Salam and greetings to all readers of this blog. I hope that you will soon or have watched the episode and enjoyed it. I have been enjoying JJ47’s music for its uniquely Pakistani and infinitely relatable quality. In a style that oozes with personality, JJ47 presents stories of being young and ambitious, of expectations, and of being a creative in Karachi, Pakistan through Urdu rap. We will definitely keep our ears out for the upcoming album and more details. Do stay tuned for Episode 2.

I had initially imagined this episode as a very long introduction to JJ47 starting from his ReverbNation account to current works as a bridge for the album. I am hoping to still do that, but am finding the focus on 1 song at a time to be a natural opportunity to really dig deep into Pakistani music.

JJ47’s connection to Bohemia and his Oakland roots brought back sweet memories as I called “Beautiful, Sunny Oakland” my home for 2 years 5 months and 5 days. In Oakland, I found beautiful outdoors around me through its proximity to stunning road biking and hiking trails and a community of friends who offered a gentle and appreciative space for my evolution. I recall my time living in Downtown Oakland most fondly and especially, in the context of this episode, for the proximity to West Oakland where Bohemia worked in the 2000s.

I hope that readers will also dig into Blackalicious‘ two albums cited in this episode, Nia (1999) and Blazing Arrow (2002). I think these albums require no introduction, just clearing the mental table and plugging in for 74 minutes at a time. If and when you do, please consider sharing your thoughts back to with newsletter because I am very interested in knowing the story of how we, Pakistanis, understand and “come to” rap especially given its short history in Pakistan itself mediated by so many virtual and physical borders reflecting so many axes of control. This is relevant because Urdu rap can sometimes be dismissed wholesale.

AscenDance: My favorite mural in Oakland (and maybe all of the world?)

Please do also check out the accompanying playlists lovingly curated for you:

“Music Jaisa Koi Sheeera Ho Kanon Main”

I am excited to begin sharing the many infinite stories contained in this playlist meant basically as an endless stream of classic and spectacular Pakistani music. Most directly, as “Music Chaat”, the reference is to Music Channel Charts with this playlist retaining the benefit of listening to many songs at a go but abandoning ratings because who does that these days (and should we even, at all?). As you will see, I am picking from all genres and eras of Pakistani music with 2 constraints (or opportunities): i) no Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan** (who I would like to address separately and hopefully, as a special Music Chaat episode) and ii) no commercial ad-based music. So far, I am proud of the many corners I’ve explored finding music to feature on this playlist from the likes of Fariha Parvez, Mekaal Hasan, Faisal Latif, Amanat Ali Khan, Shazia Manzoor, Naseebo Lal, Sher Ali and Mehr Ali, Rustam Fateh Ali Khan (alongside Imran Danish and Usman Rana), Zeb and Haniya, Ejaz Qaiser, and Reshma in addition, of course, to classic and memorable Pakistani music from more mainstream acts such as Shiraz Uppal, Junaid Jamshed and Vital Signs, Junoon, Jal, eP, Call, noori, Karavan, Aaroh. Generous selections from recent Pakistani rap are no accident too and searching for and then queuing all results under “JJ47” is recommended.

A special shout out here to the two artists I worked with on this episode and show: Wajiha Khan (@bywajihakhan) and Muhammad Omar Farooq (@maharrumarr). The former’s gold reimagining of the already stunning Music Chaat logo designed by her has been my favorite thing since I first saw it. I am a big fan of Omar’s content not just because I hold the time spent at my mother’s village in the summer in the most cherished part of my heart but also because of his beautiful use of Urdu text. Thank you for your art, Wajiha and Omar!

“2025 Favorites“

Year’s favorites updated with the ebb and flow of Pakistani music and my own ability to intake and process it. Here too, if you don’t see a favorite, please consider nudging me or making a case (with the opportunity of featuring or collaboration) because I am very interested in knowing the who, what, when, where, and why of Pakistani music, especially which resonates with you and all of us. In terms of digital media distribution, there is a somewhat clear wedge in Pakistani music: Spotify for the most popular Pakistani music which is doubled on YouTube though this also features more folk-oriented music done by professional or aspiring working-class musicians such as Akram Rahi and Javed Iqbal (whose “Islamabad Da Mahi” is featured as a Music Chaat 2025 Favorite). On Music Chaat, I will try to pay attention to both of these houses of Pakistan music. I also think about the songs from this playlist that are already on “Music Jaisay Koi Sheera Ho Kanon Mein”. For example, Ali & Shijr’s Pakistan-infused R&B music is already a classic with hits such as Wishful, Sajna, and Main Na Rahoon.

Finally, given this is also our first post, a huge thank you to the following people for making this launch possible.

My Parents, Mahin Tariq, Farhan Shahid Nawaz, Wajiha Khan, Muhammad Omar Farooq, Ahmer Naqvi, Aymen Rizwan, Azka Shoaib, Rutaba Yaqub, Mustafa Hameed, Abdullah Azhar, and friends for offering me such a sweet and safe space to evolve.

Thank you for your time and interest! If this resonated with you (or didn’t), I would love to hear from you. How is your engagement with Pakistani music these days?

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**In fact, I envisioned this Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan deep dive as the original “Episode 1” of “Music Chaat” and it was the source of its original creative push. But, working on this series has been teaching me many new ways to tell stories and I am hoping to return to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan after considerable practice celebrating my other favorites from Pakistani music.