Naezy releases new EP 'Anti Fitna'; says, 'I want to be that guy who will change hip-hop in India forever'

Indian rapper and Mumbai's beloved Naved Shaikh, or Naezy as he is more popularly known, is on a mission with his new EP 'Anti Fitna'. After taking a break since 2022, he is back to correct what he believes has gone wrong with the Indian hip-hop scene. He shares, "The environment is not right, everyone has gone past their limits in doing wrong things, I wanted to come out with something that is righteous and one that will change the environment of the industry. Right now, everyone wants to swear in their songs and talk about women in the wrong way, and a lot of things are happening in the industry and all these things are 'fitna', which means evil."

Today, he says this negativity is spilling over in the industry and more people want to spend time by making such music. "I don't know the actual reason but I am fighting for it. I want it to end. I don't want people to be stuck in negativity and do negative things, and leave a mark on society, people and circles. The positive vibes get killed. Me being a part of this culture, it is not right, it is my responsibility to raise a voice against it with my friends and this is a movement for us." Interestingly, the lives of Naezy and Divine inspired 'Gully Boy' (2019), which depicted street rappers in Mumbai, and that gave further boost to the confidence of every street rapper in India.

With 'Intro 2024', 'Third Eye', 'Paar' and 'Anti Fitna', the Mumbai-based rapper, who is known for hits such as 'Mere Gully Mein' (2015) with Divine, is out with four songs. Clearly a new version of the rapper who broke onto the scene a little over a decade ago with 'Aafat!', Naezy reveals he wrote these songs in 10 days, and when he was at the lowest in his life. Having seen how hip-hop has evolved in India, he has clearly expressed his distaste but at the same time feels it is his responsibility to correct the course to celebrate it. "I am against that evil. I want to bring out good things that are 'Anti Fitnah', which is the opposite of 'Fitnah'. My music is rich, the quality of songs, themes and words are in the proper way. I want to bring out music and change the environment. I want to leave a mark on people and they should be thinking about it. I want them to choose one path, whether they want to be 'Fitnah' or 'Anti Fitnah'." It can be seen in the lyrics of the songs, most prominently in the title track. "I want to be that guy who will change hip-hop in India forever and maintain the limits and lines of respect and honour. Our culture should be protected," he added.

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Making 'Anti Fitna'
So, what has changed with his music? "It is slightly different this time," says Naezy, continuing, "I started paying attention to my work and craft. I am rewriting my verses, paying more attention to my verses, my craft, trying to put hard work into it. This is very different from my earlier songs. This is like an updated version of Naezy as I have pushed myself harder this time. I am expecting a very good response this time." With this rapper, Naezy says, he has experimented with different kinds of genres. "From dubstep, drum and bass, electronic, hip hop, East Coast hip hop, Gangsta hip hop, 50 cent-type of hip-hop, dark hip hop, conscious hip hop, I have covered a lot of things in this small EP," he adds.

These experiments with his sound are testament to the fact that the Mumbai rapper is evolving with the times. He explains, "People want flavour and they are expecting things from us. They want versatility. I want to change my style. I want to keep switching and bringing new elements to my style. I didn't want to sound monotonous." Interestingly, his evolution comes not only for himself but also his audience, who he believes has changed over the years. "I used to write songs that worked for me but the audience has changed and shifted as they have become grownups now, and now my audience is the younger kids. So, I am trying to understand what kind of music they like and build something that is acceptable for kids and older people."

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Naezy took a break from his music in 2018 for the first time and then the last two years, but has evolved a lot since he started out and in a better way, he believes. The rapper says, "I think I protected my art. There was a rough time in my life and I went through a lot but I made sure that my art was protected. I was evolving quietly. In a busy life, I used to get less time to rehearse and think about it. I used to shut out my artist self. I was busy in life - in family, work and spirituality - a lot of different things were happening. But I came back to my artist self, it was slightly more polished, creative, modernised and futuristic. It is evolving day by day. I want to reach my full potential. I still haven't reached my full potential. I want to deliver my best ever. It is reaching there. I need to keep patience and I am confident I will reach there."

While he is working on himself and his music, being a Mumbaikar, the city-based rapper who hails from Kurla, says he always wants to represent Mumbai in the best possible way. "It is in my breadth, heart and mindset. Everything started from here, and hip-hop started from here. I am planning an EP or album with Mumbai sounds in it. So, I am trying to work on it and make a blueprint, and when the right time comes, I will deliver," he concludes.

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