Cricket legend Imran Khan once said Pakistan is a country of immense talent that pops up from the most surprising of places.
Abid Brohi fits this statement in the most appropriate way. For those of you who are not familiar with the name, Brohi is a 21-year-old rapper based in Sibi, Balochistan. He tells me he felt a strong inclination towards music since the age of four, which was surprising because coming from a lower-middle-class family, music was something that was never fully enjoyed among his siblings or parents or even his friends.
“By the time I turned 18 and was working at a small clothing store, when life felt monotonous and I realised I should be indulging in something I feel the most passionate about, which was music. So briefly at first, and then with a little more confidence, I started penning songs and rapping away,” Brohi says. “Of course, my family and friends knew I had a flair towards rap and music, but I had never thought of pursuing this interest of mine. There was a group called Flame Band. I sang at events with them and they would pay me enough to make ends meet,” he says.
Brohi has three sisters and is the youngest of five brothers. His mother works as a domestic helper. “I was born poor, but I don’t want to die poor. I want to make a name for myself, study hard and do my country proud. Working at a clothing store is not getting me anywhere,” he says.
In the past, he also worked at a tea stall in Sibi and as an errand boy at the Sibi Mela (Sibi Festival).
Brohi is brilliant at what he does. And no, I don’t mean selling clothes or making tea. He’s a fantastic rapper, and he is not even fully aware of how talented he is. “I look up to Pitbull and Bohemia as ultimate inspirations. I hope I can match their rapping prowess someday,” he says.
Brohi was discovered by Pakistani streaming platform Patari in his hometown, who encouraged him and signed him for a record.
The platform, through its Tabeer series, brings together voices from those areas of Pakistan that the mainstream has forgotten and pairs them with top producers to make six amazing songs. Brohi’s The Sibi Song created waves as soon as it was posted online and before he knew it, media organisations wanted him to themselves.
Other than romance, Brohi raps about his country and how the citizens should give back to Pakistan. “I feel comfortable with rapping in Punjabi and Sindhi, but I do want to learn English as well,” he says.
Some of Brohi’s other aspirations also include living a comfortable life and having access to the basic amenities of life. The young rapper suffers from peripheral oedema, which is caused by the retention of fluid in leg tissues, making legs and knees swell up. Owing to this, Brohi limps when he walks.
“I don’t want my mother to work as a maid or any of my sisters. I want to earn enough for all of them. I wish I could get my leg treated so I could feel normal. One of my sisters is suffering from a kidney problem and it hurts when I know I can’t afford her an operation or a surgery. If my talent or skills can get me to a place where I’m earning comfortably, then I’m willing to do whatever it takes to reach that level,” Brohi says while talking exclusively to Gulf News tabloid!.
He is self-taught and never had a mentor or a guide. “I have never even travelled outside Balochistan. Only but recently, when Patari Tabeer approached me for the The Sibi Song, was when I went to Karachi for the very first time. But even then, my trip was short and jam-packed with interviews and morning shows lined up, that I didn’t get a chance to explore the city.”
Brohi says he would like to get better at Persian. “Have you heard Allay Munja Mar Wara? I’m planning a rap version of it. I want to include Urdu, Balochi and Sindhi lyrics in this song.”
His newfound fame has opened new doors and while he expects to be financially stable, Brohi wants to stay true to his values. “Working as a salesboy at a clothing store is not something which I feel ashamed of. I just wish I made more money to make my dreams come true and if rapping professionally is one way of doing that, then why not? After all, they do say I’m talented,” Brohi laughs.
