Love, Lure And Life Lessons - Jani Reflects On New Ep Emotional Baggage

"We have all fallen in love at some point in our lives," says Jani. His new EP Emotional Baggage walks us through the process. Karachi rapper Muhammad Ali Khan, commonly known as Jani, has collaborated with celebrated hip hop producer Jokhay for Emotional Baggage, and is currently working on another album due to release in the first half of 2026. The new EP comprises of four fresh tracks and features Karachi artist Shareh. Breaking down the album for The Express Tribune, Jani said in the song Miracles he wrote about losing oneself in love. "...the experience of love without any ego or consideration for the self can sometimes be detrimental for us." This brings up to step two, Two of Us, in which Jani evokes selfworth and raps about realising one's value despite suffering in the depths of feeling. In Nazna, he reflects on the bigger picture, the lessons love leaves us with no matter its end. "Kahin nazar nahi aana mujhe ab tum," he raps, nonchalantly. The last track, Fall Apart, brings the protagonist home. Or rather, above and beyond, with a deeper understanding of being in love, falling out of it, being apart, and yet in love with what once was. The song hits as a waypoint, as if the protagonist has undertaken an ardous journey and is now appreciative of the view from the top. The track touches on the blessings and limitations of poetic expression as well. Jani's current monthly listeners on spotify surpass 365,000 and his stream count stands at 73 million. In this album he creates a riveting character arc, relatable for many, and supplemented well by Jokhay's moody and nocturnal trap production. The rapper's creative universe is rooted in local language and Karachi's street culture. His music comes to life through nuanced storytelling and visual flair. Miracles is the standout track on this EP. Jokhay gives us a wavy jersey club style beat laced with some emotional vocal samples and rolling his hats. “The bar count on jersey club beats is slightly different, flow switches sound very smooth over instrumentals in this style,” says Jani. “Miracles is great, but my personal favourite song on the EP would probably be Nazna.” Read: In Umair's expanding universe, hip hop stars align for 'String Theory' The rapper's chemistry with Johkay is undeniable in this album. The drums, hi-hats and background melodies often transition as Jani's flow switches. Each instrument appears tailored to the lyrical composition on the record. “There were no hip hop producers before [Johkay] him, he opened the door for everyone in Pakistan,” says Jani. “Umair, Superdupersultan, he taught all of them how to produce. He is a mentor figure for everyone in the industry, I have learned a lot from him myself." When asked about branching out into different genres, styles and other languages, Jani says he has been considering adding Punjabi lyrics in his new album though it is not his first language. Jani prefers to keep his creative process as authentic as possible. "Oftentimes, I leave lyrics unfinished before going to the studio,” he says. “This helps me keep the bars raw, honest and unfiltered. People relate more to that anyways.” Overthinking or spending too much time on one idea can get in the way of this, says Jani, insisting that you have to let your creativity, your ideas flow. Preserving authenticity is crucial for both audiences and artists, he adds. Reflecting on his early days in Karachi's music scene, Jani recalled that he had never shied away from experimenting. “Back when I first started out, people used to doubt me for using autotune. ”Now look around, everyone in Pakistan is using it,” says Jani proudly. New artists must be patient and persistent, said the rapper. They should focus on their craft and build connections instead of chasing monetary success if they want to make their way in today's music scene, he said. The Express Tribune asked Jani some rapid fire questions. If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, which would it be? Justice by Justin Bieber What is your favourite song these days? Saturday Morning by Cordae and Lil Wayne Who is your biggest musical inspiration? Probably Juice Wrld, but from a business perspective I would say Drake Who's one artist you listen to the most these days? I have been listening to a lot of ghazals lately, apart from that i’m listening to a lot of Silk Sonic’s music as well.