquos sound of breaking free and she hopes that Rolling Loud India is the stage that will amplify it ldquoPerforming at the first edition of Rolling Loud India means a lot not just for me but for the Northeastrdquo she says ldquoBut I donrsquot feel any pressure I donrsquot even feel lsquosuccessfulrsquo yet This is just the beginning a stepping stone Therersquos still so much to dordquo