Bars Dropped
Divine spits fire and exhilarates with his flow. As Gully Boy, a film inspired by his life, hits theatres, we unravel the persona behind this affable hip hop star.
What are your earliest memories of hip hop and rap music?
I discovered hip hop on a T-shirt worn by a friend when I was in school. It turned out to be a 50 Cent T-shirt and made me all sorts of curious about the artist and this genre of music. The same friend then gave me a CD with about 60 to 70 hip hop songs which I played on my grandmother’s player and I was just hooked!
How would you describe gully rap?
I would describe it as gully rap only. For years, North India had a different sound and a very recognisable one. It is only over the past few years, Bombay developed a sound of its own. Your comments on the underground music scenario in the country.
It is still growing but now more than ever, young artists have a lot of opportunities to be heard and try something new. Any future collaborations with Naezy? Naezy is one of my favourite rappers in the country and I am always open to working with him.
Take us through your process of creating music.
It varies with situations because I am always getting inspired by people around me and the experiences I go through.
YouTube led you to stardom and fame. How big is the power of Internet today?
Oh it is amazing! It has given a platform and an opportunity to share your music and art with the world.
What do you prefer, recording music or performing live?
Both the experiences are a part of being a songwriter and performer, however very few things can match the vibe of a live concert!
Which is your favourite hip hop album of all time? I like a lot of the 1990s albums put out by Nas, Big L, Big Pun. Recently, I have been listening to Meek Mill’s album.
Spotted a mistake, or your photo used without permission? Report a correction
in your inbox