Along with Smugglaz, he counts as influences Loonie, Ron Henley, and Gloc-9, whose wordplay, context, rhymes, and narratives he aspires for in his own work. The name Shanti Dope meanwhile is borne of the influence of his father, who was a practitioner of Krishna Consciousness. Shanti is the sanskrit word for “peace,” which, alongside “dope” could mean “Peace is my natural drug.” This call for peace, given songs that actually speak of injustice and inequality, that insists on discussing the state of the nation, is what sets him apart from many rappers his age.
In less than a week after “Materyal” EP release, the carrier single “Nadarang” shot straight to the NUMBER ONE spot on Spotify PH’s Top 50 Viral Chart. Not only that, three other songs from the EP entered the chart as well — Materyal (#10), Shantidope (#15) and Norem (#50).
