Uniq Poet’s five cultural favorites

The Straight Outta Kathmandu-hitmaker speaks about Nas, Donnie Darko and masu bhat.

Prasun Sangroula

  • Read Time 3 min.

Kathmandu: Utsaha Joshi, aka Uniq Poet, is one of the most renowned rap artists in Nephop. His debut album, Kaalo, was released in January. He has released over 40 songs so far, including Straight Outta Kathmandu, Kaalo, and Mero Desh Birami.

He shot to fame after appearing in the Raw Barz, a rap battle league that took place in 2013. He has collaborated with artists like EPR, MC Dave, Albatross, and is soon going to collaborate with the Indian rapper Void.

Poet shares his favorite book, film, music, food, and destination with Nepal Live Today.

Album—Illmatic by Nas

I explored this album when I was just starting to listen to hip-hop. I found it very dope. It is fair to say that this album inspired me to hip-hop. This is one of the most well-regarded hip-hop albums of all time. Nas wrote the album when he was 16 and till now its lyricism is unparalleled in the scene.No other artist comes close to the height of its lyricism.

Book—Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari

This book talks about the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the ramifications it can have in society. The book speculates on the dark reality that AIs in the future can create. The book was originally published in 2015, written by Harari, an Israeli historian, and philosopher.

Movie—Donnie Darko

I watched the movie Donnie Darko a long time ago and it is still my favorite movie. The existential crisis-ridden character in the movie fascinated me a lot. The movie has the concept of a tangible universe where, all of sudden, due to an event, a new timeline starts regardless of the present timeline. It is a mind-boggling movie.

Food—Masu bhat

I love masu bhat, especially rice with chicken. No other food can beat masu and bhat for me. And I have it almost every single day.

Destination—Pokhara

I love to go to Pokhara. The mountains, lakes, food, and overall beauty of Pokhara unfailingly fascinate me every time I visit. But I also want to explore space and other planets. To visit another planet or space is my dream destination.