In Conversation With Raf-Saperra

After a whirlwind 2024 that saw him collaborate with hip-hop heavyweights, sell out a world tour, soundtrack the KidSuper fashion show in Paris and bring Nas to Dalston for the premiere of his short film Tales of The Snake Charmer, Raf-Saperra steps into 2025 with sharpened focus and fearless ambition. The South London-born artist—renown for blending Punjabi folk with everything from UKG to golden-era rap—has become one of the most distinct and genre-fluid voices in British music. His latest project Renaissance, a five-track boundary-pushing collaboration with global Punjabi hitmaker Ikky, marks yet another evolution in a career defined by risk-taking and reinvention.

Now, fresh off the release and in the midst of what he calls his “building era,” Raf speaks to us about identity, sound and legacy. From channeling ancestral energy through dhols and dancehalls to breaking cultural boundaries in global studios, the artist reflects on his roots, his rise and the road ahead. This is Raf-Saperra—unfiltered, genreless and building something far bigger than music…

How are you? How’s 2025 been so far?

Raf-Saperra: I’m good—focused. 2025 has been intense in the best way. From the rollout of Renaissance to international shows and speaking gigs, it feels like the foundations I laid are finally evolving into something bigger. I’m in my building era.

Tell us about the name Raf-Saperra, where did it originate from?

Raf-Saperra: “Raf” is me—simple. “Saperra” is a nod to the snake charmers of South Asian folklore. It started as a nickname but took on more meaning: someone who controls chaos through rhythm, through music. The idea that sound can command attention, move bodies, shift moods—that’s always resonated with me.

Your background in folk singing clashes in an incredible way with your upbringing and influences in Streatham, South London. Were you always interested by Punjabi folk music or how did that come about?

Raf-Saperra: I wasn’t born into it the way people think. Boliyan came later—I stumbled into that world through my curiosity about folk culture and oral tradition. But once I heard it live, raw, from elders who didn’t even need a mic to fill a room, I was hooked. There’s something deeply rebellious about that form of expression. It’s unfiltered storytelling.

And how did your schooling in Punjabi music mix with your London musical influences—were you always looking to fuse the sounds?

Raf-Saperra: Not consciously at first. But being from Streatham, surrounded by grime, bashment, and road rap, it all started to bleed together. You hear dhol patterns in trap if you listen hard enough. You feel UKG bounce in tumbi riffs. Eventually I stopped trying to separate the two and started designing a sound where they could co-exist.

Your breakthrough project Ruff Around The Edges in 2023 fused Bhangra, golden-era hip hop production and even UKG for the track “N.L.S.”—it felt like your arrival in the scene. Did you feel it was a fitting showcase of your roots and how did it push your own creative thinking afterwards?

Raf-Saperra: 100%. That project was my manifesto—no features, no apologies. Just grit, personality and realness. After Ruff Around The Edges, I knew I’d built a solid identity. The challenge became: how do I now evolve without diluting that essence? It pushed me to take bigger swings—like the ones that followed on 5 Deadly Venomz and Renaissance.

Your 2024 project 5 Deadly Venomz then pushed you in a different, harder direction with features from some of the most elusive US rap stars of the moment in Griselda’s Conway The Machine, Dave East and Big Body Bes—via Mass Appeal Records. An incredible and cross-cultural collab. Talk us through the process of how that came about. Was there a particularly surreal moment across the making of the tape?

Raf-Saperra: That whole era was surreal. To go from listening to Griselda in my headphones to trading verses with Conway was mad. Mass Appeal reached out after seeing what I was building independently—they saw the vision. The wildest moment was recording in a NY studio while Bobby Kangs’ production played behind Dave East’s verse. That’s when I knew we were bending the rules of what’s culturally possible.

You famously brought the rap icon Nas down to Dalston for the premiere of the short film you directed, Tales Of The Snake Charmer. How was that experience and how intrinsic has film been to your music and cultural identity?

Raf-Saperra: It was spiritual. Having Nas in Dalston watching a film I directed about British-Asian identity—that moment felt like a full-circle affirmation. Film is crucial to my work. I don’t just make songs, I make worlds. Visual storytelling allows me to carry forward our traditions while imagining new futures.

You ended 2024 with one of your tracks closing the Paris Fashion Week runway show for KidSuper, with you sitting front row—how did that relationship come about and where does the affinity with fashion come from?

Raf-Saperra: Colm [KidSuper] and I connected over a mutual love for storytelling and mischief. He sees clothing the way I see music—as layered, poetic, and disruptive. Fashion’s not just about fabric to me; it’s visual rhythm. It lets me extend the sonic message into something wearable, something seen.

Raf-Saperra: The tour was electric. Every show felt like a rebellion and a celebration at once. A standout moment? London—I brought my family out. My mum stood there in a traditional salwar kameez while my dad saw an entire sold out O2 Empire crowd chanting lyrics to his son’s tunes. This all started from my bedroom to now iconic venues. This was my second year moving as a touring artist. This was the second year that all shows were sold out. I’m grateful. Truly.

Your new collab project Renaissance with producer Ikky has seen you shape-shift again to a bigger pop sound, allowing for touches of Reggae and Ska on the single “Step Out”—what were your influences and intentions around the project?

Raf-Saperra: Renaissance is about rebirth—sonically and spiritually. Ikky and I wanted to explore how far Punjabi music could stretch without losing its core. We pulled from Dub, Swedish Pop, Bhangra and even a little Bollywood. The goal was to make pop music that still felt rooted and real.

Your musical DNA thus far seems to be an authentic fusing of genres and styles—jumping from continent to continent and absorbing the sound and culture to create new sounds—is there one that you’d still like to explore?

Raf-Saperra: I’m curious about Brazilian funk and Afro-Cuban percussion. There’s an ancestral rhythm in those styles that I feel instinctively drawn to. I think there’s something spiritual waiting to be uncovered there—especially when paired with Punjabi folk vocals.

What can we expect from Raf-Saperra in 2025?

Raf-Saperra: Evolution. Expect projects that challenge perception. Expect stories that travel further. Expect a deeper dive into my own identity—musically, visually, spiritually. And maybe a few surprises that’ll flip the whole thing upside down. We’re just getting started.

Listen to ‘Renaissance’ EP below.