On his philosophical 2025 album Priceless, the superstar rapper, singer and composer Dino James does a 180-degree flip from his last full-length release Paapi, the 2024 party-starting project made with fellow MC Shah Rule. “Priceless isn’t just a bunch of songs,” says James. “It’s a mirror to my soul. This album came from scars, solitude and self-realisation.”   Over 10 emotionally rendered tracks in Hindi and English, James looks back at his eventful life and narrates what he describes as “a cinematic journey of a modern-day warrior who’s walked through fire and found gold—not in fame or validation, but in vulnerability, resilience and truth”. Here, he shares with Apple Music the inspiration behind six songs handpicked from the set.   “Still Here” “It’s not about victory, but about endurance. I stand tall not out of arrogance, but because I survived. Every line reflects my journey and the scars I now wear like medals.”   “Mama Told Me” “A tribute to the advice that never left me. It’s full of love, legacy and grounding energy. The hard part was making something so personal feel universal and not overly sentimental.”   “Sorry” “This is my rawest confession. No masks, no pride—just my truth. I unpack regret, heartbreak and the need to own my mistakes. It’s an apology to the world, to someone specific, and to myself. Recording this was tough. Each take felt like reopening a wound.”   “Voices” “This was a haunting conversation I had with myself. It captures that silent war between my doubts and my destiny. I poured in the overthinking, hesitation and that paralysing fear of stepping into my true path.”   “Leap of Faith” “It’s about that decision to evolve, even when the future’s a mystery. I made this with my longtime producer Nilesh, and we focused on the dynamic shifts and cinematic build-ups.”   “Azaad” “This is me breaking every chain. It has that gritty, underground trap production, with layered vocals that add to the chaos. It was hard keeping it raw while still making it musically structured and tight.”