The lyrics of ‘Death Threats’ originate from the podcast When a Rapper Tries to Change the World by Karachi-based rapper and comedian Ali Gul Pir and producer Taimoor Salahuddin, aka Mooroo. The episode was produced for the Norient exhibition Seismographic Sounds: Visions of a New World in 2015. Ali Gul Pir offers biting satire and humour and shows a lot of courage. He attacks political and social issues in Pakistan head-on, and he does so on national TV and not hidden on the Internet, for small elite circles exclusively. Ali Gul Pir received death threats and inspired hot controversies.

Interview Skit:
After the first few death threats
I knew I had to make a choice
I had to decide if I’m gonna do this
Or if I’m not gonna do this
Because I was not gonna go soft
I was gonna say what
I was gonna say
If I’m gonna speak
I’m gonna speak my mind
If I’m not gonna speak
Then I’m not gonna speak at all
So I decided to speak
And I decided to take that and face the repercussions alone
And every day, several people die in my city
– you know, in Karachi, every day, there are a number of people who are dying
And maybe one day, I’ll just be one of the numbers, you know
And everything will stop in the middle of me
Trying to so called change everything
I’ll be gone without notice
But you know, you hope that
Even though you are alone as an artist
And you are not as connected to the whole world
And your country is labelled
I mean the world’s most dangerous country
You try to give it some good name
You try to do your bit
And not much
Just save the world in your own way

Quote:
‘In Karachi, every day, there are number of people who are dying, and maybe one day, I’ll just be one of the numbers, you know?’

Quote:
‘You try to do your bit, not much, just save the world in your own way’.

Music written and produced by Thomas Burkhalter and Daniel Jakob
Voice by Ali Gul Pir, recorded by Taimoor Salahuddin for Norient