For ABANGSAPAU, the road to his debut album wasn’t a straight one — it was long, winding, and full of hard lessons. From juggling service jobs to wrestling with self-doubt, the rapper and Def Jam Southeast Asia signee spent over five years chiselling away at what would become ABANGSAPAU — a self-titled record that’s both a personal reckoning and a cultural declaration.
It’s an album of contradictions: soft yet strong, introspective yet bold. In it, ABANGSAPAU opens up about identity, resilience, and the pursuit of something real. Across 14 tracks — featuring ALYPH, Joe Flizzow, and longtime collaborator Prodbydan — he captures the spirit of a generation trying to define itself in the in-between. We caught up with the hip-hop icon to talk about faith, family, and finding beauty in the everyday.
Congrats on the album! You’ve said that this record needs to be a “cultural reset” and a “classic”. What does that mean to you?
I think it was just a goal that I set for myself and culturally speaking. I just think that a lot of the things and experiences that shaped who I am as an artist pretty much represent this past generation. I feel like every generation has one momentous album that defines it culturally. And I feel like this album is my attempt at having something that both represents me but also represents the generation and my peers and our stamp in music as closely as possible.
You’ve been open about working multiple service jobs while building your career. How did those experiences shape your voice as a rapper and this album?
Yeah, of course this shaped my voice as a rapper. Doing service jobs alone isn’t the thing — different people from different backgrounds do service jobs all the time. That’s not really the point. It was more the reason that I was doing it, the circumstances that led me there, and what I was trying to pursue while doing them. It was really just a story of hustling for what I believe to be my calling. It shaped me a lot as a human being, and honestly, turned me into a man. It made me realize that I need to be responsible for things and take care of myself and those around me before I can take it a step further. Sometimes you go through the darkness, you appreciate the light a lot more. I’m glad that the process for me has been this slow-cooked and slow-burned. It’s turned me into a very patient person who doesn’t question timing. If something doesn’t work out, maybe not right now — let’s hustle a little bit more. All in all, it just made me less afraid to eat sh*t.
‘ONE MINUTE’ feels like your origin story, while ‘wow.’ sounds like a declaration. How do these tracks reflect different sides of who ABANGSAPAU is?
ABANGSAPAU in general is a representation of me — my story, my inspirations, my influences, and my personal taste. ‘ONE MINUTE’ is an origin story, and it was meant to be that. The second half of ‘ONE MINUTE’ was also declarational in nature, and I wanted it to lead up to ‘wow.’, which builds on that energy. I also realized I just don’t have a lot of music where I’m flexing, so I wanted to do it my own way, from my own perspective, shaped by who I am after all these years. That’s how it showcases the different sides of who I am.
You’ve mentioned ‘but hey’ as one of your most vulnerable releases — how did it feel to trade bars for soft vocals and emotional openness?
Honestly, it just felt like relief. I’ve been writing demos like ‘but hey’ for a very long time — I just never released them. It’s been more than two or three years that I’ve been writing music like this, so it felt nice that I finally gave my listeners a software update. All my homies and the people around me have heard the unreleased demos, so they’re not particularly surprised. But I understand that some people are still a little shocked. I’m glad it’s finally out, and that I have a body of work that represents who I am in the present, rather than sitting on music for too long.
The album blends hip-hop, emo, and acoustic pop. What guided that sonic direction — instinct, experimentation, or storytelling?
Wow, none of the above, to be honest. The sonic direction wasn’t decided — it just kind of happened. But it wasn’t experimentation either. I think the word is chemistry. Chemistry guided the sonic direction. Intuition. One of the things I could do with Dan, Prodbydan, that’s hard to replicate with others is that he’s developed my voice with me. He’s taught me how to treat my voice, practice my deliveries, understand mixers, and refine my style. He’s seen it all, and this album is a culmination of that. What he brings to the table as a producer, you can’t trade for anything else. Chemistry was what guided the way — chemistry that was hard-earned and built through six years of trying and failing.
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Tell us about working with Prodbydan, your executive producer. You’ve called him “a one-man superstar”...
He really is a one-man superstar because he can do literally anything and do it well, treating each song as its own project while not forgetting the bigger picture. This album was made in a home studio, just me and him tinkering — but with ease because of the chemistry we’ve built. I feel very privileged as an artist in Singapore. Not many artists get to have this kind of relationship with a producer. It all happened because I was at a MIIKOTHE13TH listening party in 2019, sat next to him, and said, “Bro, can you please produce for me? I don’t have any money, but…” And he unselfishly opened his doors to me and was patient enough to grow with me. I’m super grateful to have gone through that process as a hungry new artist. It’s so ideal for new artists to have that kind of relationship. Being next to one of, if not the most talented producer in Singapore, is a huge honour.
‘Boom Bada Bada’ with ALYPH is one of the standout moments. You said it was a “dream come true” — what did that collaboration unlock for you?
‘Boom Bada Bada’ was the only song on the album that wasn’t written during the album process — the only old demo that made the final cut. When I first made it, I left a part empty and asked the producer to bounce out a version with an empty verse, just in case. In my notes, I always had 'Boom Bada Bada (feat. ALYPH)'. For that to finally happen means a lot to me. Even before we became collaborators, ALYPH was always my dream feature for this track. Last year, I finally hit him up and he was down, and we got it done this year. It was a dream come true.
On ‘Mental Kena Kuat’, you team up with Joe Flizzow, a legend in regional hip-hop. What did you learn from him as an artist?
Joe Flizzow has been an inspiration to me for such a long time. He inspired me before I met him, when I met him, and he’ll keep inspiring me. He paved the way for a new generation of artists and rappers, commercializing hip-hop in a way never done before in the region. We have Too Phat and Joe Flizzow to thank for that. I used to watch him in school, and fast forward, I’m just grateful he opened his doors to me. He’s always willing to share advice, to be honest about how to think about my career authentically but strategically, while never forgetting how to be a good artist and performer. When I made ‘Mental Kena Kuat’, which is a quote I got from him, I messaged him and said, “Yo, I don’t think I can mention anyone else on this song.” He agreed. I got to watch him record, communicate with the engineer, and write — all of which inspired me. It’s been an incredible process.
The album cover shows your mother ironing your sarung in a messy living room. Why was it important to portray that as symbolism for your album?
My mother ironing my sarung was symbolic of her being the reason behind everything that I am as ABANGSAPAU. The sarung is almost the symbol of ABANGSAPAU, and my mother plays a big part behind that. In all my personal creases as a person, she’s been the one to iron them out with me. That’s why I wanted to portray her in the album — to have her presence be there in a symbolic way that represents her part in my journey.
Finally, you’ve said this album is “for your Malay brothers and sisters.” What do you hope your community takes away from this project?
This album is for everybody, but as someone raised in a largely Malay household with Malay culture all around me, I think there’s so much beauty in this culture and language. This album made me revisit that part of my heritage, along with my Sikh roots. On ‘smiling anyway’, the most personal track on the album, I even reached out to Shabir Sulthan to add Sikh instruments. The album is me rediscovering my heritage while telling my story in a way that best represents myself. I feel like it does that — and there’s something in it for everyone. I hope people can take inspiration from it, as I have been inspired by my peers, history, and influences as well.
