Wrapping up Poetry month, we present Shaikhspeare's new rap song 'Bol'. Featured in our issue 'Poetry as Evidence', 'Bol' is more than just music. It's a form of protest, a call for societal change. Shaikhspeare, a lyricist-rapper from Bombay Lokal, uses his creative process to craft songs that resonate with listeners and inspire action. This video delves into the making of 'Bol', offering a glimpse into the mind of the artist. Join us as we celebrate the power of rap and music to transform society.
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#Rap #Music #Shaikhspeare #BombayLokal #Protest
Magazine: https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/342328
Follow us:
Website: https://www.outlookindia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Outlookindia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outlookindia/
X: https://twitter.com/Outlookindia
Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaNrF3v0AgWLA6OnJH0R
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutlookMagazine
Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/outlookindia
#Rap #Music #Shaikhspeare #BombayLokal #Protest
Category
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MusicTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:10 And I really want to give a shout out to Outlook
00:12 for featuring the song in that January edition of Poetry.
00:18 It's an incredible edition.
00:20 And I think it's far too great to have Poetry
00:22 in such a national level magazine.
00:25 And I feel really honored to have my lyrics on it.
00:27 And it's going to be one of my greatest, greatest achievements.
00:31 The song was first featured as a poem in our issue,
00:35 Poetry as Evidence.
00:37 Inspired by Tupac, Aamir Sheikh, or Shakespeare,
00:40 moved to Mumbai from Bihar in 2007.
00:44 He's a rapper, lyricist, and founder of the hip hop
00:47 collective Bombay Loco.
00:48 So Aamir, you go by Shakespeare.
00:50 It's a very interesting pen name.
00:53 Could you tell us a little bit about why you chose it?
00:56 Your name really means a lot in terms of being a hip hop artist.
01:01 It really signifies what is your music about,
01:04 and what is your style with rap music.
01:06 So I wanted to have a name that is interesting.
01:10 At the same time, it represents me and my style of music.
01:14 And it also shows my identity.
01:18 So I had a different name back then when I started.
01:24 Poetry is in lyricism.
01:25 So I really emphasize on my lyricism.
01:27 So I thought a name that really is a reference
01:30 to some poet or playwright, and at the same time,
01:33 has my identity.
01:34 So I just clicked that.
01:35 Wow, Shakespeare.
01:36 Shakespeare is the name that everybody
01:39 knows who knows English literature, playwright,
01:41 a greatest poet of all time.
01:43 So I thought it would be interesting.
01:45 And my name is Aamir Sheikh.
01:46 So I thought I'd just take the Sheikh
01:47 and then make it a wordplay in Shakespeare.
01:49 And it just clicked, and everybody
01:51 liked it when I just announced that that is going to be my name.
01:54 And that's how it began.
01:56 You did a piece with Outlook in December 2021
02:00 explaining why you rap and your journey from Bihar
02:06 till Mumbai, till becoming a rapper.
02:08 And in that piece, you had said that you
02:11 were moving away from sociopolitically charged songs.
02:16 You were steering away from politically charged songs.
02:19 And you did not feel like the environment was right to do it.
02:24 However, your new song "Bol," it has addressed
02:27 sociopolitical issues.
02:29 So what changed?
02:32 So I used to make songs that were like--
02:35 I mean, a lot of songs that had used to address
02:39 all those political issues.
02:40 But at the same time, the environment was not right.
02:44 So for somebody who comes from a Muslim community,
02:47 especially when you have a voice of descent
02:49 and you are from a minority, you are from a minority community,
02:54 then it gets harder for you, especially
02:56 with social media becoming such a platform where there is--
03:01 there can be backlashes from people.
03:04 Because now it's-- everybody-- it's accessible.
03:08 Everybody can have opinion.
03:09 And even the hatred can be seen online.
03:13 And it starts getting to you as an artist.
03:16 So I thought to have this peace of mind,
03:19 I just steered away somewhere.
03:21 But at the same time, my core of my music
03:24 and the core of my having an opinion as a citizen of India,
03:28 I thought I should do my bit still,
03:30 regardless of what kind of hatred and the backlash
03:34 that I might face.
03:35 So I thought it's important for somebody like me,
03:39 who is an artist, who is a hip-hop artist,
03:42 has to have a voice that speaks for people,
03:45 that are going through some of what I was seeing around.
03:48 Because as humans and as citizens,
03:50 as people who believe in peace, unity, and secularism,
03:55 we get affected by what we see in our area and places
04:01 that we have seen having that communal harmony
04:05 and those places having a discord between communities.
04:09 I approached EPR, who is also a rap activist.
04:12 And he is very vocal about speaking
04:16 things that really affects our country
04:18 in sociopolitical scenarios.
04:20 And so I thought it would be perfect to collaborate
04:24 on that kind of track.
04:25 And that track happened.
04:27 Do you call "Bol" a protest song?
04:29 Yeah, it is.
04:32 It is protest poetry at the core of it.
04:35 Because the core of protest song is about speaking
04:44 from the point of view of people.
04:46 And people do not protest just in order to--
04:50 for the sake of protesting.
04:51 There is something that is affecting them
04:54 at the core of it.
04:56 Or they feel that it needs to be spoken.
04:59 That's the core of protest.
05:00 At the same time, it's the core of protest poetry.
05:03 And do you feel that music and poetry can bring about
05:08 real change in the society?
05:10 Yes, yes, I 100% believe that.
05:13 That's why you see that a lot of artists
05:17 face this kind of backlash or criticism.
05:20 Or maybe they face that kind of hatred from people.
05:26 Because they know that it's very powerful.
05:28 It's a very strong medium to--
05:30 because music can really influence the youth.
05:33 At the same time, it can convey the messages
05:36 in a very subtle way.
05:38 And at the same time, it can be an important part
05:43 of the movement.
05:43 It has happened in the Black community
05:48 when they were facing police brutality and racism.
05:52 So rap music was an important part of their movement.
05:56 So similarly, in India, the folk protest poetry
05:59 has been part of a lot of movements of people.
06:03 Could you share a bit about the creative processes
06:07 that went behind creating "Bol"?
06:10 It also has a very interesting music video.
06:13 So could you tell us a little bit about it?
06:17 It has to be catchy.
06:18 It has to be something that is making people interested
06:25 to listen instead of being a boring track.
06:28 So I wanted to definitely make it interesting.
06:30 That's why I made the book really catchy, like "Bol."
06:33 People love their "Riyazat."
06:34 People can rap along.
06:36 At the same time, they get the message.
06:37 And I wanted the music to also be very catchy and enjoyable.
06:42 And people can listen to it regardless of--
06:46 we're talking about so many serious things in that song.
06:48 People can still have fun while listening to it.
06:50 Writing part is a different part.
06:52 But music is the core of it, the instrumental, the beat.
06:55 So I gave this idea to the producer and came to my home.
06:59 His name is Rane.
07:00 So he laid out the basic structure of the song.
07:02 I told him that I wanted it to be energetic.
07:06 We want it to be rebellious.
07:08 It should have that kind of essence
07:10 that people are feeling that kind of aggression
07:12 and the emotions that are there.
07:14 And at the same time, we wanted it to be catchy.
07:17 There's this another producer that came on board.
07:19 His name is Lionel.
07:20 And he added a lot of guitar riffs and a lot of rock
07:24 elements into it and made it more punchy.
07:28 So it's a lot of people came together
07:31 and their whole ideation and everything.
07:34 And it ensembled into this incredible song.
07:37 So it's a teamwork at the end of it.
07:41 Thank you so much, Amal.
07:42 That will be all my questions for today.
07:45 I wish you all the best with your new song.
07:48 Thank you for speaking to us again.