Badshah Talks About Mentoring Dharavi Children, Collaborating With 'Calm Down' Hitmaker Rema, And More!

In 2013, Oscar-winning music composer A. R. Rahman, renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and serial entrepreneur late Samir Bangara collaborated to nurture talents from Dharavi with the launch of a not-for-profit organisation, 'The Dharavi Dream Project' (TDDP).

Embarking on its 10th year, TDDP is all set to have popular rapper Badshah turning mentor for children in Dharavi. He will be mentoring 100-odd under-resourced talent represented by 'The After School of Hip Hop', a hip hop academy in Asia instituted under TDDP. 

In an exclusive chat with Outlook India, Badshah got candid about TDDP, collaborating with 'Calm Down' hitmaker Rema, and more. Excerpts from the interview:

After A. R. Rahman and Shekhar Kapur, you will be mentoring talents from Dharavi with ‘The Dharavi Dream Project’ (TDDP). Tell us more about it…

I’m excited and grateful for this opportunity that came my way because of MC Heam. Dolly Rateshwar, Sushant Yattam and Tejashree Pol at The Dharavi Dream Project are doing an incredible job with the charitable outfit. It feels great to be able to give back to the music industry and do my bit for the burgeoning hip hop scene of India. I look forward to working with all the supremely talented children in Dharavi and building them into the next hip hop superstars of India.

How important is it to nurture talent from across the country, considering you too have made a mark on your own? 

I always believe talent without guidance and direction is the hardest route. Just like a seed needs constant care to bloom into a rose, talent too, needs to be nurtured to become great. I’m grateful that I didn’t have the privilege of a backing, because it gives me the opportunity to value my role as a mentor even more. I think for a mentor, it's just giving back, supporting people, being accountable for something, understanding what it's like to have just been there yourself. It feels good to do that.

You are also returning to the UK after 6 years to perform in November. What difference do you see in the Indian audience and the audiences abroad? 

Indians, whether on home turf or on global soils, have the same amazing crazy energy and spirit. When I perform abroad, I don’t miss India because all the NRI’s make me feel as loved and appreciated as I feel back home. That’s the thing about us Indians - we are passionate and we know how to patronize the community. I’ve enjoyed the same fan patronage as I do in India, in overseas markets like the US, UK, Canada, Australia or even Europe for that matter.

You recently had to apologise for your song ‘Sanak’ for ‘objectionable’ lyrics. How do you deal with social media backlash, and does it impact your work? 

Social media can become toxic and repulsive at times but I primarily use the medium as a promotional tool strictly rather than being fixated on every comment or opinion of abstract people off the internet who aren’t contributing to my artistry in any form. I like to focus on my work, my music, my shows, my family and my fans. That is what matters to me and my commitment is to them. When I am in the studio making music, everything else just fades out. I wouldn’t have survived this long in the business if I started to pay heed to the naysayers and the trolls.

Lastly, 'Calm Down' hitmaker Rema wants to collaborate with you, he said. How does it make you feel? What more are you looking forward to? 

My interaction with Rema was very impromptu but brilliant to say the least. He’s such a bright personality and I look forward to working with him pretty soon. I’ve been spending a lot of studio time in Los Angeles since I have my studio album Badworld dropping later this year and I’m quite excited about it.