Naezy: I am missing live gigs

Rapper and hip-hop artist Naezy says that he is already missing live concerts, where he gets to interact with fans. He is trying hard to embrace the 'new normal'.

"I am already missing live gigs and we know that in the coming year, music festivals and live shows will not take place. We are live artistes who are a part of the hip-hop culture and underground music scene. Honestly speaking, we earn money from these gigs, our popularity has grown from interacting with our audience. Everything depends on how relatable and relevant we are," Naezy told IANS.

"So obviously, we are going to be affected even after the lockdown is relaxed in our country. People will not come out in a large gathering just for the joy of music. I think we have to find different avenues to earn money. Being an artiste of today's generation, we are also social media influencers. So, maybe we will do more digital campaign and brand collaboration. We have to do virtual gigs -- but nothing, absolutely nothing, can give us the high of standing on a stage and performing in front of fans!" said the rapper who released his new track "302" recently.

At the start of his career, Naezy, collaborated with rapper Divine to create the song "Mere gully mein" that later featured in Zoya Akhtar's "Gully Boy".

So, how does he deal with the lockdown blues? "I do not want to feel depressed. I want to improve my skill as a rapper and as a writer. The situation is really not in our hand, it is an unpredictable scene. I am badly missing live shows. You know, this year I did not even feel (the urge) to celebrate Eid When you see poorest of the poor losing lives on the roads, not only because of the virus but also (because they are trying to find) their way back home, it hurts. Yeh kaisa time hai yaar, bas ab ye sab khatam ho (what kind of a time is this, let it all all now)!" said the rapper.

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)

Tags: Cinema, Showbiz, Cine-Special