M.S.

"m.s." serves as a raw and unfiltered window into the psyche of a young artist navigating the turbulent waters of grief, mental health, and emerging fame. The title itself, an abbreviation for "Motivated Suicide," encapsulates the song's central paradox: the drive to succeed (motivation) fueled by or coexisting with the urge to give up (suicide).

The song functions on two primary levels:

• The Personal Tragedy: At its core, the track is an elegy for the artist's grandmother. The lyrics "Granny died, can't let my guard down / Ain't no one believed in me, but she did" reveal the source of the artist's isolation. Her death stripped him of his primary support system, forcing him to navigate the world alone. The "motivated suicide" might represent the feeling that without her, continuing to push forward requires a lethal amount of effort, or that he is killing his old, vulnerable self to survive the industry.
• Alienation and Ambition: The song explores the disconnect between the artist and his peers. By repeatedly stating "we not the same," he distances himself from "haters" and those who copy trends ("copy pasting"). He frames his success not as a joyous triumph, but as a desperate necessity—a "potion" to numb the pain or a "ceiling" he must break through to prove his worthiness of his grandmother's belief.

Ultimately, the song is a cry for help wrapped in the bravado of a rap anthem, illustrating how professional drive can often mask deep-seated personal depression.

The song begins with a stark, unsettling declaration that sets the tone for the entire piece: the narrator describes their state as a "motivated suicide." This oxymoronic opening immediately introduces a conflict between ambition and self-destruction. The lyrics quickly pivot to a stance of defiance and detachment, where the narrator claims they no longer care about the feelings of others, suggesting a hardening of their emotional exterior in response to pain.

As the verses progress, the narrator speaks of "reaching ceilings," symbolizing their ascent and the pressure to succeed. However, this success is hollowed out by a profound personal loss. A pivotal moment in the narrative reveals the death of the narrator's grandmother ("Granny died"), who is described as the only person who truly believed in them. This loss serves as a central anchor for the song's emotional weight, explaining the "guard down" vulnerability that persists despite the narrator's attempts to appear tough.

The song continues to contrast external markers of status—references to haters, competition, and rising above peers—with internal turmoil. The narrator repeatedly asserts that they and their detractors are "not the same," creating a boundary between their authentic pain and the superficiality they perceive in others. The recurring mention of "suicide" throughout the track suggests that the drive to succeed is inextricably linked to a desire to escape or end the pain, painting a portrait of a young artist trapped between the desire to live up to expectations and the crushing weight of grief.

"m.s." was released as an official lyric video on YouTube on December 6, 2024. The track was produced by @chakomadeit, a collaborator known for crafting the melodic, atmospheric beats that underpin Nora Kari's sound. The song appears to be part of a broader body of work, potentially associated with a project titled SNAKES (referenced in some music data sources with a 2025 date).

The creation of the song is deeply rooted in Nora Kari's personal timeline. emerging from the Canadian underground scene around 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the artist was only around 18 years old at the time of this track's release. The specific inspiration for "m.s." was the passing of his grandmother. This event acted as a catalyst, shifting his lyrical content from typical teenage tropes of "women, money, and cars" to something significantly more profound and sorrowful. The song reflects his reality as a young artist gaining viral traction (millions of views on YouTube) while simultaneously dealing with a private, devastating loss that the public cannot see.

The song follows a flow typical of modern melodic rap, often utilizing a triplet flow (three syllables packed into one beat) which adds a sense of urgency and tumbling momentum to the delivery. The rhyme scheme is generally AABB or loose free verse during the more conversational bridges, but tightens up in the hooks.

The rhymes rely heavily on assonance (vowel rhymes) rather than perfect rhymes. For example, pairing "feelings" with "ceilings" is a perfect rhyme, but he also likely bends words like "potion" and "ocean" or "same" and "name" to fit the melodic contour. The rhythm of the vocals often lags slightly behind the beat or rushes ahead of it, a stylistic choice that mimics the feeling of emotional instability—never quite being "on solid ground."

Musical Techniques:

• Melodic Flow & Auto-Tune: Nora Kari employs a melodic, sing-song rap style heavily processed with Auto-Tune. This technique, popularized by artists like Juice WRLD and Future, allows him to stretch vowels and inject a weeping, emotive quality into his voice, blurring the line between rapping and singing.
• Trap Percussion: The production by @chakomadeit features rapid-fire hi-hats and heavy 808 basslines characteristic of modern trap. This high-energy backdrop creates a dissonance with the melancholic lyrics, a hallmark of the "emo rap" genre.

Literary Techniques:

• Juxtaposition: The song constantly places opposing ideas side-by-side: doing good vs. wanting to die; haters' commentary vs. his inner truth; the noise of success vs. the silence of grief.
• Repetition: The phrase "motivated suicide" is repeated as a mantra, reinforcing the obsessive nature of the intrusive thoughts he is battling.
• Direct Address: He speaks directly to an ambiguous "you" (sometimes the haters, sometimes a past partner, sometimes the listener), creating an intimate and confrontational tone.

While Nora Kari is still an emerging artist in the underground scene, "m.s." represents a continuation of the Post-Juice WRLD era of rap. This subgenre has had a massive cultural impact on Gen Z, validating open discussions about mental health, medication, and suicide within the context of hip-hop culture.

By releasing "m.s.," Nora Kari contributes to the normalization of male vulnerability in rap. The song aligns with a broader movement in Canadian hip-hop that is moving away from purely hardened street tales toward more melodic, introspective, and emotionally raw narratives. His rise via platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud without major label backing highlights the current democratization of music, where raw emotion connects directly with fans globally.

The lyrics of "m.s." utilize several key symbols to convey the artist's emotional state:

• "Motivated Suicide": This central metaphor is an oxymoron. Suicide usually implies a loss of hope, while motivation implies a drive toward the future. Combining them suggests a state of "doom-driven success"—working oneself to death, or finding the motivation to continue living only through the dangerous thrill of living on the edge.
• "Reaching Ceilings": This image represents hitting limits or barriers. While often used to mean "the sky's the limit," here it feels more claustrophobic, as if he is hitting his head against the expectations placed upon him or the upper limits of his own mental endurance.
• "Potion": References to becoming a "potion" or using substances act as metaphors for numbing agents—ways to alter reality to make the grief manageable.
• "Copy Pasting": A digital metaphor used to describe his critics and peers. It symbolizes a lack of authenticity in the music scene, contrasting with his own "raw" and real pain. They are manufactured files; he is the original data.

"Motivated Suicide": The title phrase is the most significant motif. Its repetition acts as a grim reminder of the stakes involved in his life and career.

"We not the same": A common trope in hip-hop, but here it serves to isolate the artist in his grief. It reinforces the idea that his "dark" reality cannot be understood by those who are just "copy pasting" a lifestyle.

"Reaching": The action of "reaching" (for ceilings, for more) recurs, signifying a constant, exhausting striving for something just out of grasp—whether that be success, peace, or closure.