When it comes to a fusion of Punjabi music and hip hop, popular imagination immediately wanders off to the Jay-Z & Panjabi MC collaboration ‘Beware Of The Boys.’ This new Raf Saperra album could change that for all good reasons.
Blending Punjabi folk music with US East Coast hip hop & elements of bhangra music, Raf Saperra is a breath of fresh air when it comes to adding to the culture, more than borrowing from it. While his 7-track 2025 project hinted at him pioneering an entire new lane within the culture, his latest 9-song album Venomz Vol. II absolutely cements his position in the global scene.
Sounds from his native land, mixed with diasporic upbringing in the UK and even American influences that shape who Raf Saperra is, come together beautifully to weave a project that doesn’t follow trends and positions him as a seasoned tastemaker.
No wonder Mass Appeal caught the drift early, and worked with the artist to elevate the sound to another level. The features themselves are a testament to it, and bring together the US, UK & Punjab, all under one sonic roof. Who is on the project, you ask? In addition to Griselda emcee Benny The Butcher (on ‘Butcher’s Scale’), one can also hear Ghostface Killah’s unmistakable flow on the track ‘Sanju,’ which samples an old Punjabi record from way back in 1978.
Seeing as these lyrical heavyweights haven’t hopped on beats with such a heavy Punjabi flavor (with folk instruments and natively sampled music), the two made sure they didn’t take the job lightly. In fact, here’s an excerpt from Benny The Butcher’s verse on ‘Butcher’s Scale’ that is bound to get you excited:
“It’s the Griselda Gang, shells are banged/
There was spilled blood, but that’d never help the pain/
I got dead dogs I lost, it never felt the same/
For hustles from different counties, but our scales the same//“
In case you’re wondering what Ghostface Killah had to serve on ‘Sanju’, fret not. Here’s an excerpt for that as well:
“Blowing off old school choppers in the metropolis/
All metal, walking out the door like I’m Optimus/“
We’d reveal more, but the wordplays and references are so clever, we’d rather have you check out the album for yourself. Stream it below.
As for Raf, it wouldn’t be a long shot to suggest that there is no better flag bearer than him when it comes to taking the early affair of bhangra music and UK rap forward. It truly is the time for a new generation of music.
