Before we dive in, how would you introduce yourself to someone who might not be familiar with your work?
I’m a kid chasing a boyhood dream. I saw a poster on a wall, and I dared to think I could be on it someday. I’m selling bruises in these songs by making them sound cool. That’s the way its always been.
Let’s delve into your debut album, “Badmizaaj,” now. Could you elaborate on the album’s theme?
Bhai tumne kabhi tabh sone ki koshish kari hai jab light chali gayi ho, june ka mahine chal raha ho, raat ho rahi ho aur kamre mai machar ho? uss time jo feeling aati hai, bas wahi hai Badmizaaj ka theme. If you are not drowning in money, then life in Delhi will find innovative ways of breaking your spirit down. These things may not seem very significant, but they are so abundant and function at such a relentless pace, that when you come back home at night, and look at a wall, trying to fall asleep, they make you wanna give up on all and every sense of inhibition you have associated to your life. The stories in Badmizaaj are about these experiences, as Tyler Durden in Fight Club said, “our lives are our great depression”. The burden of a paycheck-to-paycheck life is Badmizaaj. You’ve not experienced a great tragedy in life but your life has been your great tragedy. This album is my attempt at breaking that generational cycle for myself, or at least a part of it. This is my rebellion. This is my truth, aur mujhe mera sach pasand nahi, its me saying- “mujhe koi doosra sach dedo”
Your ability to rap is undeniable. Your skill was evident on “Old Man Enzo,” and it was my personal favourite (Though, the first verse on “Fill Out Forms” was my favourite verse on the record). Could you share when you began writing and shed some light on your writing process, particularly your verses on “Old Man Enzo”?
I took Enzo as a case study. The song was always supposed to be a pivotal checkpoint as the album unfolds, but it didn’t start that way for me. I took it as an academic challenge to compose a song where the core matter remains identical to what you’d also hear on “Fill Out Forms” or “Ji Huzuri,” but the presentation style should be different. The listener should be aware that Hindi expressionism is not my safe zone, wherever I step is my safe zone. The song title is embodied with of course, Enzo Ferrari, probably the most erratic man in his craft. He had the skill to back up his arrogance. I am just like that, a misfit. So, that was the crux of it: I’ll make a song nobody knew they needed to hear until they’ve listened to it.
The beat selection on “Badmizaaj” is exceptional, especially considering this was your debut LP. The production, mostly handled by Yung Da$, was top-notch, with samples ranging from gritty boom bap to Memphis rap. How was the process of collaboration with Yung Da$ for the album and your creative process?
Yung Da$ executive produced the album. In the first five months of the recordings, Farhan handled all the production and produced five songs on the LP. The producers I worked with have scary skills. I’ll take Parikshit as an example. I told him I needed beats with Indian sample chops to bleed my heart out to, and he gave me exactly that. The rapping I did on “Ji Huzuri” and “Fill Out Forms” could not be unlocked by anyone else, and what to say about ARSLAN! I reached out to him eight months after he sent me the initial draft for “Old Man Enzo” because that’s when Shauharty’s verse came in. ARSLAN decided we were not making a song on that initial beat. Two days later, ARSLAN sent me the beat you hear on the album. Ashk was the cap off. I had no idea about how to finish the album. Ashk came in with a beat pack, and I ended up using three for “Dheemi Aanch Par,” “Moniker,” and “Treyta.” With Ashk, the vision aligned most closely. Coming back to Yung Da$, he came in when I needed the most help – for mixing and mastering. I had no budget, and Yung Da$ took over the album simply out of his love for my vision and Badmizaaj. Some of my favourite pieces on the record got produced by him. He understood exactly what I wanted – I don’t want to remove noise from my songs, I’m finding songs in the noise. The creative process was simple – Rohini. Stray dogs, stray fights, and stray ambulances. I used to think I always wanted my first project to be RnB, but I was lying to myself. I couldn’t be dishonest to my environment and not talk about the “Karkash.”
Also, shoutout to Apophis Beats. Badmizaaj wouldn’t even start without him. This album wouldn’t even be a thought without him. Also, shoutout to Devang Bhandari for sending me the first beat on Badmizaaj. Now that we’ve deviated from the subject, let’s talk about B-leaf too. I’ve been a rock fan even before I was a hip-hop fan. I knew I wanted an electric guitar on my album. It’s my homage to my idols. I contacted B-leaf out of sheer respect for his technical prowess and talent. Initially, I was a bit sceptical, but he sent me the guitar riffs in a matter of hours!
Your pride for Rohini shines through in your music, with references to it evident on tracks such as “$her Khan.” How has your birthplace and your childhood influenced your music and the values you express through it?
Rohini is interesting, we have slums and malls divided by a single street. Growing up I was exposed to both sides of the spectrum, Iwent to school with rich kids who hopped out of chauffeured wheels, and I spent my evenings with the kids who used to fix a tire puncture for a living. Gourmet to glue sniffers, I’ve been with everyone. As the kid from the other side of the tracks, that shit stems resentment in you at a very impressionable age. This calculated traffic, these internal discrepancies, I’ve felt them my whole childhood. Where do I belong? I’m from a middle class household-deewaaro mai seelan, dabbe wala TV, chuhe pakadne ka pinjra. I’ve seen it all growing up. The constant struggle to fit in with either the rags or the riches brought about a profound sense of alienation from every aspect of my surroundings. That translated to angst, and the angst fuels the music. Rohini talks through me this way.
Even within the hip-hop scene, you’ve already carved out a unique niche for yourself. Can you talk about the importance of being different and staying artistically authentic, without the fear of straying away from the norm?
I believe that any time an artist settles for derivative mediocrity, rather than pushing their art to the point where it truly becomes something new, they give up on the life they’ve lived. If you don’t have faith in your own stories, how are you going to make me believe in them? And what is the norm? In the realm where we’re making music, there’s no norm. Now is the time when there are endless possibilities for any newcomer; they don’t need to fit in anywhere. Understand that the scene is still discovering itself; perceptions about art and artists are changing in a matter of weeks, even days. Yet, even then, people are calling stark plagiarism inspiration. If you give up the idea of attaching authenticity to your art form, you disrespect all the experiences that have shaped you and all the people who’ve influenced you.
Now the mandatory question: Who are your biggest influences and some of your favourite albums?
“Doris” by Earl Sweatshirt is the album closest to my heart. It set the blueprint for what I wanted Badmizaaj to achieve for itself. Additionally, I regard Kenny Mason’s soundscape selection as another focal point for setting the perspective of the direction I wanted to take while curating the sounds you’re currently hearing on the album. Also, “Detroit 2” by Big Sean
What are your plans after “Badmizaaj” ? What can fans expect from Nashady in the coming year?
Zero Kaata baby. Two names – Nashady & Crisis. Delinquent Music.
Listen to Nashady on Spotify:
