Naved Shaikh (born 1993), professionally known as Naezy The Baa, is an Indian rapper, songwriter from Mumbai, Maharashtra, who first broke into mainstream rap with the song "Mere Gully Mein" featuring fellow rapper DIVINE. A fictional version of his character has been portrayed by Ranveer Singh in the Zoya Akhtar-directed 2019 musical film Gully Boy. He made his film debut with the hit song "Birju" from the 2015 film Hey Bro, the music video for which featured celebrated Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Ajay Devgn, as well as choreographer Prabhu Deva, with the film's lead actor Ganesh Acharya.
Naezy | |
|---|---|
 Naezy at Vh1 Supersonic in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Naved Shaikh |
| Also known as | Naezy The Baa |
| Born | 10 August 1993 Kurla, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2014-present |
| Labels | |
In 2024, Naezy was a contestent on the reality TV show, Big Boss OTT Season 3, finishing as the runner-up.[1]
Early life
editNaved Shaikh was born in 1993 in Kurla 70, Mumbai, India.[2] His father is Shahid Raza and mother Farhin Raza. His family originates from Amravati, where he still has relatives. He was raised by his mom as his father works in Dubai. He grew up in a tenement for the impoverished working class called Ram Bachan Chawl, located in the neighbourhood of Kurla, Mumbai.[3]
He was raised as a troubled child mostly by his mother as his father was employed overseas. After a run-in with the law as a juvenile he directed his energies in creative expression of his and others' life struggles.[4]
He completed his T.Y. B.Sc from Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Matunga, where he met his rapper friend Neykhil Naik aka NCube and formed a collective called The Schizophrenics.[2][5][6]
Career
editNaezy debuted with a DIY music video "Aafat!" which he made using an iPad in 2014.[7] Naezy's debut single, "Aafat!', credited as the genesis track of the gully rap scene, was released in 2014, followed by his collaboration with DIVINE on their breakout 2015 hit, "Mere Gully Mein".[8] The song brought attention to the Mumbai rap scene and eventually lead to the breakthrough for both DIVINE and Naezy.
Following the song's release, a documentary titled Bombay 70 (the 70 stands for the area code of Kurla West) about his life was produced.[9] Bombay 70 was directed by independent filmmaker Disha Rindani. The documentary was awarded as the best short film at MAMI in 2014.[10]
Their music caught the attention of director Zoya Akhtar and inspired her to make a film about the Mumbai rap scene called Gully Boy starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt.[11] The film is loosely based on the lives of DIVINE and Naezy who were consulted for the rap aspects of the film. "Mere Gully Mein" was remade for the film.[12] In this version, Singh's character takes over Naezy's part. Singh re-recorded Naezy's verse for the film. He became the first rapper to be a featured artist on the Indian music streaming platform JioSaavn. He was also featured on the Song "NY se Mumbai" with DIVINE, Singh and American rapper Nas, who also served as an executive producer. The song was released as a promotional single shortly prior to the release of the film.
Naezy's music often addresses socio-political issues and he has spoken about wanting to create music that is "conscious hip-hop" to bring awareness among young people.[13] His songs "Haq Hai", "Tragedy Mein Comedy", "Azaad Hu Mein" are some of the songs that deal with politics and issues that the common man faces.[14]
He has faced issues convincing his family about his rap career, which was one reason he left the underground rap scene in 2018. Another reason he took this hiatus was to get away from the pressures of becoming more famous. The hiatus, however, made him realise his passion for rap music.[14][13] He returned to the scene in 2019 with his new single "Aafat Wapas" which is a continuation of his first track "Aafat". The video was shot by Happy Mandal who he had worked with before and was shot using an iPhone XS Max. He has uploaded his debut album of six songs titled "Maghreb".[15]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Maghreb |
|
| 2014 |
|
| Tarqeeb |
|
| 22 |
|
| Apocalypse |
|
| Anti Fitna |
|
Singles
edit| Year | Track | Produced by |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Aafat! | |
| Raaste Kathin | Naezy | |
| Sabse Hatkar | Mode7 | |
| Aur Aafat (Ncube ft. Naezy) | ||
| Bhalta The Psypher 1.0 (with Ncube) | ||
| Kyu (Ncube ft. Naezy & Bob Churi) | ||
| The Psypher 1.5 (with Ncube & Saheb) | ||
| 2015 | Sabke Liye Broadband (with Ncube) | |
| Mere Gully Mein (DIVINE ft. Naezy) | Sez on the Beat | |
| 2016 | Haq Hai | |
| Tragedy Mein Comedy | ||
| Asal Hustle | ||
| Tehelka | ||
| 2017 | Azaad Hu Mein | |
| Aane De | Karan Kanchan | |
| Yaad Rakh (with Benny Dayal) | Dub Sharma | |
| 2019 | Voice of the Streets, Ep. 1 (Gully Boy Promo) | Siddhant Shirodkar |
| NY se Mumbai (with Nas, DIVINE & Ranveer Singh) | XD Pro, iLL Wayno | |
| Bombay 70 (Recorded in 2014) | Natiq | |
| Aafat Waapas | Phenom | |
| Mama Mia (with Sez on the Beat) | Sez on the Beat | |
| Dhoond Le | Karan Kanchan | |
| Ab Teri Baari (with Ayushmann Khurrana) | Clinton Cerejo | |
| Rukta Nah | Karan Kanchan | |
| Vahem | Byg Byrd | |
| Fatke | Major C | |
| Let's Crack It! - Student Anthem | Dub Sharma | |
| 2021 | Sholay (with MC Mawali & Karan Kanchan) | Karan Kanchan |
| Kasa Kai (with Rākhis) | Rākhis | |
| 2022 | Haalaat | Bharg |
| Trip Bhaari - 1 Min Music | Major C | |
| Kya Bataye | Naezy | |
| 2023 | Mallika | Asal Minaaj |
| Sup! | Vernon Tauro | |
| 2024 | No Ghaflat | Vernon Tauro |
| Fearless | Vernon Tauro | |
| Islah | Vernon Tauro | |
| Kya Bey Shaane? | RaySon4 7 | |
| Naapaak | Vernon Tauro | |
| Akshar | Vernon Tauro | |
| Roshni | Vernon Tauro |
Film music
edit| Year | Film | Song | Music | Co-singer(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Hey Bro | Birju | Nitz 'N' Sony | Mika Singh, Udit Narayan, Arya | |
| 2017 | Bank Chor | BC Rap Knockout: Mumbai vs Delhi | Shameer Tandon | Pardhaan | |
| 2018 | Bhavesh Joshi Superhero | Hum Hain Insaaf | Amit Trivedi | Babu Haabi | As a lyricist |
| 2019 | Gully Boy | Mere Gully Mein | Sez on the Beat | Ranveer Singh, DIVINE, Sez on the Beat |
References
edit- ^ "Bigg Boss OTT 3 finale highlights: Sana Makbul beats Naezy, wins show and ₹25 lakh prize money". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Watch: Award-winning short on how juvenile thief Naved became rapper Naezy". 2 February 2016.
- ^ Kanabar, Nirali (15 February 2019). "#GullyBoy: Meet Naved Shaikh aka Naezy: The guy from slums of Kurla who took over Mumbai with his 'aafat'". Bollywood Life. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ Kappal, Bhanuj (9 February 2019). "The voice of the Gully". mint. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "Real story of Gully Boy: Here's the true life story of Naezy, the rapper who inspired Ranveer Singh's Gully Boy". GQ India. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "The Rise of Indian Hip-Hop -". My Site. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ Aafat! - Naezy (Introductory Verses), 7 January 2014, retrieved 9 February 2019
- ^ Mere Gully Mein - DIVINE feat. Naezy | Official Music Video With Subtitles, 16 April 2015, retrieved 9 February 2019
- ^ Triangular Motion Pictures (14 August 2015). Bombay 70 - MAMI '14 Best Short Film. Retrieved 3 August 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Bombay 70 - MAMI '14 Best Short Film, 14 August 2015, retrieved 20 February 2019
- ^ Zoya Akhtar Interview with Anupama Chopra | Gully Boy | Film Companion, 6 February 2019, retrieved 9 February 2019
- ^ Mere Gully Mein | Gully Boy | Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt & Siddhant | DIVINE | Naezy | Zoya Akhtar, 21 January 2019, retrieved 9 February 2019
- ^ a b Naved Shaikh aka Naezy Exclusive Interview with Cine Blitz. YouTube. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021.
- ^ a b "EXCLUSIVE: The Return of the Prodigal Son of Indian Hip-Hop, Naezy". 23 January 2019.
- ^ "Naezy discusses being a judge on MTV Hustle, making up for his year-long break, and upcoming projects". Firstpost. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
External links
edit- Naezy's channel on YouTube
- Naezy at IMDb
