Rohil reflects on his journey from Cape Town to New York

“I’m blessed to have lived my life in two of the most vibrant cities in the world. Cape Town and New York.”

Writer, filmmaker and auteur video game developer Rohil has just made his musical debut with the EP ‘Run Me Back’. The EP follows a dark yet hopeful narrative about migration through crunchy, abstract lofi Hip Hop and dream pop. Rohil moved from Cape Town to New York as an international student, and much of the project reflects on this journey.

About the project’s conception, Rohil said: “I wrote and recorded this project during the interstice between graduating from Parsons and waiting to hear if my OPT (optional practical training) would be approved, allowing me to continue living and working in the country for another year.” For Rohil, this was a strange reflective time that got him thinking and writing a lot.

The six-track EP sees Rohil evaluating his place in America, his reason for seeking an audience, and processing his upbringing in Cape Town. The lyrical content includes Rohil’s formative moments from Cape Town and New York, both cultural melting-pots responsible for the nuance in his creative work.

He shares: “I’m blessed to have lived my life in two of the most vibrant cities in the world. Cape Town and New York. The city that made me who I am, and the city that taught me to love who I am. I cherish both, so this project features a range of experience from going through checks at JFK International Airport – to middle school camp romances back in Cape Town.”

Each track features unique production, and Rohil’s influences are evident. ‘Run Me Back’ draws inspiration from fellow South African artist Earl Sweatshirt’s recent experimental projects and shares similar nerdy textures and topical interests to R.A.P Ferreira’s early releases, “I wish my brother Rob was here” and “things that happen at day // things that happen at night”.

GET ‘RUN ME BACK’

Watch ‘Already’

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