5 Minutes With DIVINE

3 June 2016

If you’ve been following us in the recent past, you’d know that we’re all big, big fans of Mumbai gully-rapper DIVINE a.k.a. Vivian Fernandez here at Wild City. He’s been featured in our monthly feature ‘Singled Out’ after releasing a video ode to his city for his solid tune ‘Jungli Sher’ and more recently for his impressive freestyle skills on BBC Asia Network’s Fire In The Booth.

In an era where most Punjabi hip-hop still revolves around the money-booty-drugs trifecta that the genre has (sometimes unfairly) been associated with, it’s been great to have people like DIVINE come up to the forefront and represent the masses with his honest lyricism and raw, impactful delivery. The rapper’s taken the gullys and people he’s grown up with and turned them into music that’s powerful and accessible in equal parts – something we think denotes a significant change and marks the first step in creating an honest, inclusive Indian hip-hop sound.

Luckily for once, it seems like everyone has recognised DIVINE’s talent. He’s been booking out shows all over India, making a name internationally (particularly with his last stint with Charlie Sloth) and recently even hanging out with a couple of celebrities. The rapper lets his music do the talking and if all goes well, we firmly believe that his self-assured candor and talent has (along with his peers) the potential to catapult India’s hip-hop scene into the limelight.

We spent 5 minutes with DIVINE and talked about herbs, what he’s listening to these days and er, gumology. Before you go on, watch the video for 'Mere Gully Mein' by DIVINE featuring Naezy below.

Where are you right now?
Apni gully mein

What’s in your pockets?
Herbs

One food you could eat all day, every day.
Dal-rice

What’s your favourite colour and why?
White, cause it’s neat

Describe DIVINE in 3 words…
Gully. Mumbai. Peace.

Describe Mumbai in a sentence…
The teacher that I didn’t have in school

What’s has been your favourite gig so far?
BBC Asian Network Live, London wala.

What would you be doing if you weren’t making music?
Gumologist

What’s your lease favourite genre of music?
Boxing

What’s the first law you’d pass if you became king of the world?
Ban the concept of zoos from the world

Who was your musical idol as a child?
Michael Jackson

The best music video of all time?
Changes by Tu Pac from back then, Alright by Kendrick Lamar for now

The best part about waking up is?
Being alive to live another day and my pit bull Grumpee

Your 3 top hip-hop producers?
Dr Dre, Dj Premier, Pharell Williams

What would be the soundtrack to your life?
‘Jungli Sher’…heard it?

Three artists living or dead who you would love to see perform live…
Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Tu Pac, Nas

THE SAME 3 QUESTIONS:

3 most inspirational artists:
Bob Marley, Jay-Z, Nas

3 favourite albums of all time:
Illmatic by Nas/ Me Against the World by Tupac/ Straight Outta Compton by NWA

3 favourite artists of the moment:
Stormzy, Kendrick Lamar, Chance The Rapper

Words: Diya Gupta

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