Rapper Gubbi revamps Dr. Rajkumar's 1978 hit with 'If You Come Today 2.0'

'If You Come Today 2.0', the new bilingual rap remix by Bengaluru rapper Karthik Gubbi, has surpassed one million views on YouTube since its October 8 release.

What Happened

The track updates Dr. Rajkumar's 1978 song 'If You Come Today', originally from the film Operation Diamond Racket and composed by GK Venkatesh. Gubbi wrote English‑Kannada lyrics after listening to the original many times and shifted from his usual rap style to a pop‑oriented sound. Sampling and production were handled by SYNKFLO, mixing traditional Indian music with electronic grooves, reggaeton beats and a disco hook. The video, directed by Niranjan Kumar, features Gubbi, actress Nithya Shri, and the OGX dance crew as diamond robbers.

Reaction

Gubbi said the remix is “for the people; it is an extension of the existing song and a tribute to its ideation.” Nandith Jaisimha of Studio 080 noted that “hip‑hop is at its peak and has made a comeback with more people accepting it.” He also mentioned that Saregama Kannada gave the artists full creative freedom, which they believe led to the track’s success. Gubbi explained the sampling process: taking segments of the original, looping them and adding beats before layering his rap.

Context

The original song is remembered as the first English song in a Kannada film, and its modern version reflects Bengaluru’s growing indie‑hip‑hop scene and the blending of regional music with global styles.