Subhas Nair, also known as Subhas for short, has collaborated on a new song with Migrants Band Singapore, a group of instrumentalists and singers who hold full-time jobs in industries such as construction, plumbing and security. Titled ‘Utopia’, the song explores several issues regarding migrant workers in Singapore which the rapper feels strongly about.
In an interview with Channel New Asia, Subhas said about his decision to write about migrant workers in Singapore, “These people don’t come here as just numbers. They are human; they have interests and passions.”
“And human rights includes, to me, a minimum wage in a country that you’ve built,” he added.
He elaborated, “As an independent rapper, I don’t get many mainstream platforms. As a brown man in Singapore in this industry, there’s not a lot that comes by.”
‘Utopia’ is part of a new Channel News Asia documentary series titled Roar! The Lion City Unmuzzled, wherein Singaporean musicians have been tasked to write some new music for National Day that will challenge the canon of standard NDP songs. The other artists involved are Estelle Fly, Benjamin Kheng, Aisyah Aziz and Wang Weiliang.
Check out Roar! The Lion City Unmuzzled, including Subhas’ ‘Utopia ft. Migrant Band Singapore’, in its entirety below.
