In the Field with Jovian RadheshwarInterviewed by Lara Santos, Field ReporterLara Santos (LS): When

In the Field with Jovian Radheshwar
Interviewed by Lara Santos, Field Reporter

Lara Santos (LS): When did you start writing music, writing, or doing anything else you’re interested in sharing that you enjoy?

Jovian Radheshwar (JR): Started writing poems and songs around age 20, but really didn’t get fully into making music more prolifically until I was 31.

LS: What’s the process behind the selected activity?

JR: Usually, I get really stoned and listen to beats on loop over and over again, and start writing what comes out. If I’m clear on my feelings, I can write a song in an hour. I usually revisit whatever I write a day or two later to touch up. Then, I practice the flow over and over again until I have the delivery memorized. Eventually, I like to do variations on the style in live performances, as is the case with good, flexible hip-hop.

LS: What were the influences in making your work/hobby come to life? Are there any businesses, people, organizations, celebrities, etc. you admire or would love to work alongside?

JR: My main artistic influences are Outkast, Nas, DJ Shadow, Modest Mouse, and Pink Floyd. There are many others, too. My man Bobby Musgrave (bobbymusgravemusic.com) is also one of my best friends and he saw so much in me i didn’t realize was even there.

LS: What is your relationship to AAPI communities?

JR: I am pretty estranged but I’d like to be more involved. As a South Asian, I often have encountered a lot of political and social conservatism among my ‘own kind,’ so I gravitate to multicultural, anti-racist, anarchist spaces. I am always interested in connecting with AAPI folks who are radical, but I have no tolerance for mindless ritualism and identity politics that create social division. In Vancouver, I am starting to connect with South Asian Canadians who are politically involved.

LS: Where do you see yourself in the years to come? Furthermore, where do you see your role in the AAPI community in the years to come?

JR: I have no idea what the years to come offer. I hope me and my woman and our cat stay real tight, but beyond that, I like to just work hard day to day and not worry too much about the future. I never thought I’d be a rapper at all, so planning for the future to me seems like it’ll lead to closing down on life possibilities. This is why I’m really interested in connecting with South Asian Canadians, as this is something I have not done much yet in life (never been in an Indian, Asian, or otherwise ethnic/religious club in school at any level).

LS: What do you hope for with the impact of your chosen work/hobby?

JR: I plan on continuing to refine my craft and to include hip-hop education in my curricula in the future in university courses I teach in order to encourage young people of all backgrounds to embrace their own voice through the powerful and liberating technology of hip-hop and poetic expression.

LS: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

JR: I think it is very important for AAPI youth to build bridges with Black youth, Latino youth, Muslim youth, and others who will feel the wrath of white supremacist revanchism in Drumpf’s Amerikkka. Staying in your own community will be dangerous and will divide us all when we need allies and need to confront injustice. Very important!