Music
Story behind the song: ‘Zi Freestyle’ by Karma x Stunnah Beatz
The Dehradun rapper explains how he turned up the entendres to the max for his track on season 3 of Red Bull 64 Bars India.
The title of my Red Bull 64 Bars song is ‘Zi Freestyle’, which means life and spirit.
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The name came from the freestyle nature of the song — it jumps between topics and flows, much like life itself. That energy inspired the title.
This was my first collaboration with Stunnah Beatz, and it was a great experience. I really admire his sound, talent, and professionalism. We’re both more driven by the pursuit of greatness than financial gain, which made the process smooth. I co-produced the track — contributing samples, arrangement, and composition — so it ended up being a true 50/50 effort between us.
On this song, my writing process was deeply personal — I was dealing with a shoulder injury at the time, which made me feel frustrated and agitated. I poured those emotions into the lyrics, hoping to also motivate others going through setbacks. It was about turning pain into purpose.
The gradual build-up before the beat drops was intentional — I wanted to create tension, drawing listeners in slowly before the full energy hits at the 17th bar. It mirrors how emotions and thoughts pile up before they finally burst out.
Where I say, “She said my face ‘Cole’, rhymes got ‘Em’ in it,” — that’s a triple entendre. People often say my rhyme schemes resemble Eminem and my appearance reminds them of J. Cole. It’s also a play on Eminem’s real name, Marshall Mathers, tying all the references together.
Karma in action in the Red Bull 64 Bars studio
© Focus Sports
Then there’s, “Karma ain’t no bitch, usse mad dawg kahiye / Am so fed up with them! Ye meri red dot pe hain.” It flips the saying “karma is a bitch.” Here, I’m saying I’m not — I’m more like a mad dog. It’s about the competitive nature of hip-hop and my irritation with people who do everything except genuinely rap.
Then there’s a bar that goes: “Or ese antshant assumptions kharaab hote hain.” It’s about how random, careless assumptions can mess things up. I wanted to capture how baseless judgments can disrupt situations or relationships.
In “Main rakhta sir pe chadhaake use, No cap, teri kasam,” there’s a Himesh Reshammiya reference, to his song ‘Sanam Teri Kasam’. “No cap” here works as a triple entendre. It means I’m not lying, but also references wearing a cap on your head, and shows love and respect for someone special.
The line, “Leke silver spoon bechre struggle ke din,” is aimed at rappers who pretend they’ve struggled just to sell songs. I don’t respect faking struggle for commercial gain — it dilutes real stories and authenticity.
Where I say, “Toda kandha, said no to shows, restart,” this comes from when I injured my shoulder right after a successful tour and had to cancel shows. It caused business and financial loss, but also served to remind me that I’m not doing this for money. That perspective gave me peace — and a restart.
I say, “There was a time mere phone mein nahi thi cheeqas,” and then mention names. Some are playful references, some are real, but it’s more about showing how far I’ve come from having nothing to being surrounded by people and opportunities now.
Another favourite line is, “Pahadi Guldar, ni fatti nakli dahadon se.” A Pahadi Guldar is a leopard from the mountains. I’m comparing myself to that — fearless, not intimidated by fake growls or false bravado.
Later on, I say, “Mumbai mein teen din, sawa lakh lag gaye.” It’s a reference to the high cost of living and working in Mumbai — how quickly money disappears in this city, especially when you’re chasing big dreams.
Karma and Stunnah Beatz in the Red Bull 64 Bars studio
© Focus Sports
My next favourite lyrics: “Dil se khulla kharchu talent pe hai blind faith / Baby my side chicks were Robin, the sidekick.”
These bars show how I spend freely, trusting my talent to eventually bring me bigger rewards. The ‘side chicks robbing the sidekick’ part has a double meaning — some partners were taking advantage of me, and it’s also a reference to the comic book character Robin, Batman’s sidekick.
Towards the end, I say, “Or tujhpe album banani hai, co-sign de.” This is aimed at anyone expecting validation before they create. I wanted to close the track with a strong message — don’t wait for a co-sign, just create. That’s what I’ve done, and that’s the spirit I wanted to leave listeners with.
The 64-bar freestyle format gave me a lot of creative freedom — I could switch flows, say things that might seem absurd, and focus on mood rather than sticking to strict structure.
There are no hooks or bridges, and that aligns perfectly with the spirit of rap and freestyling. It lets me be fully in my element, expressing myself without boundaries or limitations.
I’ve always admired the freedom, diversity, and substance that artists bring to this platform. Red Bull selects top rappers every year to showcase their voices and talent. Being part of this roster was a long-standing goal of mine. It felt like the perfect time to make it happen.
