The More Rooted an Artist is, The More Original The Sound Becomes
After the viral success of Yeda Yung, Pune-bred rapper Yung DSA returns with Fachadi, a deeply personal track shaped by loyalty, betrayal and the changing relationships around him. He talks about why he refuses to make music simply for commercial appeal, how Hindi and Marathi shape his sound, and why he believes India’s regional voices will define the next phase of hip-hop.
For Yung DSA, music is not something that can be separated from what is happening in his life. His latest single, ‘Fachadi’, came at a point when keeping certain thoughts to himself became difficult. Rather than waiting for the right commercial moment, the Pune-bred rapper chose to release the song when he felt ready to say what was on his mind.
“It started getting difficult to carry these grey areas of life quietly, when holding it in stopped being an option,” he says. For him, there was little point in waiting for an external cue or trying to fit the song into a release strategy. “Even when the business side might push for a more commercial track, I still choose whatever song reflects where I actually am in that moment.”
That honesty, he says, is at the heart of ‘Fachadi’. “I had to speak my heart out, and music is the only language I really express myself in.”
The track comes after ‘Yeda Yung’, the song that turned him into an overnight internet sensation. But Yung DSA does not see that success as the moment that defined him. He credits the journey before it with giving his music its character.
“‘Yeda Yung’ hit the way it did because of my fan base, people who genuinely appreciate the truth in the music,” he says. The difference now is that his audience already understands where he is coming from. “Before that, it was harder to prove myself, but now it's easier because my fans already know the sound, they understand me.”
That does not mean he plans to repeat what worked. If anything, the success has made him more determined to keep moving. “I never planned on dropping the same thing twice. All I want is to bring something new to every track.”
‘Fachadi’ is also rooted in the changes he saw in relationships after his breakthrough. Success altered not just his career but also the way he viewed the people around him.
“A lot changed after ‘Yeda Yung’, and so did a lot of people,” he says. The experience made him more guarded about where he puts his trust and emotional energy. “It taught me not to put too much trust or emotional investment into the people around me, and instead, put that energy into my art.”
That shift finds its way into ‘Fachadi’, which explores loyalty and betrayal without trying to separate the personal from the music.
His sound itself comes from a similarly personal place. Hindi and Marathi are both his mother tongues, and he sees no reason to choose one over the other. Hindi allows him to connect with listeners across the country, while Marathi keeps him close to his roots in Maharashtra and Pune.
“Blending the two just made sense, it's how I actually think and feel,” he says. When he wants to reach a more global audience, English also enters the mix.
For Yung DSA, language is more than a stylistic choice. “Language carries weight,” he says. Moving between Hindi, Marathi and English allows him to express an idea in the language that feels right for that particular moment. “That's the connection I'm always chasing with my listeners, saying the right thing, in the right language, at the right moment.”
That rootedness is also what he believes will give regional artists an important place in the next phase of Indian hip-hop. As the genre grows, he sees regional voices bringing something that cannot simply be recreated.
“Indian hip hop is building up massively right now, and I genuinely believe regional voices bring the most unique sound to the table,” he says. For him, the connection between music and culture is important. “The more rooted an artist is in their culture, the more distinct and original that sound becomes.”
He hopes to see more artists draw from where they come from rather than moving away from it. “I'm just looking forward to hearing more of that, music that’s culturally reformed, unique, and true to where it comes from.”
For someone discovering Yung DSA through ‘Fachadi’, he says the song should offer a sense of the person behind the music. He wants listeners to hear the versatility, the Indian influences and the different sides of his sound.
“I'd just hope they walk away understanding who I am as a person, my flavour, my versatility, the way I blend Indian culture into my hip hop sound,” he says.
That, perhaps, is what connects ‘Fachadi’ to the larger journey. Yung DSA is not trying to recreate the moment that made him viral. He is using the attention to make music that reflects where he is now, even when that means choosing a more personal story over an easier commercial one.