MUMBAI: The inspiration behind the film Gully Boy, hip-hopper Naezy has created a niche for himself and has inspired several hip-hop artists across the country to take up the genre. 

Rapper Naezy The Baa's first song Aafat that changed the Indian hip-hop space. Six years down the line, he drops his debut album titled Maghreb, presented by Big Bang Music.
For Maghreb, Naezy has collaborated with international artistes such as Byg Byrd and Compa as well as Indian hip-hop producer Karan Kanchan.   
Staying true to his roots, Maghreb (meaning ‘West’ in Arabic) is centered around the ‘streets’, but also delves into the light-hearted themes of love and camaraderie. Through this album Naezy wants to bring out and highlight many social issues in the country, the realities of his street and neighbourhood and other relevant topics. Being a true fan of the West culture, he brings in a flavour of his understanding of the West in the album. With ‘Maghreb’, he tries to showcase the best part of Hip Hop, the genre that he believes brings the fun out of a person.

Talking about his debut album, Naezy said, 'I always wanted to release an album. All my life, the west has been my inspiration; the sun sets in the west, Hip Hop originated in the west but my roots belong here in the east. India is east to the world but I represent the west of our country. This album is a flavour of the west but still maintains a core Indian expression since its written in Hindi and Urdu. I am calling it ‘Maghreb’ which means West. A lot of my thoughts and emotions have been piling up. I am glad and super stoked that I got this opportunity to share it with the world, yet a little nervous since it’s my first album. I want to reach the hearts of the people, spread love and awareness, tell stories about the streets, inspire people and elevate the Hip Hop scene. This album is a statement that we’ve arrived and we’re here to stay.'

Credits: The Digital Hash