Eyes which love beauty, lips which can smile, hearts which feel love and affection can make this world a heaven. Seldom can we encounter such a lovable soul on the earth. Born with multiple talents, J-NiL Peiris can be considered to be an asset to the Sri Lankan rap culture and music industry. Because he had wowed the American rap culture, eclipsing many rappers. J-NiL is not only a rapper but also a lyricist.
In an interview with the Youth Observer he shares his ideas and memories.
J-NiL and his songs
Born in the city of Moratuwa known as a celestial place to brilliant artistes, he had his education at St.peter’s college, Bambalapitiya. His enthusiasm in music has been fuelled by many musicians like Elton John.
J-NiL lives a simple life unlike many. “My name is J-NiL Peiris. The simple ‘i’ means that I am a simple person. I have a very humble beginning. But whenever I look back, I can be happy,” he said.
To be honest, It can be said that he is a living example of simple living and high thinking. Going down memory lane, he recalled his memories with us, “I went to America and began to work at an American company. I received opportunities to participate in musical shows,” he said.
At present, J-NiL who lives in America has risen to fame as a singer and lyricist.
“Whenever I sing songs in America, I represent my parents, my younger brother, my grandmother,my home town and my loved ones. My parents are the angels in my life,” said J-NiL.
To my question about his penning lyrics, “I sometimes focus on the melody before writing the lyrics. I sometimes turn my feelings and emotions into lyrics. So, actually it depends on my mood. But I want to give something good and real to my fans. I try to inspire listeners and instil positivity into their minds through my songs. If I can inspire someone, he or she will inspire another one. In this manner, we can inspire the whole nation. That is what we have to do, “ he said.
It has to be stressed that not only the Americans but also the Sri Lankans can enjoy his songs on his ‘ J-NiL You tube channel’. The best hit songs such as ‘Hurt Love’, ‘ Manu Chakraya ‘, ‘Mal Wage’, ‘ Love Letter’, ‘Good Feeling’, ‘Rap Eka’, ‘Humanity’, ‘ Till We Make It’,’ Africa’ are available on many popular platforms, Spotify, Apple Music, Sound Cloud, Amazon Music and YouTube.
‘Vera Level’
To be honest, J-NiL is a man of few words. He believes that ‘actions speak louder than words’. Recently, one of the prominent artistes by the name of HustLer Bhai released the first Sri Lankan Kuththu song titled ‘Vera Level’. J-Nil together with HustLer Bhai and Vip Lee penned the lyrics. Hamdaan Hassan deserves credit for directing the music video for the song. ‘Vera Level’ has captivated the hearts of YouTube fans.
Sri Lankan rap culture
As noted by J-NiL, in Sri Lanka the rap culture is developing gradually. The main reason for its slow pace is that those at the helm of the country including high ups do not want to develop the industry by allocating money. Sadly, most politicians can be seen going into overdrive to squeeze people dry. However, it is better to light a single lamp than to curse the darkness.
“In our country you can find good artistes. But they don’t have an appropriate platform to display their talent. I hope that there will be a good platform for them in the near future. The other problem is that people don’t like to spend money on entertainment. It is because they do not have money,” J-nil said.
It is clear that the cost of living is sky-rocketing. The price of essential food items is going up through the roof. Youth who embarked on the wall painting spree with the intention of rebuilding a new country are leaving the country. Therefore, it is hard to establish a sustainable new music culture in the country. In addition to the Sri Lankan rap culture, J-NiL stressed that there should be an equality in the world. “I want this world to be equal. I mean, an equal world where there is no poverty,” he said.
Giant pillars
As noted by J-NiL, his parents, Sudantha and Hiranthie Peiris and his younger brother and grandmother are the angels in his life.
“The light that they scatter is with me forever. My loved ones are the angels in my life and the continuous support from my friends mean a lot to me,” J-NiL said with pride.
Message
“Speak the truth and speak from your heart. Be honest to yourself. This life is very short. You can achieve your goals as long as your intentions are pure. If Your intentions are pure you will have a better future,” he said. All in all, doubts that multifaceted artiste J-NiL can bring a radiant future for our music industry.