Spinnin The Streets Of India, The Extremely Talented Sez On The Beats !

Hip Hop in India is a hot topic at the moment, well at least in the gullies. It is a good time for those who have been working towards their craft for long. With recognition comes attention, that's what brings international lifestyle brands like Adidas, Puma, and others knocking the doors of these new age musicians. But what started it all? And how has it become so prominent that rappers these days get venues jam-packed all by themselves without any supporting artist? To top it all, even Bollywood is suddenly concerned about the hip-hop culture that they decided to create a movie on the scene and apparently for the scene. Mind I ask as to why? What makes this chain reaction to process or is it some kind of a butterfly effect? Is there any science to it or a phenomenon? Well, we wouldn’t know about all that but there certainly is a person who single-handedly has transformed the sound of hip-hop music in India. If you can’t guess the name, that’s not much of a big deal right now! It has been the tradition. Producers have been sidelined in most of the projects that they undertake, be it movie posters or album covers. However, for those who know; we are talking about Sajeel Kapoor aka Sez on the beat. This is the guy who has produced major hits like Yeh Mera Bombay (Divine), Mere Gully Mein (Divine), Classikh (Prabhdeep) and let’s not forget Asal Hustle from Naezy. [caption id="attachment_2947" align="aligncenter" width="509"] Prabhdeep (On the mic) and Sez (Behind the console)[/caption] So, how such a huge name does not appear in most conversations that take place around the tunes created by this genius from Delhi. We reached out to Sez to understand the vision behind everything and what makes him the best Indian Hip Hop Producer of sorts.

The Initiation:

Sajeel was a part of the generation that was introduced to hip-hop music in the late 2000s and was pretty amazed by just the idea of creating music. When asked about how he got the start, he said “I was a rapper/text battler at first and to be honest, I was pretty bad at it. At least on the vocal part of the music but I realized there’s more to a song than just the rapper, the producer.”  Before being introduced to Hip Hop music, Sajeel had his go at EDM music which eventually faded.

On being asked about introduction to music production, he said that It was through a friend of his or as would quote in some interviews “My best friend used to mix different tracks on a software called ‘Virtual DJ’, I was baffled when I saw him mix two different tracks and create a whole new sound altogether. I also wanted to do something like that, however, the initial results were pretty pathetic but you know practice makes perfect. “

Moreover, Sajeel is tech-head for those who don’t know that would become much clearer if you visit his home studio. The room flaunts a 52” LED with a PS4, a set of Staton turntables, a traktor mixer and a top-of-the-line Sony Home Theatre System along with a custom laptop that he mostly uses for music production. [caption id="attachment_3237" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sajeel's Staton Turntables and the Traktor Mixer.[/caption]

The Amalgamation:

A music producer is no different than an executive chef.  A producer has to get in the mind of the artist that they collaborate with and come out with a sound that satiates the artist’s hunger for music. There is a specific recipe to every collaboration that comes across. However, a producer may or may not share the vision with the collaborating artist but understanding the idea and taste is a major task at hand. Sajeel has frequently collaborated with some of the best hip-hop artists from Mumbai. On being asked if he was responsible for creating the sound of Mumbai, Sajeel humbly lay the case upon on us with a reply “Maybe or maybe not, it depends. There is a specific instrument in the Maharashtrian culture that is the ‘Dhol’ and this is way different from the Punjabi Dhol that is associated with Bhangra. So I was asked to play around with the Dhol and the result was as you know ‘Bombay Rap Cypher’.” He also added that the Mere Gully Mein is also been cloaked in the same Dhol but it’s not as apparent however that was a fun project.

Further saying “ So, in all essence, I did not create any Mumbai/Bombay Sound, but I can be called a contributor or a team player. The whole Bombay sound comes from guys from Bombay with Naezy bringing the local flavor and Of course Divine with the hook ‘Mere Gully Mein’.”

The Bandwagon:

Hip hop as an art form has caught on to such an extent that there’s almost every other guy rapping, some for leisure while some emulating, and small number working with passion, love and respect. However, the trend has had a big impact internationally, putting Indian population in the peripheral of ad agencies and PR firms. Yes, we are approaching towards the ‘Suede Gully’. When asked about the word ‘Gully’, Sajeel replied with “After ‘Mere Gully Mein’ caught attention and soon became viral what followed was a wild fire. Every street and block was being called a ‘Gully’, like there had been none earlier. Everyone caught on to the trend since it was made cool by the number of views it had, the attention it received from the audience and of course Bollywood, almost every influential person tweeted it.” The sweet cake went to brands like Adidas and Puma. Adidas was the first brand to approach which is apparent from the recent shift in Adidas’ business strategies, the brand is acing towards the number one spot – worldwide. Adidas currently is endorsed by Naezy while Puma seems to be backing major artists like Divine and Prabhdeep. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bK5dzwhu-I[/embedyt]

The Recognition:

Sez has been active for some years now and all these years of hard work have paid off and can amount to a motivation speech. Sajeel's name could be seen on the poster of Dulquer Salmaan starrer Solo, directed by Bejoy Nambiar. Besides, Sez recently collaborated with Warner Bros' signee Phora. In the recent times, there’s a wide variation of musicians coming out. Each rapper has a different flavor, no one wants to sound like another. Such a situation demands a producer to be accepting and understanding at the same time. However, when asked about how most collaborations take place these days and who he likes to collaborate with.

“I longer work for just “Exposure” now unless and until the collaborator is highly talented.”

Sajeel also added “It’s hard to deal with rappers in India, mainly those who are not acquainted with the idea of a lease. Everyone wants a custom beat but tailored stuff is always expensive.” When asked about the favorite producer, Sajeel is quite conventional because he believes in quality over quantity, so the answer stays the same – Dr. Dre! [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ELV1THqUdY[/embedyt]

The Future:

After recently releasing ‘Classikh’ in collaboration with Prabh Deep, Sez wants to chill for some time while working on himself. Classikh almost took 2 years to complete along with plenty of dumped music which might be revamped, reworked and released as fresh music.' [caption id="attachment_3238" align="alignleft" width="300"] Teen Dost - Happu, Sez, Prabh Deep (L-R)[/caption] However, Sez will continue working with long-time friend and the second half of StunnahSez Beats, Young Stunnah.               FB Page: Click to Connect Beatstars: Click to buy beats