Fed Up with People, This Guy Wrote a Song on Delhi’s Toxic Air

Camera: Abhishek Ranjan
Video Editor: Puneet Bhatia

Raoul Kerr is a Delhi-based rapper whose song 'Exhale' on Delhi's pollution went viral recently. Talking about the song he said, "I have seen toxic air engulf the city year after year. People and authorities' apathy towards Delhi’s air pollution prompted me to write a song."

Death hangs in the air, it's not metaphorical
Off the charts, the wrong kind of historical
Indices say 50's safe, 200's evacuation
Delhi at 900 glossed over by demonetisation

Raoul wrote the first verse of the song in 2016 when Delhi government rolled out the odd-even scheme. The same year on 8 November, 500 and 1000 rupee notes were declared illegal tender. He wrote demonetisation 'glossed over' the issue of air pollution.

The following year he wrote the second verse when he saw people burst crackers despite the ban on its sale.

And this year on 5 November, Raoul released the song in anticipation of the pollution that Delhi experiences annually from November-December.

Now it’s ‘18 and they got me feeling mean and they gave me no choice but to hit ‘em with my voice.

Along with the song, Raoul launched a petition on change.org. It asks the state and central government to address Delhi's air pollution.

I don’t want this to just be about getting angry. Because we do this every year. This is about not stopping the conversation even after Diwali is done. This is why I created the action plan of clean air. It’s a petition on change.org to make a statement loud enough for our government to hear us. 

Raoul Kerr, Rapper

Raoul's album 'No Flag' came out in July this year. Raoul says his music is not just social commentary. He wants his music to lead to conversations and some solutions.

(Breathe In, Breathe Out: Are you finding it tough to breathe polluted air? Join hands with FIT to find #PollutionKaSolution. Send in your suggestions to [e-mail] or WhatsApp @[phone])