December 2024. That was when I discovered the biggest hit of my life—KR$NA’s verse in "Joota Japani". It was the first time I actually sat down and listened to a full rap song. The feeling? It was like chugging 10 Red Bulls at once. My goosebumps were trying to escape my body like the people of North Korea. (Okay, sorry, I got slightly off-track there).

But after that, I started falling down the KR$NA rabbit hole. Tracks like Prarthna, I Guess, and no cap became my daily anthems. I listened to these 5-6 songs on loop for an entire week. It felt like I had found a legal drug on YouTube.

But everything hits a saturation point (this is why I stopped talking to my girlfriend... well, I'm a feminist). I wanted to know the artist behind the bars. I knew of him, but I had never specifically researched him. So, I Googled "KR$NA".

The results shocked me: "A 37-year-old man." Really? I genuinely thought he was in his twenties. Then I watched a breakdown video by Rohan Cariappa ,Rapbot and realized this guy had grinded for almost two decades. He spent years in the underground before reaching the top. I was shocked, proud, impressed, and honestly, a bit guilty. Guilty because when I compared my own consistency to his, I fell way short.

But after that brief reality check, I moved on. Even then, he wasn't my absolute favorite rapper yet.

I went back to just enjoying those initial tracks because I still didn't know much about hip-hop. Then, one morning, I woke up at 4:30 AM to study. I opened YouTube, and a thumbnail popped up for a track called Kaha Tak. I didn't click it because the graphic designer made a masterpiece; I clicked it because I recognized KR$NA's face. That exact moment was when KR$NA got another die-hard fan—just like Eminem got Stan.

After that, I dove deep into his discography. Some of Us, Been a While (easily one of my absolute favorites), Blowing Up, Dreams, and so many more. With every low-BPM, conscious track I listened to, my respect for his journey grew, and that feeling of guilt returned. My inspiration was insanely consistent—so why wasn't I? I even started binge-watching every single KR$NA reaction video by AFAIK.

May 21, 2025, 11:00 PM: Chill, it’s not a rocket launch date by SpaceX or ISRO. But for me, it was the moment I was finally going to be an early listener for KR$NA’s new EP, Yours Truly. I was excited—honestly, more excited than when my girlfriend promised me a kiss after classes.

12:00 AM: The EP dropped. I was halfway through the tracks when suddenly... my brother turned off his hotspot. Yeah, I was surviving on his hotspot because we didn't have a Wi-Fi connection at home, and I had no active internet recharge. I was screaming as loudly as I could (in my mind, obviously). But I had no other option than to just go to sleep and painfully wait for the morning.

The moment I woke up, I put the entire EP on loop. The title track, Yours Truly, instantly became my favorite. Every time I listened to it, my eyes automatically released a few drops of electrolytes, proteins, lipids, and H2O (basically, tears).

I continued exploring his music, and I still do. Now, my ultimate dream is to collaborate with KR$NA on a rap track. (Yeah, I write raps too, and discovering his pen game gave my own writing a massive energy boost).

I hope someday KR$NA randomly finds this blog, just like I randomly discovered his verse on Joota Japani, and he contacts me just to say thanks. (This is exactly what we call "daydreaming", I know). But as he said in Some of Us:

"Manzil ko paas rakh tu, usse vaasta na todna...

Raaj tak ye khaas kar, tu ye raasta na chhodna...

Sapne honge vastav, sirf aaj ka naa sochna."

I apply those lines not just to that dream collaboration, but to my life. Because of his journey and his art, I am better. I am more motivated, more relaxed, and laser-focused on my

own grind.

Yours Truly,

Arnav