Living in Pakistan as a woman has its limitations although they are just that; limitations. And limitations are made to be exceeded and Eva B has proved it! The Balochi rapper has made a name for herself in just the small time she has been here although the credit goes as much to her resilience as her art, which is hard to miss. After all, having your face featured on a billboard in New York Times Square is as big as it gets but with this rapper, it surely is going to get even bigger!
Eva B rose to fame from the hit single of internationally acclaimed music phenomena, Coke Studio, with her song “Kana Yari”. The song has more than 16 million views on YouTube and has received appreciation from far and wide. People are in awe of all the artists who are a part of the track but a veiled girl rapping away fluently in Balochi is something you do not see every day and hence became the center of attention. Soon after, the rapper’s song “Rozi” also got featured in Marvel Studio and Disney+ superhero action series Ms. Marvel which revolves around the story and experience of the first-ever Muslim teenage superhero Kamala Khan. Known by many as the ‘veiled woman rapper’, Eva finds comfort and pride in her veil as it is a part of her identity and saves her from the scrutiny of the public eye.
Eva B started pursuing her love for rap and music back in 2014, when she was just 15 years old, taking inspiration from some of the most legendary and iconic rappers like Eminem and Queen Latifah. Fearing an adverse reaction from her family and afraid of their anger, Eva started writing rap and posting them on Facebook anonymously. She also started to record tracks in a music studio by sneaking off with the help of fellow emerging artists from her neighborhood and under the pretense of studying. Eva B’s career literally started in her bedroom where she used to write lyrics and then post them on social media, and soon enough, she started gaining followers. The lyrics from her raps won hearts as people resonated with them and according to the rapper herself, the lyrics she writes come straight from her heart “Whatever issues I’m having, or problems I’m facing, I write them into my lyrics — I empty my heart out into my lyrics,” Eva B has said.
Although Eva tried her best to keep her dual personality a secret, her brother found out from somewhere and the rapper received a backlash from her family just as she expected. Belonging to a rather conservative and deep-rooted Pakistani background and being a girl on top of that, her family did not seem fit to follow this genre. They believed it to be “indecent” for a young girl and worried that it will cause issues as no one would want to marry her. However, after some time and seeing her unwavering passion, her family came around in the end. “Later they realized that I was quite persistent, so they surrendered. They realized I couldn’t be stopped”. Eva also added that her mother even accompanies her to the studios and sets now.
Eva decided to keep he face veiled when her brother suggested that she does so. “My brother said I should wear it while rapping so nobody could recognize me,” she explained, further adding that “I wear it generally, it’s our culture here in Lyari, it’s just my life, I don’t leave the house without my burka.” Eva keeps her face veiled whether she is in a music video, performing on stage, doing a photoshoot for a brand, or making any other public appearance. Her veil helps her remain under the radar when she is out in public and she seems to enjoy the obliviating people show her, according to her “It’s funny that people don’t recognize me, they play my songs but when I’m in front of them they don’t know it’s me”. However, she has also pointed out that people have given her veil too much attention and focus.
“For no reason, these people are giving the niqab all this hype. They think niqabi girls don’t do anything. But I’m just as normal as any other regular girl here. There’s no need for the hype, I really don’t like it,” Eva told The National in an interview.
Eva’s success took a new flight when she was asked to be a part of Coke Studio 2022 as it gained her popularity and her talent was recognized by people all around. The rapper from Balochistan is reaching new heights every day with over 400,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and has just been made the Ambassador for EQUAL Pakistan for the month of October. Spotify EQUAL’s digital billboard featuring Eva B has been placed at the iconic NY Times Square. EQUAL is an initiative by Spotify that was launched to uplift and amplify women artists across the world as a part of their gender equity commitment. Eva’s new track titled “Mukhtasir Baatein” will also be featured on Spotify’s local and global playlists. You can listen to some of the magic Eva has created here.
Eva is a role model for all South Asian women who have to struggle a lot to achieve their dreams or even be allowed to pursue their passion because of their gender. According to her, you should always try to find a balance between societal norms and your own passion rather than drowning out in the critique. Eva explains this beautifully by saying, “The world will keep talking, no matter who you are. If you don’t do anything, they say: ‘She isn’t doing anything, and if you do something, they say: ‘She’s doing too much.”
Although female musicians in Pakistan have a long way to go and so does gender equity in our industry, Eva B is solid proof that you can achieve anything if you are truly passionate about it and once you put your mind to it. Exceeding limitations set by our society and breaking off from the deep-rooted toxic cultural norms is difficult but this extraordinary rapper from Lyari has proved that it’s not impossible.
