Xpolymer Dar

rapper and lyricist with Rap Engineers

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Xpolymer Dar is a Pakistani rapper and lyricist associated with the group Rap Engineers. He studied electrical engineering at Bahria University, where he found four other students who also rapped. He says his upcoming album will come out under the name Dar rather than Rap Engineers.

Early life and background

Dar says he was born in Saudi Arabia and lived there until fifth grade. He says his mother is close to writing, and that this interest passed on to him. He has written poetry since middle school, he says. [1]

He describes himself as a lyricist first, with rapping as an extension of that. He says he fell in love with battle rap around 2009 or 2010. [1]

Education

He went to school in Pindi after the family moved to Pakistan. After school he went to Punjab College, and he also attended Bahria University. He says he was not selected by UET, LUMS or NUST, and Bahria was his fourth option. [1]

He first intended to study business, but on others' recommendation took up engineering. He studied electrical engineering at Bahria University. In his engineering class he found four other students who also rapped. [1]

Work and professional studies

He says he left for work in Saudi Arabia in early 2012 and returned from there in 2014. His next job in Islamabad was in project management, which he says required a master's degree. He did not complete the project management master's degree. He says he already knew the degree's coursework, so he chose to pursue a certification instead. He still intends to take the PMP certification rather than finish the degree. [1]

Album as Dar

Dar says his upcoming album will come out under the name Dar, not Rap Engineers. He says no release date has been set for the album yet. He says the album is about halfway done. He says he has made four music videos so far with one collaborator. [1]

He would like the album to have at least 12 to 15 tracks. He wants the album to show his full body of work and all sides of himself. He says he has never put out a project like this one before. He says the album will include Rap Engineers tracks. [1]

Approach to music

Dar says music has been a passion for him, not a career he set out to build. He says that after he publishes a song, he does not look back at what happens to it. He believes in freedom of expression in music, in whatever genre he likes. He says he has his own lane and keeps making music whatever happens. He says he has never needed to get something back from music. [1]

He says he does not like a lot of attention. He says he distanced himself when he was getting a lot of attention around 2011 to 2013. He says he gets questioned a lot about some of his recent projects. He says he has carried a Sufi tag from his earlier work. [1]

He says brands still approach him, but there are things he will not do or say. He says he has been disconnected from the corporate side, and that this is his own choice. He says a YouTube ban affected many artists, and that the ban and the break in music never affected him personally or emotionally. [1]

Views on rap and hip hop

Dar says hip hop is a culture that has to be embodied and lived, not just a sound. He says being a rapper is a first step in hip hop, not the whole of it. He says an MC also freestyles and battles on the spot, not just raps and writes, and that none of the rappers in Pakistan do what an MC does. He finds it cringe when people outside hip hop's birthplace say they do hip hop. [1]

He says hip hop was born in the streets of New York. He dislikes artists in South Asia and beyond who copy a Western sound. He says keeping a local flavour alive is a responsibility of an artist, and that artists who keep local elements and bring originality will stand out. He says some rappers now infuse local language, and the scene is beginning to move that way. [1]

He says rap is not new in Pakistan, though many people think it is. He says rock in Pakistan boomed with Vital Signs and Junoon, and then faded. He says rap in Pakistan may have many more years ahead than any other genre has had. He says Karachi really hopped on board, and he feels this came right after Gully Boy. [1]

He says he has stopped listening to most rap and listens only selectively. He says rap is getting dumber and dumber. He says some artists bring themselves into their music instead of copying from elsewhere. He says competitiveness is an inherent part of rap and will always exist. He says he is happy with how brands are now coming into rap. [1]

Views on Pakistan

Dar says he is struck by the current generation of 15 to 21 year olds. He says his generation needed longer to polish its work because it lacked the same opportunities. He says today's young people do not have it easy, but they have the tools and can make it work. He says the current generation has moved beyond survival mode. [1]

He favours uniform education for everyone, with one defined syllabus. He would not call himself nationalistic and prefers to see people as individuals. He says Pakistan is very diverse, but people do not truly accept that diversity. He says he cannot predict Pakistan's future and does not claim an understanding of it. [1]

Personal life

Dar says he finished a job he had held for the previous six years. He says his wife is a US citizen. He says he is not leaving Pakistan, and will travel back and forth depending on his work. He says his wife has pushed him to do more and move forward in music. [1]

Timeline

2011
Says he distanced himself from a lot of attention, a period he places between 2011 and 2013.[1]
2012
Left for work in Saudi Arabia.[1]
2013
Rap Engineers held their first battle, in Riyadh.[1]
2014
Returned from Saudi Arabia.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2021-12-03 Hip hop is a culture you have to live, not a sound you can copy Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Xpolymer Dar?

Xpolymer Dar is a Pakistani rapper. He describes himself as a lyricist first, with rapping as an extension of that. He says Rap Engineers began among engineering students who formed the group.[1]

Where did Xpolymer Dar study?

Xpolymer Dar went to school in Pindi, then went to Punjab College after school. He also attended Bahria University, where he studied electrical engineering.[1]

Where is Xpolymer Dar from?

Xpolymer Dar says he was born in Saudi Arabia and lived there until fifth grade. He went to school in Pindi after the family moved to Pakistan.[1]

What is Rap Engineers?

Xpolymer Dar says Rap Engineers began among engineering students who formed the group. He says the name was given to the group. He says the first battle the group held was in Riyadh in 2013.[1]

Did Xpolymer Dar study engineering?

Yes. Xpolymer Dar first intended to study business, but on others' recommendation took up engineering. He studied electrical engineering at Bahria University, and in his engineering class he found four other students who also rapped.[1]

What is Xpolymer Dar's upcoming album called?

Xpolymer Dar says his upcoming album will come out under the name Dar, not Rap Engineers. He says it is about halfway done and no release date has been set. He would like it to have at least 12 to 15 tracks.[1]

What does Xpolymer Dar think of hip hop in Pakistan?

Xpolymer Dar says hip hop is a culture that has to be embodied and lived, not just a sound. He says keeping a local flavour alive is a responsibility of an artist. He also says rap is not new in Pakistan, though many people think it is.[1]

References

  1. Hip hop is a culture you have to live, not a sound you can copy . Thought Behind Things , 2021-12-03.
Show the source passages (74 statements)
  1. Xpolymer Dar is a Pakistani rapper. The OG Pakistani Rapper Ft. Xpolymer Dar
  2. He describes himself as a lyricist first, with rapping as an extension of that. So always been a lyricist, rapper is an extension to it.
  3. He says he was born in Saudi Arabia and lived there until fifth grade. Initially I was born in Saudi, so I spent my first till fifth grade I was over there
  4. He says his mother is close to writing, and that interest passed on to him. my mother is very close to writing and stuff and that came into me as well
  5. He says he has written poetry since middle school. Since middle school I've been writing, like poetry basically.
  6. He went to school in Pindi after the family moved to Pakistan. when we moved to Pakistan, I joined SLS, it's in Pindi. That's where I did my schooling from.
  7. After school he went to Punjab College. Nahi, phir main gaya Punjab College.
  8. He attended Bahria University. Yes, I went to Bahria University. Applied multiple places.
  9. He says he was not selected by UET, LUMS or NUST, and Bahria was his fourth option. Never got selected in UET, LUMS, NUST. So Bahria was the fourth option.
  10. He first intended to study business, but on others' recommendation took up engineering. Intended to do business studies but on everyone's recommendation eventually fell into the engineering trap.
  11. He studied electrical engineering at Bahria University. Yeah, so did electrical engineering from there.
  12. In his engineering class he found four other students who also rapped. we discovered that within the same class, we had four more guys who were into rap
  13. He says Rap Engineers began among engineering students who formed the group. because we were in the engineering class. And that's how it happened. We formed a group and that's where it started.
  14. He says the name was given to the group, and he does not remember which host coined it. They gave us this name. I don't even remember who was the host but he coined the term
  15. He says he left for work in Saudi Arabia in early 2012 and returned from there in 2014. So I had to tend to that. I left for Saudi right in 2012, early 2012 and for work basically and then returned from there in 2014.
  16. His next job in Islamabad was in project management, which he says required a master's degree. the next job that I started in Islamabad was project management based so it required me to do you know masters in project management
  17. He did not complete the project management master's degree. I did not complete it. Because once I went into the degree, I understood
  18. He says he already knew the degree's coursework, so he chose to pursue a certification instead. I looked at the coursework, the things that were supposed to teach throughout the degree, I already knew them.
  19. He still intends to take the PMP certification rather than finish the degree. So I still intend to do that certification, the PMP certification, but I gave up on the degree though.
  20. He says music has been a passion for him, not a career he set out to build. music has never been a thing of jisko maine career banana ho. It's been a passion.
  21. He says he finished a job he had held for the previous six years. I'm right now I just left uh got done with my job yesterday. The one that I was working with uh for the past six years
  22. He says his wife is a US citizen. my wife Madiha is a US citizen and now I have a beautiful daughter
  23. He says he is not leaving Pakistan, and will travel back and forth depending on his work. I'm not leaving Pakistan, but it's just that I'm going to make that process and then of course I'll do my back and forth depending on my work situation.
  24. He says his upcoming album will come out under the name Dar, not Rap Engineers. it will come out as uh Dar. I wanted a Rap Engineers album in the market, always did.
  25. He says no release date has been set for the album yet. I have uh not planned a schedule date yet.
  26. He says the album is about halfway done. I'm halfway through it, I know.
  27. He says he has made four music videos so far with one collaborator. I've done four music videos so far uh with uh with with the brilliant Awais Ali Khan
  28. He would like the album to have at least 12 to 15 tracks. I'd like to have for it to have at least 12 to 15 tracks.
  29. He wants the album to show his full body of work and all sides of himself. I wanted to have my complete body of work, all elements of myself
  30. He says he has never put out a project like this one before. I have never put out a like a project like this
  31. He says the album will include Rap Engineers tracks. But it will have Rap Engineers tracks as well.
  32. He says that after he publishes a song, he does not look back at what happens to it. Mera ye hota hai ke main gaana jaise publish ka button dabata hoon na, phir main nahi dekhta hoon mud ke ke hua kya uske saath.
  33. He believes in freedom of expression in music, in whatever genre he likes. I believe in my freedom of expression within music, the kind of music that I like.
  34. He says he gets questioned a lot about some of his recent projects. I get questioned a lot on certain projects that I did recently.
  35. He says he does not like a lot of attention. I do not like a lot of attention.
  36. He says he distanced himself when he was getting a lot of attention around 2011 to 2013. When we were getting a lot of attention back in 2011, 12, 13, I distanced myself.
  37. He says his wife has pushed him to do more and move forward in music. I got married and God bless my wife, Madiya and she's she's been pushing me to do and do things and move forward in music
  38. He says he has his own lane and keeps making music whatever happens. I have my own lane and I know regardless of what my age is, regardless internet exists or not, whatever happens, we like making music.
  39. He says he has carried a Sufi tag from his earlier work. Cuz main Sufi ka mujhe sa tag lag gaya hai, laga hua hai pehle ka.
  40. He says he has stopped listening to most rap and listens only selectively. I've stopped listening to rap music. I don't I just do very selective listening.
  41. He says he fell in love with battle rap around 2009 or 2010. I fell in love with battle rap in 2010, 2009 basically.
  42. He says the first battle the group held was in Riyadh in 2013. The first ever battle that we did was in 2013 in Riyadh.
  43. He says rap is getting dumber and dumber. the rap is getting dumber and dumber.
  44. He says some artists bring themselves into their music instead of copying from elsewhere. they're bringing themselves into the music. Not trying to get something from somewhere else and then bringing that forward.
  45. He says competitiveness is an inherent part of rap and will always exist. That competitive nature in rap exists and will always exist. It's an inherent part of the art form.
  46. He says rap is not new in Pakistan, though many people think it is. rap is not new, to be honest. A lot of people would think it is, but it's not new.
  47. He says rock in Pakistan boomed with Vital Signs and Junoon, and then faded. rock did see it since uh the birth of Vital Signs and then Junoon and then there was a whole bunch of bands, EP, Mismarr, Misraab, ek ek pura Pandora box khul gaya tha and then it all died away with time.
  48. He says rap in Pakistan may have many more years ahead than any other genre has had. there's a lot of more a lot more years in rap in Pakistan, maybe way way more than any other genre has seen.
  49. He says artists who keep local elements and bring originality will stand out. the people who will stand out will be the one who will bring their originality, they'll who will stick to the local elements
  50. He says he is struck by the current generation of 15 to 21 year olds. I'm just shook by this generation, this sort of 15 to 21 year olds of current, aaj kal ke.
  51. He says his generation needed longer to polish its work because it lacked the same opportunities. humein polish hone mein bada time laga tha because hamare paas wo opportunity nahi thi.
  52. He says today's young people do not have it easy, but they have the tools and can make it work. I won't say they have it easy, but uh they have the tools and they can make it work.
  53. He says a YouTube ban affected many artists at that time. Then there was this break and then YouTube got banned. A lot of artists got affected us time pe.
  54. He says the ban and break in music never affected him personally or emotionally. And then it got a break and then it never affected me personally or emotionally.
  55. He says he has never needed to get something back from music. I was never connected to music in a way that I have to get something back from it.
  56. He says brands still approach him, but there are things he will not do or say. There's certain things that I won't do, there's certain things I won't say.
  57. He says he is happy with how brands are now coming into rap. I'm very happy and I'm I'm I'm satisfied to see the way it's going, the way brands are coming in.
  58. He says he has been disconnected from the corporate side, and that this is his own choice. So I've been disconnected from the that corporate. That's on me and nobody else.
  59. He says hip hop is a culture that has to be embodied and lived, not just a sound. hip hop is a culture, you have to embody it and live it.
  60. He says being a rapper is a first step in hip hop, not the whole of it. But it's like step step one, phase one, like aapne bhi bahut upar jana hai.
  61. He says an MC also freestyles and battles on the spot, not just raps and writes. An MC is something, someone who does not just rap, write, he also does freestyle, he also does battles, he on-spot battles.
  62. He says none of the rappers in Pakistan do what an MC does. 100% of rappers don't do that in Pakistan basically.
  63. He finds it cringe when people outside hip hop's birthplace say they do hip hop. When I hear people say in Pakistan or subcontinent or anywhere else in the world other than where hip hop was born ke hum hip hop kar rahe hain, it's kind of a cringe to me.
  64. He says hip hop was born in the streets of New York. hip hop was a culture that was born in the streets of New York
  65. He dislikes artists in South Asia and beyond who copy a Western sound. So this is where I despise certain hip hop jo kehte hain jo artist hain within the subcontinent or even globally jo ke as is western sound ko replicate karke kaam kar rahe hain.
  66. He says keeping a local flavour alive is a responsibility of an artist. keeping that local touch alive is is is our is a responsibility of an artist basically.
  67. He says some rappers now infuse local language, and the scene is beginning to move that way. and he infuses local language as well and and try to So we're beginning to go towards that side now.
  68. He says Karachi really hopped on board, and he feels this came right after Gully Boy. Karachi really sort of hopped on board and I feel like right after Gully Boy as well
  69. He favours uniform education for everyone, with one defined syllabus. uniform education ho na, sab ki barabar education ho, ek ek defined syllabus ho
  70. He would not call himself nationalistic and prefers to see people as individuals. But uh I won't call myself nationalistic, but uh I like to see people individually
  71. He says Pakistan is very diverse, but people do not truly accept that diversity. we talk a lot about Pakistan being very diverse, but we don't really truly accept that diversity.
  72. He says he cannot predict Pakistan's future and does not claim an understanding of it. But I cannot basically predict predict anything. I do not have that understanding.
  73. He says the current generation has moved beyond survival mode. Ab ke log jo hain wo survival mode se nikal chuke hue hain.
  74. He says the group meets on weekends to jam and make music, but does not get to complete projects. Hum jam hamesha karte hain, weekends pe milte hain, to we are always like into music, sun rahe hain, bana rahe hain. But we never get to like complete projects.