Rapper Joshua Thapa shares the inspiration behind ‘Walking with the King’ and his efforts to bring spirituality into hip-hop
CHRISTINE MACHADO | NT BUZZ
After releasing around 10 original tracks on his YouTube channel, rapper Joshua Thapa, known as Scientific Reality, has released his first gospel track, ‘Walking with the King’, a tribute to Jesus Christ inspired by his personal experiences and faith.
He says, “I wouldn’t call myself a traditionally religious person but I understand the importance of faith in my life. God has helped me navigate and overcome some of the darkest, most difficult phases of my journey.”
He believes faith is not limited to seeking support during difficult times but also involves acknowledging everyday blessings.
“Today, it feels like society tries to make darkness and devilish themes look cool but I wanted to flip that narrative. Walking with God and standing firm in your faith is the real flex,” he says.
Thapa says the track is meant for listeners to turn to during their daily commute, at the gym or in moments of uncertainty. “It’s a reminder to feel good about yourself and lean on your faith when doubts creep in.”
Although he completed the lyrics in April, Thapa took time before releasing the track. “I hold myself to a high standard of authenticity and to put out a track that gives praise to God and speaks on discipline, I knew I had to align my own lifestyle first,” he says.
The production was guided by his vision of a rich, atmospheric sound with choir-like backing vocals. After experimenting with Suno, an AI music-generation tool, he achieved the effect he wanted for the hook. Thapa says he wrote all the lyrics himself and used the app only to create the background vocal texture.
Based in Canada, Thapa shot the accompanying music video at St Peter and St Simon’s Church, with help from David Carrington. However, unpredictable weather and full-time work commitments made it difficult to coordinate the shoot and capture the desired lighting.
Thapa hopes the track reaches a wide audience but he is also interested in whether listeners connect with its message. He says, “We live in a world where everyone is chasing perfection but life and healing are messy and non-linear.”
He would also like to see more hip-hop artists address spirituality and inner healing, subjects he believes are part of the genre’s tradition of personal storytelling. “Hip-hop shouldn’t just stay in one box. There should be more rap songs made exploring spirituality, faith and inner healing. Hip-hop has always been about raw, authentic storytelling and giving a voice to real human struggles and what is a deeper part of the human experience than our spiritual journey?”
Thapa has no immediate releases planned but wants to record one or two tracks during an upcoming holiday in Goa, with plans to shoot the accompanying videos in Canada. “It’s a fun, cross-cultural creative workflow bringing that Goa energy into the studio and pairing it with the visual landscapes of Canada,” he says.
