Venomz Vol. II

“It’s important for me to pay homage to my roots,” Raf-Saperra tells Apple Music. “That means Punjabi desi folk music and hip-hop from New York and the Bronx—those are my origins.” Since the 2020 release of his breakthrough single “Glassy Riddim”, British Punjabi vocalist Raf-Saperra has built a global fanbase thanks to this distinct blend of soaring Punjabi folk vocals, thumping bhangra beats and hip-hop lyricism. Collaborating with everyone from UK bhangra producer Sukshinder Shinda to East Coast rap pioneer Conway the Machine from New York collective Griselda, Saperra’s music plays like classic ’90s hip-hop by way of the British Asian dance floor. While 2024’s EP 5 Deadly Venomz explicitly drew on his New York rap influence with features from the likes of Dave East and Big Body Bes, his latest project, Venomz Vol. II, ups the ante with hammering dhol drum beats, fast-paced Punjabi lyricism and guest verses from Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah, Griselda’s Benny the Butcher and UK bhangra vocalist Kulvinder Johal. The result is an infectious, uptempo collection that honours Saperra’s South Asian diaspora identity across borders. “I’m celebrating the foundations and I’m doing it for the culture,” he says. “It’s a passion project that’s only going to continue.” Read on for his in-depth thoughts on the EP, track by track. “Art of War” (with Kulvinder Johal and Bobby Kang) “While hip-hop was exploding in America in the ’90s, in the UK, bhangra was simultaneously coming into its own. I was listening to people like Wu-Tang and Big L as well as bhangra vocalists like Kulvinder Johal. It’s long been a goal of mine to have Kulvinder on a track like this where the beat adds a grimier edge to Punjabi folk. While I was writing for this project, I reached out to his son and thankfully, he said yes to the collaboration. It’s a filthy opening track to this body of work and the perfect way to begin.” “Butcher’s Scale” (with Benny the Butcher and Taj Aulakh) “Venomz Vol. II s