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Desperado was a superb track. And it made it to the reels and you turned the notch up by dropping this spicy and fiery track Chingari. How and when was this track conceived? Before Desperado or after Desperado? And how did you rope in DIVINE for this?
Desperado had already been released. There was another song of mine which was called ‘Chorro’, that was drawn up as the next single. But then I got a text from Mushtaq that he was working on something and he felt really strongly about it. I was like I will fly into Dubai and we recorded it. The thing about Chingari is that it is entirely different from anything in my canon. So it felt a bit risky in the sense that it was an ode to Hip-Hop. Had DIVINE not chosen to jump on the record, it might have been the 3rd or 4th single. But I think just being the 50th year celebration of Hip-Hop around the world, what this genre meant to me as a fan, as an artist, as a writer, as a musician and we felt that if we push this out this year itself, it would be apt. And the thing about Hip-Hop is that it influences every genre now. And when DIVINE said he wanted to be on the record, it was a no-brainer.
Props also goes to Mushtaq for producing this. It’s an impeccable arrangement and it brings three eras together. The era of Kishore Kumar, Mohd Rafe, the era that you started with your music and then the current era where Hip Hop is one of the popular genres. What was it like working with him on this track?
That’s the thing about me and Mushtaq, we have similar and yet different upbringings. We listen to the same music. I am in my early 40s now so it’s like the span of music I’ve listened to is diverse. I grew up in a home with Kishore Kumar and Michael Jackson. And that turned into Dr Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent when I was in High School. So it was effortless in the sense that we authentically fuse ourselves with every song. Mushtaq is incredible. If this was self-contrived in any way or forcing it for the Hip-Hop celebration, it would have been evident. But Mush is a Hip-Hop head. And then, we were motivated that it is a Hindi track because that’s what makes us special I think.
This is a type of track which truly deserves a music video. Whether we’ll get to see one in the coming year? And if yes, how do plan to give that extra visual edge to the song?
I really want to do a music video but with me being in Canada and DIVINE being in India, it’s a little difficult. Either the music video has to feature both of us or neither of us. A record has to feel absolutely right when it is released and in this case, I don’t think we have gotten there in terms of what the music video concept or idea should be. One thing that I learnt from Desparado is that we live in a world where there is no timeline. Records live forever. Teri baaton was trending again last week. So I am not in a rush to make this particular video until I know or feel that it is perfect and is purely collaborative.
How did the collaboration with DIVINE come through?
I flew out to meet him. DIVINE first asked to feature on a record called ‘Mirchi’ during Covid but it couldn’t come to fruition. So when I reached out to him on this one, I didn’t hear back for a couple of days. And normally that means someone is not interested but he has a different energy. He hit me up a week later and was like ‘I love it’. That was the most delayed love response I have ever recieved in my life(chuckles). He told me he was going to do it in the studio but I told him that I’ll be more comfortable if I come and meet you. So we met in Mumbai, had a chat and talked about music. We didn’t even talk about the song. He is somebody that I respect and I thought creatively he is someone whom I want on my record number. I feel privileged to have that. The fact that he chose to be a part of this is very special for me.
Apart from DIVINE, which other rappers would you like to collaborate with?
I really like Homi Dilliwala. I think he has signed Honey Singh and there is something about him that is quite melodic that I like. I like Emiway. Badshah has an incredible pop feel. I think one day I’ll do a record with Yo Yo Honey Singh. What I really like about him is that he is a music fan and he always acknowledges the trajectory of that artist career has meant to him. The cool part of this discussion is that 20 years ago when my career started, there was no thought in my mind that 20 years from now, I could have Hindi raps in my record. The impact that Indian Hip Hop is having is incredible. The rest of the world which is not in India is paying attention. And that doesn’t matter. It matters because it’s based on merits. Like Amitabh Bachchan’s characters in the 80s, he played the young angry man. There was something about that, that translated into where society was headed. And everything connected so well that he became a superstar. There is something about Hip-Hop that connects in an even more authentic way, that it takes the whole genre in the South Asian diaspora. It’s like Hip-Hop was meant to be there. I am kind of proud because when I started my career, people told me not to put rappers in my records. And to see how those walls have been entirely broken down over the last 20 years is very special.
After Desperado, you have turned more active on YouTube. And it has changed a lot since you were last active. How has that platform been crucial in your comeback and how are you are curating your content?
For the most part, I have been very lucky that I plant a seed and people take it in a certain way. They kind of carry it on their shoulders. With Desperado, it was extra special. With Chingari, I think it’s gonna take more time. And then the next record which is tentatively a song called ‘Chorro’ is more in the vein of Desperado. I am really proud that we took a risk with Chingari because it was definitely a record that was out of the box. It feels like there’s no rules anymore. As far as the role YouTube has played, it’s huge. We have over 2 billion usages of Desperado and that is a number I am not sure how to wrap my head around. I was trying to re-enter the scene and make a comeback and my thought process was that it would take three-four singles over a period of 18 months to really gauge whether or not people wanted me back in the scene. It’s been entirely overwhelming because I am completely out of the scene but because of the historic love that people have for my music, the internet has given me a second chapter. It’s really special and now it’s up to me to make sure it continues. But we can intellectualize so much of it but most of it, it’s not down to marketing, it’s not down to anything other than ‘do people fall in love with or does it catch fire”. That’s a good reminder to myself not to get too high when records connect or too low when they take more time. I have enough music left in me, there’s more ‘Desparado’ in me, if that makes sense.
2023 was a bountiful year for you. You have two chartbusters under your belt and Raghav 2.0 has come with so many hidden facets that one wasn’t aware of. What were some of your biggest learnings this year and what did you discover about yourself?
The hardest thing that I learnt this year was that you have to have a mental bandwidth to withstand both the positivity and negativity that comes your way online. I am very lucky that there is very little negativity that’s there. But the idea that you base your art on the feedback you get is something you have to resist. Everybody’s got an opinion and these are people you want to keep happy because they are supporters of yours. So when you have a hit record like Desparado, I was able to do anything on my own and be in the creative process. And then, other factors come into picture when you deliver a bit record. For me to make the kind of records that I make, I need time and space to make them. I am not going to take as much time as I used to in the years previously but it can be overwhelming to take in all the commentary on your record. In 2023, it was overwhelmingly positive but if something has a collateral benefit, the yang of it can have collateral damage. You just want to do right by everybody, people who are involved in that process. That responsibility can be overwhelming because you do not want to let the music down or the record down. But you have to keep it within the bandwidth of what you are capable of. The music industry is a beautiful, wonderful place but it is also a very strange, bizarre place sometimes. And that ‘managing the noise that is relevant to listen to and the noise that is good to keep at arm’s length’ is really hard, especially if you are doing it on your own.
I heard your Dad’s eulogy on your channel and it came straight from the depths of your heart. In what way he was the primary force behind your musical inclination? How did he support you and what role he has to play in this journey?
My grandfather was not very supportive. My father wanted to study engineering in Germany in the 1950s and I don’t think my Dadaji took that well. And perhaps understandably so at that juncture of time. That was difficult for my dad. I think it came at a great cost, to go against his father’s wishes. He would articulate over his life, how much that hurt him. How he felt perhaps that by studying abroad and starting a life abroad, he would win his validation. But it was entirely opposite. And so often, generationally, parents get presented with decisions where they say they were treated unfairly by their own parents. But when the time comes for them to live by the same standards that they wished their parents lived by, they can’t do it. And my dad was the opposite. And he got a son who would pick something weirder than engineering but he was unconditionally supportive. There were times when both my parents were worried before my original success but they were always supportive. And what that does is that it takes away the fear of failure. That backing, that naivete that it will happen at some point meant the world to me. My mother is very creative. She co-wrote several of my songs. One story about my dad is that when I came back home in 2003, I was writing a song on the main floor and my parents were upstairs and I asked Mum if she could pen some Hindi lyrics and I gave her the tune of the song. But the most excited person in the house was my dad. Despite not being able to be the kind of guy who was part of that creative process, he would share ideas, help and be excited in any way he could. And that is the most important thing in my life. My parents understood that my happiness was tied to being an artist and they allowed me to see that through to a degree that I don’t give up before the miracle happened.
As an artist, what do you hope for 2024 and whether you would like to take your new music on the road anytime soon?
One thing that I regretted this year is that I didn’t do one show in India. So my priority for 2024 is performing in India, to celebrate Desperado and also because 2024 is the 20th anniversary of Storyteller and I have some ideas like I want to do Storyteller unplugged. So my goal for this year, beyond releasing more records is to get to India more often and perform there. I think I haven’t done a show there since before Covid.
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