What gets prolific Punjabi hitmaker Parmish Verma pumping? The “Rubicon Drill” artist tells Apple Music that diving into a diverse playlist of his favourite songs is often the source for daily motivation. “I start off with some slow songs with deep lyrics—they generally get me into a motivated zone where I grab my thoughts together and mentally prepare for a lifting session,” he says. Verma counts everyone from hip-hop heavyweights like Ice Cube and Lil Wayne to Punjab’s Sidhu Moose Wala as his go-to artists for when he needs to draw strength, both physically and mentally. “I avoid house music or anything [that comes with] a carefree attitude. I prefer strong lyrics and strong beats.” On the flip side, when it comes to focus or relaxation, Verma turns to devotional bhajans like “Bajrang Baan” and “Hanuman Chalisa”, plus Sikh spiritual poetry of yore—vaars—in the Sikh thesis of the Japji Sahib. He says it gets his “energy to be centred and my mind in control”. When it’s time for an endurance stretch or a 15-minute run, Verma says: “I compose my thoughts and dedicate my energy to the almighty.” Below, the artist takes us through four un-skippable songs from his motivational playlist. Parmish Verma & Pardhaan, “Aam Jahe Munde” “The story of my life—my all-time motivation. It reminds me of my beginning and prepares me for any goal in life.” Sidhu Moose Wala, “Mafia Style” “It’s for the celebration after putting in hard work.” Parmish Verma & Laddi Chahal, “Patiala Flow” “I mostly train in my gym at home. And my home is Patiala. I stand tall and proud. During training, I keep my head high about representing my city and my background.” Ice Cube, “Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It” “I’m always remembering the hate, the doubts, and the insults thrown at me. So I never give up or take the easy route. I have goals to meet and faces to beat, haters to defeat and in the end laugh back at them ‘cause ‘they made me do it’.”