Divine gives Indian rap a good rep

When Indian rapper Divine wrote the song Apna Time Aayega (our time will come) for the Ranveer Singh-starrer Bollywood film Gully Boy (one of the biggest grossers of the year inspired in parts by his life and featuring his music), little did he know he was penning an iconic catchphrase that would embed itself into the cultural conversation and even on memes and T-shirts. But timing has always played a crucial role in the life of India’s biggest rapper – from spitfire rhymes that never miss a beat, to breaking out into the underground rap scene with songs Yeh Mera Bombay (2013) and the viral hit Mere Gully Mein (2015, with Naezy) at a time when India was swept by the smartphone and 4G boom, and having mainstream music labels sign him up without even having to try.

Success didn’t come easy for the Mumbai-born rapper whose real name is Vivian Fernandes.

Growing up in the slums of JB Nagar, where he was raised by his grandmother after he and his older brother escaped the clutches of an abusive father – while their mother worked overseas to make ends meet – it was easy for the 28-year-old musician to go astray. Rap music, however, wafted into his life, redirecting him from becoming a cautionary tale to an aspirational rags-to-riches story that Bollywood wanted a piece of.

And for good reason too. Divine is the first Indian rapper to be signed by an American label (American rapper Nas’s Mass Appeal), the first Hindi rapper to free-style on BBC Radio’s Fire in the Booth segment with Charlie Sloth, and the first Indian artist to appear on Apple Beats’ popular Ebro Darden show. That’s not all. His song City Slums (2016) with Grammy nominated Indian-American rapper Raja Kumari grabbed over 19 million views on YouTube.

He might be the first among equals in India’s homegrown rap scene but what ranks first on his list is giving back to the streets and community he grew up in, which is why he’s launched Gully Gang Entertainment – a record label that aims to bridge the gap between up-and-coming rappers and opportunities. ‘I think as an artist we must take responsibility sometimes and not leave it to the corporate guys,’ he says.

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Excerpts from a phone interview ahead of his concert at Dubai World Trade Centre on September 20 with Indian rapper Raftaar.

From discovering hip-hop on a T-shirt with a picture of 50 Cent, to collaborating on a song with Nas, what’s your journey been like?

I’m living my dream. I’m dreaming! I was in eighth grade when I saw a school friend wearing a 50 Cent shirt and discovered rap. He gave me my first CD of rap songs featuring the 90s hip-hop stars like Eminem, Tupac, Biggie... It was completely different from the Konkani music my [late] grandmum, who raised me, would play at home. From hanging out in a corner of college trying to learn by rote their songs to working on a song (NY Se Mumbai, 2019) with Nas – it’s been a dream come true. That’s one thing ticked off my bucket list.

Is that the proudest career moment?

That, and when last year I held my own music festival in Bombay called Gully Fest and it sold out 3,000 tickets in some 15 minutes. Only EDM and Bollywood have had that kind of impact so far.

When you started out, your songs were about your struggles (of growing up with an abusive father, a broken family). What will they be about now that you’ve achieved success?

See, my struggles and life haven’t changed very drastically. Yes, I’m in a very happy phase and can’t complain and so my music will convey the happiness and success I’m experiencing now. Success to me is not being in the spotlight but giving back and I’ll be giving back with great music – I’ve tried to raise the bar a little higher in terms of quality and sound. My music style won’t change in terms of writing. Even when I was starting off, with songs like Jungli Sher and Mere Gully Mein, it wasn’t always about poverty and struggles. Those songs also had a happy, upbeat side.

How has life changed for you after Gully Boy?

I knew Gully Boy would release three years before it hit the big screen but it wasn’t like I depended on its success – so life hasn’t changed much for me. But it’s been an important stepping stone for the whole [hip-hop] scene. So many music labels and brands are supporting hip-hop. Gully Boy introduced people to the existence of hip-hop and what exactly it is. However, the film showed the musical side of hip-hop very nicely but it doesn’t define hip-hop all the way because there are many elements of hip-hop culture yet to receive their due, such as breakdancing, DJ-ing and graffiti.

Is that why you decided to make the documentary Gully Life?

With Gully Life I just wanted to share my personal life with my fans. I’m just a kid from a corner [of India] doing this, I’m nothing special – I just happen to have a mike. That’s the only difference. With Gully Life I just wanted to show my neighbourhood (Andheri’s JB Nagar) and things people don’t usually see, such as my friends or my family, especially my mother. Ninety-five per cent of my life is in that documentary.

Your songs have always mentioned how your mother, Nathaline, has been integral to your success. What does she say now?

She’s very happy, yaar! She’s very proud of me and that’s the only thing I’ve managed to do well – keep her happy and bring her back home (she was working abroad as a nanny and in housekeeping). All her reactions are [priceless] but the best is that she sings my songs. Whenever we talk and when I request her to sing, she sings my songs to me and it’s very embarrassing. But it’s also very funny.

Who have been your inspirations?

My friends – they’ve been the ones behind the scenes pushing me to go and do what I want to do. They’re not from this music background. They’re all doing normal 9-5 jobs so when I get on stage, it’s an achievement for them also. They deserve every bit of the success that I have.

Some rappers and members of the hip-hop community accuse you of being a sell-out…

I don’t think that working in Bollywood is being a sell-out. The tracks I’ve done for Bollywood are the Gully Boy tracks and they’ve have been very helpful for the whole scene. The other songs I’ve done are with Anurag Kashyap and Nucleya on Mukkabaaz and another one with Amit Trivedi for the Irrfan Khan starrer Blackmail – all of them are great musicians that people dream of working with. I don’t pay attention to the flak. I can’t tell everyone to like my music...

Some people have created diss tracks (songs verbally attacking an artist)…

I’ve been in the game for 10 years and this [negative] side of hip-hop has never attracted me. The audience makes it big because they like the tamasha (drama). As artists we should just concentrate on making good albums and good songs that will stay with us forever. Diss tracks don’t affect me [but] it makes me happy because it means I’m relevant and important enough for people to talk about me.

Why do you think India’s hip-hop movement grew in such a big way?

Hip-hop was the first sound that [was different from Bollywood] and made noise. It was the genre that was vocal about things about a different side of Mumbai where people are struggling to get jobs or even the little things, the problems we face in our community or at home. It’s about everyday life and experiences. That’s what [elevates] the [gully rap] movement to a cult – not because it’s rags-to-riches but because [our lyrics] are personal and straightforward; it’s a thriving vibrant scene that’s of the people and it’s for the people.

That’s the most beautiful part about hip-hop. And it’s never going to die. A lot of people line-up when they know I’m at home or I’ve come to visit my mother to tell me they’re very proud [of my work]. It’s because they’ve seen how I’ve [represented] my locality, my hood.

Will Mumbai always be an integral part of your music?

Yeah, always! Bombay is the best part about my music. It’s been the backbone, the city is the teacher I’ve never had and something I look up to always. I’m proud of my city.

How do you maintain the balance between creating music that’s personal and socially relevant yet commercially viable?

There’s no formula to make a hit song. With a song like Azadi, I just addressed socio-economic inequalities I’d been seeing since I was young and that continue in our society even now. As an artist we’re responsible to a certain extent about what’s going on in our society. Mere Gully Mein was a very underground song, but it surprisingly went mainstream. Apna Time Aayega was one song I never imagined would be so big. Maybe it became a hit because Ranveer did the song and it was rightly placed in the movie. [But it’s gone beyond just a hit song] – I’m seeing Apna Time Aayega on T-shirts, saris, water bottles. So, you can never [predict] what people will like.

How does it feel that these lyrics you wrote have become a cultural anthem?

That’s the best feeling in the world! People ask me what’s the best part about making music – it’s when I’m on stage and people sing back my lyrics; when [my songs] take a life of their own.

Ranveer Singh spent a lot of time with you and (fellow rapper) Naezy to prepare for Gully Boy. Did he do a good job?

I think he did good! He’s brilliant, one of the top actors in our country now and mad respect to him for taking up such a [role] – it’s not easy to be a rapper. I don’t think anyone else in Bollywood could have done that role. He also performed the songs very well – I liked how he performed Apna Time Aayega. I think Ranveer should do another rap – he brings in a different flavour.

What kind of role has social media and YouTube played in the success of Indian hip-hop?

A big role. [Hip-hop] broke out in the era of 4G and smartphones when the prices of internet dropped and made YouTube and social media easily accessible to everybody. We were lucky to be in a spot where [technologically] everything worked out for us. YouTube is something I take very seriously even now because as Indians we like seeing our music in visuals.

Why is it that even post-Gully Boy, rap is still a filler in Bollywood songs?

I think the mindset [about rap] has changed but yes I haven’t seen any Bollywood songs that are rap songs from start to finish. Which is why we hip-hop artists should make our own fanbase and cater to these fans so we’re not dependent on Bollywood for revenues or shows. You don’t need to go to Bollywood to be a big artist.

What are you looking forward to about your performance in Dubai and what would you like to tell your fans here?

I’m very excited. Dubai is one place where I feel I have a lot of fans who connect with my music. I’ve played there once or twice but those were smaller venues. This is the first time I’m coming after Gully Boy and I’m coming with a band, it’s a different kind of a set – I’m going to give a preview of my debut album Kohinoor at the show [the title track releases today], and there’s some music on there that’s inspired by Dubai. Plus, I’m performing with Raftaar who’s an amazing artist and he’s from North India, so you’ll get to experience two different styles of rap.

Catch Divine and Raftaar’s concert It’s All About Rap on September 20 at Za’abeel Hall 6, Dubai World Trade Centre. Show starts at 9pm, tickets are available from Dh95.20 at platinumlist.net.