Yodda, whose real name is Shanam Gurung, is a Nepali hip-hop artist. His most popular song ‘Kharab Bani’ has 17 million views on YouTube. Yodda will be a guest at this weekend’s ‘Xtreme Energy Drink Presents National Music Awards’.

His newest release, ‘Abhiyan’, is currently available on YouTube.

The Post’s Rivash Rijal sat down with Gurung to discuss his growth, career changes, and his dreams.

After 16 years in the UK, you are now based in Nepal. Why have you made the change, and what is different about making music in Nepal compared to in the UK?

I grew up in Pokhara, in the Lekhnath-Begnas Tal area. So now that I am back, I am working out of there again. There are many reasons I moved back, but music is obviously the main one. Despite growing up in Nepal, I haven’t actually seen much of the country. This is the first time I have been in Nepal as an adult.

I take my time with my work, which is good; I want to make sure the quality does not suffer, but I am also hoping to be more consistent now. All of my peers are here in Nepal; it is nice to be in the same place, taking inspiration from other musicians while I make my own.

The majority of the time, everyone I work with, from producers to videographers, and even brand deals and offers, comes from Nepal. This is where my main audience is. It was fine so long as I wasn't getting any offers, but once that started, I began to feel like I was missing out.

The other thing, like I was saying, is being able to see the country. People message me from all over the country to tell me they like my music, and I often have no idea where all these places are. So, I want to meet these people and get to know these places.

On hip-hop and how it has changed over the years.

Obviously, I want to push hip-hop in Nepal. Some songs have made it big in recent years, and people enjoy them because the music is good, not because they are hip-hop. They might not even know that it is hip-hop or what that is. I would consider my wishes fulfilled if I could make a dent in this growing music scene.

It has been heartwarming to see hip-hop’s growth over the years. There are many styles of Nepali hip-hop now. I see that fans are divided; they like this guy and not the other guy. They have complaints about the music, which is great. It shows that they care.

I think that at some point in the near future, a Nepali artist from this scene is going to become internationally famous. That will be a big moment when it happens; it will be interesting to see. This was not something I could have even imagined growing up.

Your new song ‘Abhiyan’ came out four days ago. Your previous song, released three months ago, has 1.3 million views on YouTube. What do you think about your growth?

I have not been able to promote ‘Abhiyan’ at all, but it did come out recently. As far as I can tell, I have a group of regular viewers who listen to my new releases frequently and like my music.

I think it will take time to tap into a new audience.

Part of the problem, and it isn't something I can control, is that most of the Nepali music audience is on YouTube. There used to be a ‘trending page’ for Nepali music, but it no longer exists. For artists like me, who aren't just starting out and aren't super famous yet, the trending page was a great tool for growth.

Our releases would appear there and help with our visibility. But now, Nepali music appears with Indian music on the same trending page. That makes things harder.

It is the same for other streaming platforms. They are slowly making their way into the Nepali market, but none of these platforms has a curated section for Nepali music. If that happened, it would go a long way for us. There are no ‘music charts’ in the country. That makes it hard for us artists to gain international visibility. We cannot go out there and say ‘this is how many times my music was played back home.’

For all these reasons, it makes sense for ‘Abhiyan’ to be where it is in terms of views.

What is Abhiyan about?

If my life were like the Facebook of old, then this new song ‘Abhiyan’ would be my Facebook wall. It is the song that says ‘I have come.’ It says that something new is coming; this is where it begins now.

I want people to listen to it and give me their feedback and their criticisms. What people think will help me decide the direction of my music.

I left a stable career in the British Army, which many people dream of, to start this career. I write for the lovers of music, for people who want to be inspired. I want people to support me on this journey and help me grow. I have committed to this full-time, and now I want to make a noteworthy mark in Nepali hip-hop.

If anyone likes a good underdog story, they should listen to ‘Abhiyan’.

On performing over the years

I have been performing in Kathmandu for a while. I have forgotten the names of some of the clubs I performed at; these were clubs around the Rangashala area. It was before people really knew who I was.

The first-ever time I sold out a club was at Club Platinum in Durbar Marg. That was back in 2022. Recently, I performed in Sydney and Adelaide. My next performance will be at Club Nova. I have heard a lot of good things about it, although I haven't been there myself.

Going to clubs in the UK and so on, they are usually smaller. People come in, meet their friends, get their drinks, and dance, and that is really it. But in Nepal, some of these clubs are so big. They put a lot of money into aesthetics, maybe to impress tourists and so on.

The gear and sound systems are all quite expensive. There are all these screens everywhere and so much light. I really enjoy performing in Kathmandu; it is the first city I sold out in. I am hoping that Club Nova, which will take place towards the end of July, will also be a wonderful experience.

On the Xtreme Energy Drink Presents National Music Awards

These awards are a good thing. Ultimately, it is motivation and support for the artists. There are all these things that come with making good music. But a trophy, a physical thing you can hold, feels different. It is a recognition of your work and your achievement. My close friends John Chamling Rai and Sushant KC have been nominated, so I am definitely looking forward to it. I am happy for them. I hope NMA can continue to do these shows.

One thing I would add is that I hope eventually hip-hop will get its own category. It does not have to be me. But the music deserves its own category and its own attention. Hip-hop is its own thing; it needs a separate stage for it to shine. There are already many songs out there that have performed well. These songs deserve attention.