Tre Ess's Album Puts A Powerful Alt-Rap Spotlight On Jharkhand's Tribal Struggles

For the Munda tribe in Jharkhand, land is sacred — a lifeline and a legacy passed down through generations. They worship nature, honouring spirits called bonga and their ancestors, with each village guided by a guardian spirit they call 'Bongako'. Their religion, Sarnaism, reflects this deep bond with the natural world, along with an indigenous land ownership system called Mundari Khuntkatti, which emphasizes community over individualism and shares cultivated land among families.

But this deep connection to the land is also why the Munda people have had to fight so fiercely to protect it. In recent years, their sacred lands have come under threat from government policies, industrial expansion, and conflicts with insurgent groups. The Pathalgadi movement was their way of saying, 'Enough is enough'. By erecting massive stone slabs carved with constitutional rights, they demanded autonomy over their ancestral territories and control of their own governance. It was a bold stand in the face of mounting pressure, but it wasn’t without its challenges.

It’s this tense backdrop — the tug-of-war between heritage and urbanization; between survival and identity — that Ranchi-based rapper-producer Tre Ess channels into his EP, 'Sipping Off Troubled Waters'. Through his tracks, he paints a vivid, sometimes painful picture of life in Jharkhand’s tribal heartland, intersecting his personal experiences with the broader struggles of his community.

Hailing from Ranchi, Jharkhand, Tre Ess (Sumit Singh Solanki) is an artist who wears his roots on his sleeve. His second EP is a powerful commentary on tribal life and struggles that are often overlooked or misinterpreted in mainstream narratives. Through eight experimental hip-hop tracks, he blends personal anecdotes, socio-political commentary, and Jharkhandi culture, crafting a sound that’s as unique as it is impactful.

Tre Ess calls the album a 'crash course' in understanding the trials and resilience of Jharkhand’s people. From the broader issues of Naxal insurgency to the intimate struggles of tribal communities fighting for land rights, Tre Ess brings these stories to life. Tracks like Troubled Waters and Fakir deal with difficult topics with a remarkable transparency, while What Do Kids Know delves into the nuances of parent-child relationships. In Aparna, collaborating artist Gravity’s hard-hitting verses tackle the true story of a woman wrongfully detained in Ranchi. Meanwhile, the emotionally charged Mei X Superpower by 2020 acts as a heartfelt letter to his mother, punctuated by a darkly humorous nod to Rebecca Black's viral hit Friday.

What sets this album apart is its experimental sound. Tre Ess infuses his beats with Jharkhandi and North African samples, creating a lo-fi, textured vibe that sonically reimagines tradition for a more modern crowd. His approach to songwriting is refreshingly unorthodox, relying on improvisation and stream-of-consciousness lyrics that flow naturally over his beats. What you get, as a result is an album that feels deeply personal yet universally resonant.

Tre Ess’s ability to balance heavy themes with the subtle humour and intention that went into the production makes Sipping Off Troubled Waters a must-listen for anyone looking to explore the depths of alternative Indian hip-hop. The emotional intelligence with with the artist approaches a difficult conversation about displacement and the identity of his tribal community is the perfect gateway for empathy people from a more privileged reality respond to.

Follow Tre Ess here and listen to Sipping Off Troubled Waters below:

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