It’s not every day that one gets to begin an email with “Dear Mr Nehru” but nothing is impossible, especially when rapper Bishop Nehru is creating quite a splash on the music scene. You read that right, the rapper’s last name is Nehru, inspired by India’s first prime minister. Equally interesting is his first name, Bishop, which again is an inspired effort. One of the many appearances that late American rapper Tupac Shakur made in Hollywood movies was as Roland Bishop, the antagonist in the crime-drama, Juice (1992)… a character in search of respect.

That’s Bishop Nehru for you, the 16-year-old who has made a promising start with songs like Misruled Order (featuring Que Hampton), Languages, Her Ballad, Elder Blossoms and Fortune & Fame. Born Markel Scott, he has already impressed legendary hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. And what makes Mr Nehru, a New York native, special? He is a cool youngster with an iron grasp over old-school rapping techniques.

He raps exclusively with t2…

Your name is inspired by rap legend Tupac Shakur’s character (Roland Bishop) from the 1992 film Juice and India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Why this combination?

I’m not too sure, the name Nehru was just appealing to me and I was in [studying] global history when it popped up so they talked a little about Nehru and I liked what I heard.

Tupac was known for his music. What is your take on Jawaharlal Nehru?

I don’t really have a view on him; I haven’t done too much research. But I’m going to get on that asap. But basically that he worked alongside Gandhi and they were both trying to achieve peace.

Can you share the idea behind your 13-track mixtape Nehruvia? What does Nehruvia mean and symbolise?

Nehruvia is my mind state. Any album that has Nehruvia as title is more than likely going to be some rap to show where my mind is at. Nehruvia… to me… symbolises my thoughts and mind as a whole.

Being a 16-year-old rapper/producer/music video director of songs like Fickle Mind$, Golden Era and Light Leak$, what are the issues that bother you? What are the things that get expressed in your songs?

ANY and EVERYTHING. Anything that holds weight on my chest could be thrown into a song. Whether it’s a little weight or a lot of weight.

Do tell us about your new mixtape strictlyFLOWz. In what ways does your music evolve from Nehruvia?

StrictlyFLOWz is actually, believe it or not, a Nehruvia project not as a whole but there are some trips back and forth. That’s what the triangle, circle and square on the cover mean. That’s the Nehruvia logo. But it’s just rap. Ten per cent emotion. Ninety per cent rap.

In the song Mobb Dizzle you rap: What goes around comes back/ And it hits you even harder/ Don’t bother talkin’ revolver / That ain’t the solver. There is this anti-violence message there. How far does that describe you, given the fact that Tupac was shot down by gangsters in 1996?

I didn’t say it for that reason but I just think guns are stupid. I mean they’re cool for certain things but most of the time when they’re used it’s not for a good reason. Nothing positive ever comes out of someone using a gun because a life is always taken and families [are] heartbroken. The never-ending cycle of revenge begins. It’s just pointless.

Since a part of your name is inspired by Nehru, do you plan to visit India?

Yeah, I’d love to. I think it’d be a cool experience. I’d love to see how things are over there.

What aspects of India — cultural or otherwise — interest you?

I never really looked into Indian culture. I wanted to wait until I went there. So, it would be a better and a way cooler learning experience.

How would you define the Bishop Nehru sound?

Diverse and IMMORTAL.

Many consider you the next rapper prodigy. Extra pressure there?

Nope, not at all. I just do and kinda let all this stuff happen around me.

Finally, your definition of having a good time…

Doing what makes you happy.