he year was 2014. Naved
Shaikh, aka Naezy, an
angst-ridden college-goer
in Mumbai, uploaded
a single called Aafat!
on his iPad. The
phenomenal response
led him to release
a few more singles, and
collaborate with popular
rapper Divine for Mere Gully Mein in- The track consolidated his status as
a pioneer of the gully rap movement in
India. In fact, he emerged as the pioneer
of the Mumbai rap scene. His rising
popularity and his authentic, razor-sharp
lyrics on everyday situations, lashing out
at social inequalities, caught Bollywood’s
attention. Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy (2019)
was loosely based on his life. In a candid
chat, the Sachin Tendulkar and AR
Rahman fan, who relates with celebrated
American rapper Kendrick Lamar, speaks
about his journey.
How has hip-hop been a game-
changer for you?
Hip-hop is an inextricable part of my life.
Before I started, life wasn’t easy. There
was no satisfaction, no goal, no purpose.
Once hip-hop came along, everything
changed. I started performing on stage,
letting people know about the art form
I pursued. This gave my life that
much-needed impetus.When did you realise that rap was
your calling?
In the beginning, we would freestyle
cipher at tea stalls or on college
campuses. When I saw the huge crowd at
my first college performance, I realised
that I was where I belonged.How did you cope without support
from your family?
My parents were miffed; they didn’t want
me to rap or perform. They couldn’t
understand, even though I tried my best
to explain. The opposition continued and
slowed down things. I was emotionally
unbalanced at the time. Regardless,
I pushed myself. I’m trying to overcome
setbacks slowly and steadily.What were your initial challenges
in the rap scene?
It was hard. People couldn’t understand
me; I couldn’t understand them. There
was a language barrier and I faceddifficulties due to it. But the wheel is
turning. Now, I can understand people
better; they can relate to me too. The
language barriers are dissolving. Things
are looking up!Tell us about creating Aafat!.
Aafat! happened when I was going
through a bad phase. I couldn’t make up
my mind about certain things in college.
Those who were supposed to support
me were criticising me, thinking I was
a loser. I could feel the anger build. One
night I vented those pent-up frustrations,
and with the few resources I had,
I created the video and uploaded it. You
can call it the first step in my career.What’s next?
I have composed a few songs on my
personal journey. I am also collaborating
with artistes such as Ayushmann
Khurrana and Sashank Arora. Something
is in the pipeline with Divine and Raftaar
as well. Amid all of it, I am preparing for
a dream project. That’s all I will say!Naezy firmly believes that his craft can bring
in social change. Hemchhaya De speaks to
the face of the gully rap movement in IndiaRHYME
AND REASON
AAFAT! HAPPENED
WHEN I WAS
GOING THROUGH
A BAD PHASE
T
THE BIG STORY