Rap in Pakistan is still trying to break the surface, even though there are a lot rap fans in the country. We only have a handful of notable rappers and Islamabad’s Faris Shafi is one of them.

He’s been making rap music every now and then for a few years now but his new song Jawab De went viral online within 24 hours after it was released.

Produced by Islamabad’s well known producer Talal Qureshi, Faris Shafi’s song is food for thought, something which we rarely see in many mainstream Pakistani songs. “Jawab De” which loosely translates to “Answer Me” is a quest for answers as to why the country is facing such grave problems.

Here’s a little translated excerpt of the lyrics from the second verse to give you an idea of what the song is about:

What’s the cause of all of this chaos?
Must I ask these questions over and over again till my last breath
Where did humanity die off to?
I am helpless
Must I walk around with four bombs strapped to me?
Every Qari* has forgotten honesty
This violence is the rule here
All these debates are useless
And we are all confused tonight
What kind of Ashraf-ul-Makhlooqat** are we?
Come here, listen to me
Some of stop this madness, this slaughter, these bombs
This useless war

*Religious teacher
**Noblest of all creations according to religion

*

Faris Shafi on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter.