Becoming the first Indian rapper to feature on New York Times Square billboard, Divine discusses how rap is changing the Indian music scene.
Rapper Divine's poster at New York Times Square
On the eve of the launch of his sophomore album Punya Paap, Divine became the first Indian rapper to feature on the New York Times Square Billboard. Ecstatic about the honour, the rapper says it's yet another example of hip-hop making its mark. "Hip-hop has taken so many strides over the last few years in the country. I'm excited about all the young artistes and labels doing their bit for the larger movement. The next generation of music superstars in this country will come from hip-hop," he promises.
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Undeniably, this comes as a big boost to his four-part new album. Since September, he has been releasing singles from the creation, beginning with the eponymous track, followed by Mirchi and Mera bhai. According to him, Punya Paap is far removed from his previous work, Kohinoor, which catered to his fan base. "Everyone is surrounded by the forces of punya [virtue] and paap [sin]; they affect our actions and decisions. Musically, the album sees me going in directions that I wouldn't have attempted a few years ago. It shows my evolution as an artiste and songwriter. It has something for everyone, including a casual hip-hop listener."
Rapper Divine
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The musician, who, along with peer Naezy, inspired Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy (2019), established his own label, Gully Gang, last year to support independent artistes. "Developing artistes is at the core of what we do," says Divine, adding that Aavrutti, Shah Rule, Karan Kanchan, D'Evil and MC Altaf have releases in the pipeline.
The recent feats notwithstanding, Divine admits the pandemic has taken a toll on the music scene in the country. "Touring has always been a big part of me. Performing Kohinoor in front of thousands of people last year was a different experience altogether. COVID-19 has affected all industries. The lack of touring has been the biggest fallout for us, especially for younger artistes for whom it's important to play for a new audience regularly."
Also Read: Divine: Gully Boy gave us great push but we shouldn't be dependent on it
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