“The EP is called How Much a Rhyme Costs? [because] I wanted to depict what an artist goes through mentally while expressing his or her heart—and what toll it takes to be vulnerable in such a state,” says Karma when asked how he came up with the title of this 2024 four-song collection. Each of the tracks finds the rapper—arguably the most well-known MC to emerge from the hillside city of Dehradun—in a ponderous yet punch-throwing mode as the beats backing him shift from dark to dancey. On this quartet of cuts, he addresses both foes who pretend to be friends and family members who continue to question his career choices. Below, he takes Apple Music through the making of the EP, track by track. “Sort It Out” “The beat is produced by Vision and the lyrics depict a very easy-going, confident and nonchalant mindset, stating that there’s no point in sorting out and talking about the past again and again. It’s okay to let things go and chase your own dream, staying focused in your own lane.” “Snake Bites” “I wanted to make something fun, which is easy to vibe and bounce to, while keeping the lyrics as raw as possible. ‘Snake’ is used for someone who is deceitful, so this trap track—produced by Retro Blxxd—is inspired by all of that and the life lessons a man can get during his journey.” “BADA” “This fun track is produced by KSHMR, who is known for his old-school, Bollywood sampling. We connected over social media. ‘BADA’ gives you a nostalgic feeling because of the flute sample with an early 2000s-style bounce. The song is about celebrating life, achievements and accomplishments.” “Karta Kya Hai” “‘Karta Kya Hai’ is a rager produced by Bharg and featuring Raftaar. It starts with a very warm, lo-fi vibe and escalates to a hard-knocking beat with tongue-twisting wordplays [and] the artists doing their thing.”