To commemorate their second year in the industry, Azadi Records, an independent record label, is presenting a heady, trippy musical night of bass, guitar and lots of poetry by the famed street artistes of Gully Boy – Prabh Deep, Seedhe Maut, Swadesi and Sez.
The label is bringing fresh talent, in addition to popular ones, to introduce them to Delhi’s entertainment-thirsty audience. “It’s a delight to work with them as they bring an amazing amount of fearlessness along with their musical calibre,” says Mo Joshi, co-founder of Azadi Records. “Because criticism hasn’t yet played its ugly game on them, making them oblivious to its damaging effect, it pushes these artistes to give their best.”
On his end, Mo Joshi makes sure every artiste that connects with the label is offered an autonomous creative space to build an identity that they will be proud of one day. His only challenge comes in filtering content. Like weeding out Fluff, trash, and politicised material.
The celebratory evening at antiSOCIAL calls for an Azadi Records’ mash-up playlist where each artiste will get 20 minutes. Some of the compositions Joshi recommends are Shaktiman by Seedhe Maut, Class-Sikh Maut 2 by Prabh Deep x Seedhe Maut, G Maane by Prabh Deep, Live It by Siri, and The Warily Revolt by Swedesi. “Watch out for a really quirky artist called Siri, and Prabh Deep, an influential Punjabi emcee,” says Joshi.
While film Gully Boy put the label on the musical map and also Indian Hip Hop in the minds of people, a fundamental lack of understanding still remains and that’s what Joshi is trying to address. “It’s important to understand that Gully Boy doesn’t sum up Hip Hop in India and is rather only a facet. It’s a delight to work with them as they bring an amazing amount of fearlessness along with their musical calibre It’s a delight to work with them as they bring an amazing amount of fearlessness along with their musical calibre.”
The other task is to make people understand that phrases like boht hard used in the film, does not represent entire India, and that there is a lot of individuality in every corner of the country, which the film doesn’t touch upon,” he says.
Besides working on musical education, the label has a slew of EP’s, albums and singles coming out in the next three months.
Hauz Khas Village antiSOCIAL, May 9, 8 pm-12 am.