HIP HOP WITH A DESI TWIST, HERE’S EXO NAWAB FOR YOU!
What constitutes the life of a young musician? Is it the
struggle to belong, the constant urge to hustle, or the need to make yourself
heard in a crowd of millions?
With the Youtube revolution and young rappers like Badshah,
Raftaar, Bohemia taking the music circuit by storm, we now have a flood of
young rapping artistes flooding the music scene with gripping and sometimes
though provoking poetry and raps and Exo Nawab is one of them.
Catchy lyrics and powerful diction are exactly what made
artistes like Tupac Shakur, Eminem and many other rappers to dominate the
sphere of music in the midst of vocal prowess and melodious compositions to
make an identity of its own.
Young people today are looking for foot tapping, fetching
lyrics along with a catchy beat to listen to and this is exactly what brought
together this network of rap artistes to come forward and compose their lyrics
to give rise to a more content driven genre of music which we popularly refer
to as Rap Music.
While the elitists and music puritans have dismissed this
music genre as crass, Exo Nawab feels otherwise. “The music we rap artistes
create is purely driven on lyrics. All you have is a beatbox or a bassline to
go along with and the entire melody is centered around the lyrics. We don’t
need a monumental setup to go about it. Isn’t this exactly what music is about?
Capturing the soul of the listener with a minimalistic setup?” asserts Nawab. Indeed.
Expressing yourself with words and poetry has always been the norm with famous
poets reciting their pieces of poetry to audiences to spark a revolution in
society.
A college dropout and a music enthusiast, and an avid Punjabi
soul by heart, Exo started out in the quaint hill town of Dehradun as an
enthusiastic rapper, listening to people mull over the prospects of rap music
as a full time career. The journey has been difficult, but every step has been
worthwhile indeed. With a generation of people pushing towards conventional
career choices rallying behind him, it surely was difficult for Exo to stand
out and carve a full time career out of his passion.
Originally Abhishek Chawla, Exo Nawab started out as an
enthusiastic poet eager to send across a poignant message to society through his
music. He has collaborated with young rappers in the city and has an ardent
youtube fan base to reckon with. But the journey certainly wasn’t easy.
“My writing style was very different. I’d write in Hindi
along with tinges of Punjabi but my lyrics were never commercial or slapstick. My
creations were solely based on patriotism, the struggle of an artiste and
deeper undertones. I never rapped about expensive cars and short dresses. Maybe
this is what sets my music apart.”
Exo Nawab released a song called Bhartiya Trap which was
released on the 23rd of March which happens to be the death
anniversary of celebrated freedom fighter and martyr, Bhagat Singh. He collaborated
with young rapper Arshdeep Singh popularly known as ADS under the aegis of
popular record label Northside Records.
Further in 2017, Nawab released another patriotic piece
called Mera Desh which gathered a decent 50 thousand views and 3.5 lakh live
streams on apple music and created quite a stir with its commentary on the
current state of affairs in this country. “I always had this vigilante streak
in me. Always had this feeling of nationalism in me but I utilized this feeling
to not be a postcard nationalist. I instead incorporated this streak into my
art to express myself and generate a powerful message.” He says.
With Young India suffering the angst and pressures of
everyday life, self expression has been a refuge for most, and the bohemian,
say it like it is style of music today only makes it better for younger
musicians to flourish. But isn’t it challenging to start out and establish
yourself in this sea of new undisputed talent?
“Of course it is! We face the challenges everyday. You need
to stand out because there are so many talented people struggling to make it
big today. This is why I have created an individual style but the most
important attribute is to never give up despite the failures and the struggle. Always
keep hustling. Keep moving forward. There was a time when we had to perform on
amateur setups but we’ve moved on from there and now my live shows have a
professional setup with a decent gathering.” He opines.
This exact sentiment is the theme of Exo Nawab’s track Sachi
Gal featuring Lakshit Parashar capturing the raw essence of what an artiste
goes through when he starts out in the industry. The ordeal to keep your music
authentic and cutting edge is exactly what the song is about.
His latest track Underrated Badshah Therapy Remix talks
about his journey from the small hill town of Dehradun to the musical circuit
of Delhi, his first gig at the age of 14 and his journey with all the struggle
and premonitions that perhaps every artiste has encountered in his life,
striking a raw nerve with all the upcoming musicians wanting to make it big
someday.
Exo has collaborated with many artistes including ADS and
LUCKEE and his friend and mentor OYE SHERRA who also happens to be a music
producer. His latest plans include a mixtape featuring all the new and talented
hip hop artistes and their journeys as independent musicians.
Independent music certainly has caught on and continues to
grow despite the competition and lack of resources. And Exo Nawab is a shining
example of the same. Exo has continued to experiment with Hip Hop music
providing it a desi twist and adding the necessary substance to it with the
thought provoking and hard hitting lyrics with a commentary on the daily
struggles of every single one of us. Here’s wishing Exo Nawab the best of luck
for his future endeavours. Stay real, and stay dope!
