I don't want people abroad to see India like it's shown in a film like 'Slumdog Millionaire.' We are at par with the world.
— Badshah
Both the industries, be it Bollywood or music, have been really kind to me.
When I bring my music to a live audience, I know right away whether it is being appreciated or not.
The whole idea of performing before an audience is fun and organic.
Artistes never make their image. Image is made by the fans and the artiste's job is to fight that perception.
I am a very chatpata guy.
It's hard to find parking space in Delhi and the traffic sucks there.
Rap or hip-hop music emerged in the West because of the atrocities against the Blacks. Their lyrics had a certain style of rebellion and it was quite personal.
Downloading a song for free is the easiest way to get all kinds of music. Everything else is tough and I am sure, even if people wanted to buy music, they won't be able to because they will not understand the way to buy music online. It is a very complicated process.
I have always said and maintained that I think being an RJ is the most difficult job in the media business. To have that energy and animation in your voice alone, to capture your audiences through your show, is entertainment in the true sense.
Time has changed and artists release more songs in a short span of time and that's where the auto-tune steps-in. One doesn't have to record a song multiple times to make it better.
I think of myself as a reporter. I just rhyme my reports and give them a beat.
I feel it is important to remember who you are if you want to make it in life - and I try not to forget that fact even for a moment.
The hard part of being a celebrity is staying one!
I am not a businessman, I am an artist.
It's an incredible experience to interact with fans in first person, get immediate responses to your music and see the madness that your music creates.
If celebs try to do something good, people think it is a publicity stunt and if they do without showing it, they don't get credit.
I live in Chandigarh and people have become more conscious there. Especially the younger generation, they are very aware and proactive. People take pain to stop and throw trash in dustbins.
Whenever I work on a song, my focus is on the listeners who follow my type of music.
As a successful artist it is my job to give the indie scene as much of a push as I can.
I stick to Hindi rap. That is my USP. It gives an Indian essence to my music despite the foreign influence of the genre.
The image that is on screen is very different from who I am in real life.
For me, safety is a huge parameter for a city's progress. If your city is safe, it is progressing.
In India we are creating mainstream hip hop music, than what real rap music is. The lyrics aren't that personal, since most of the music is catering to Bollywood. It's just trivial. It's a fashion here.
I want my fans to listen to my music. Period.
I want to thank Bollywood for accepting me and loving me the way I am and my songs. Bollywood has given me the reach.
I studied hard and completed my engineering. And I also pursued music that was my passion.
I don't see anything wrong in using auto-tune.
Of course, I have been influenced by my Punjabi and Hariyanvi roots.
I don't take myself seriously, I don't think of myself as a star.
If one is hardworking and has faith in one's talent, I think it just adds to one's confidence.
The thought about changing my genre of music does cross my mind, but then I remember why I started making music in the first place or why people started liking my kind of music.
You need to have a heart to help others and separate yourself from your money.
Criticism is for real. The amount of hate that I get is.
Haters will be haters, you have got to acknowledge them and move on as the ratio of love to hate is too high.
I'm a hardcore performer. The rest follows.
The trouble with indie music in India is it continues to be overshadowed by Bollywood.
Everything is temporary. I don't know how long will I have my time here in the industry. I want to concentrate in making good music. That will be my biggest satisfaction.
So many kids meet me and they get disappointed. They ask me to wear shades and behave in the way I do in my songs. Then I have to explain it to them that I am like this in real life, more composed, chilled out and cool.
The shopping centres that have come up in Noida are amazing. There are amusement parks and other good family outing spots.
I rather create better music and let that talk, than me going out and dissing other musicians in public.
I mean even I don't know how to buy music online. I go on a music- streaming site or an online music store, there are so many steps you have to go through, before you get to download the song. Then, if I have made my account, then I forget my password daily.
Bollywood is a tough place to be in and survival isn't easy.
I have always been a very determined and stubborn person about what I want.
I got into rap because I can't sing. If I could sing, I'd be a singer.
Indians have a huge misconception when it comes to rap. It isn't just about heavy beats; it is about poetry.
My music comes before my stardom, so the pressure of handling fame does not matter.
While I hope that people like my work, I don't think an artist should be afraid of people not liking his work.
An album takes a lot of work and energy and dedication to make.
I go out of my way to help people, but I don't tell people. Goodness is not about beating your own drum.
