21 | Rolling Stone | July 2019
A
s part of their
146th-anniversa-
ry celebrations,
denim brand Levi’s took over
Mumbai’s Famous Studios
last month and turned it into
a mini music festival of sorts
for their Levi’s 501 Day. On
the bill included Mumbai
singer-songwriters Mali and
Alisha Pais, Queens-based
hip-hopper Bas, Washington
D.C.-bred rapper Oddisee,
electronica artist DJ QBERT,
London DJ Raji Rags, Shil-
long-based hip-hop artist
Meba Ofilia and a set by
Indo-British DJ Pia Collada.
First up were singer-song-
writers Mali and Pais, who
were the perfect start to the
evening with their pleasant
tunes. Mali juggled between
guitar and piano perform-
ing songs off her 2017 debut
EP Rush as well as her emo-
tional single “Play” an ode to
her grandfather. Pais with her
husky vocals and acoustic gui-
tar-driven sound played tracks
such as the groovy “Up,” the
poignant “Reflections” and the
blissful “Purple Heart” among
others. Both artists ensured
that everyone in attendance
was warmed up for the rest of
the evening.
Over at the main stage, we
caught the magnificent Meba
Ofilia accompanied by herband. The hip-hop artist’s
soulful rapping embellished
with R&B proved to us why
she won Best Indian Act
at last year’s MTV Europe
Music Awards alongside
Shillong-based Big Ri [fromhip-hop group Khasi Bloodz]
for their banging track “Done
Talking.” Next, DJs Raji Rags
and Pia Collada both played
high-energy sets with Raji
Rags spinning mixes of tracks
by Childish Gambino, Ken-drick Lamar and Kanye West.
The DJ also brought his
scratching skills to the table.
At this point, the audience
was pumped and right on cue
came out Oddisee. During his
performance, the American
rapper spoke about U.S. Presi-
dent Donald Trump, immigra-
tion issues in his country andeven joked about the price of
avocados going up if a wall was
built between America and
Mexico. Oddisee’s staggering
set included tracks such as the
glitchy “Hold It Back,” the pi-
ano-driven “Lifting Shadows,”
funk-leaning songs “Want To
Be” and “That’s Love,” the me-
lodic sing-along “Like Really”
and the hard-hitting “Ready
To Rock.”
American rapper Bas lived
up to his name and was one of
the highlights of the evening.
The energy of the venue went
through the roof as the hip-
hop artist took the stage and
interacted with the audience.
Bas rolled out tunes like the
pleasing “My Nigga Just Made
Bail,” the lo-fi “Fragrance,” the
chilled-out “Front Desk” and
his magnum opus “Tribe.”
The closing act for the
evening was a set by DJ
QBERT. Bas had left the
crowd on a high, after which
DJ QBERT showcased his
trip-hop and futuristic sounds
as well as skillful turntable
scratching. Throughout the
evening the music flowed
superbly ensuring that every-
one in attendance went home
happy. We’re already looking
forward to next year’s Levi’s
501 Day and can’t wait to see
what the denim brand has in
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEVI’S store for us. ROLLING STONE INDIA
KEEPING IT REAL
From top: Levi’s 501 Day main
stage, London DJ Raji Rags and
electronica artist DJ QBERT.