Naezy AKA Naved Shaikh, is one of the desi rappers, who is revolutionising the rap scene in India. Naezy, short for ‘Naved is Crazy’, is one of the pioneers of Mumbai’s rap game, and in a Humans of Bombay post, he shares his story.
Born and brought up in Kurla, Naezy’s family is full of academics, but he was ‘different’.
He would hustle hard to score money from anywhere, and had an ‘adventurous’ childhood. His mother took care of him as his father was in Dubai.
While he had to study B.Sc., he used that time to focus on hip-hop-
I changed schools & houses, but the streets never left me. I found my way back, through Hip-Hop. I loved writing, but hadn’t been introduced to ‘rap culture’ before, so I began researching. It was like a fire burned within me!
Talking about the lack of opportunities for a ‘gully boy‘, he said instead of waiting around, he went ahead and recorded his first song, Aafat on an iPad and it went viral.
However, his family didn’t replicate the love he received from his audience. They were ‘furious’.
They’d never let me pursue rapping as a career–I received love & support from everyone except them. It was heartbreaking.
However, his song, ‘Mere Gully Mein’ changed the game, and Zoya Akhtar approached him for Gully Boy.
He feels like all this success is stale without his parent’s love, although he’s hopeful that his parents will be moved to accept his career choice, one day.
Still, in that moment of joy, I felt heartbreak like never before because I couldn’t share it with my parents. All of this success is stale without their acceptance…without their love. I wish they could see how far I’ve come, but I won’t let this break me. I’ll keep trying…Apna Time Kabhi Toh Aayega!
Read the entire post here.