When Ukrainian-origin producer, guitarist and composer Lubomir Jabbanda began making hip hop music under his existing solo moniker Beat Hierarchy, the 30-year-old realised the coolest thing about the genre was its attitude.
He explains, “Most rappers feel, ‘I’m better than you, because I think so’. It is so cool. I’ve never seen that in rock and metal.”
That cockiness and confidence, however, is something that can work in tandem with a sense of community that Lubomir feels the Indian hip hop circuit sorely needs. This is where his moniker takes on another meaning, apart from the reference to beats. “Beat Hierarchy also means we need to defeat hierarchies.”
Over the last six years since Lubomir has been working on Beat Hierarchy, he has learned much about hip hop and rap music, and he speaks with an excitement and passion that certainly can’t lag any time soon.
“It gave me purpose as a musician,” he says. Beat Hierarchy’s new album Filling Hollow , which has so far seen the release of the first single ‘Tony Montana’, featuring New Jersey rapper Neff, is set to release next month. It features up and coming rappers and vocalists from India, the U.S. and Uganda.
Across 13 tracks in 49 minutes, Filling Hollow features Indian artists such as Illa Straight, Colin Terence, Subliminal and American rappers such as Dirt Brown, Roman, Scalco, Rico Act and more. Lubomir says he just worked with people across the board as long as they were interested in rapping over music he produced. “It took a million phone calls, but it’s working out so smoothly. You’ll see it on stage.”
Lubomir has been testing the material at a few shows in the city along with Neff. Their show on January 5 at Primal – the Bar in Koramangala, however, promises to be special, with more collaborators getting on stage for songs off the album. This includes vocalists such as Shiyasz Abdul and Manas Ullas, whom Lubomir began work on his first ever hip hop track, ‘Transit’. Lubomir says, “I just want them to come together, everyone. I’m just focussing on having fun.”
Beat Hierarchy and Neff perform at Primal, Koramangala on January 5. Entry: ₹500, full cover charge.
