Recently, Irfan had the pleasure of interviewing one of the best rappers and producers on the desi music scene at the moment who was one of the men behind the production of Audiorec's hugely successful 'Pure Garage' series, none other than the one and only 'Mentor.'
Irfan: So, how long have you been on the desi music scene? I mean, how did it all start for you?
Mentor: It started way back in 1993/94 when Rishi Rich was in 2Kool. The first track I recorded was a remix of "Choli Ke Peeche" for the album Bollywood Fever. Rishi invited me into the studio to lay down a rap and it just moved on from there to me featuring on 2Kool and VR1 productions and eventually producing my own songs.
Irfan: I heard that you are doing a radio show in East Africa at the moment, what is that all about? Will we ever get to see it?
Mentor: In fact I'm living in East Africa, Tanzania to be exact. I'm a producer on the local music scene, as well as promoting events, doing a radio show, and running my own record label. I have a TV show in the pipeline but I'm not hosting this time, just producing. I take a back seat from the limelight these days and let the raw young talent shine through. I feel I've achieved more by doing so, I'm using my know how from the UK and applying it here. Besides, I can't rap in Swahili!!!
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Irfan: You, Rishi Rich, Don Dee and the rest of the Audiorec crew released two wicked albums (Pure Garage 1&2), followed by version 3 which was in my opinion a bit of a let down considering the mega high standards that you had set yourselves. Are their any plans for numero quatre in the series?
Mentor: It has been discussed with the record company but the mutual feeling was to leave it at 3. The work can get a bit monotonous sometimes. Plus the market is too saturated with every Tom, Dick and Harbinder trying to get in on the act!
Irfan: I heard that your solo album has been delayed, when should we |
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Mentor: To be honest, I haven't worked much on it. I've got my hands so tied up with other stuff. Being an artist is more time consuming than most people imagine. I'd rather spend that time helping kids less fortunate than me out here in Tanzania.
Irfan: What do you think of the sudden influx of garage music being mixed with bhangra music (bhan-garage as some people call it)? Do you think that this sort of music is here to stay or is just a temporary thing that will phase out?
Mentor: I don't see it being here for much longer. It was fun while it lasted but I think its time to move on and create a new vibe.
Irfan: Having worked with B21, contributing to the track 'Mahi' on the successful EP, Made In England. What do you think are the reasons behind the recent split up? What do you think of the whole situation?
Mentor: I think the guys just needed to explore other avenues for a while. Everyone has their own creative ideas and being in a group can limit you creatively. I think it's a sad loss to the industry, but good in a way because we're hopefully gonna hear solo projects from all three members, all of them highly talented.
Irfan: I heard your friend, Rishi Rich, is working on a new album with the remix guru himself Bally Sagoo, and he album is in it's final stages. When is this album going to be released and what should we expect from it?
Mentor: The album is out of this world! I'm not just saying that because of my relationship with him, I truly believe he is the most talented and underestimated producer we have. The production is on a level that cannot be touched by anyone. Just for the record, this is Rishi's solo effort; Bally has not produced on this album.
Irfan: If you could use one word to describe yourself, what would that word be?
Mentor: Poa! A Swahili word meaning Cool, no problem, everything's ok. Its also the name of my label - Poa Records.
Irfan: What do you think are the benefits and drawback of mp3 downloads of bhangra music, which is freely available on the net at the moment?
Mentor: The more music is being distributed freely on the net, the less money record companies have to invest back into the industry, therefore affecting their decisions to sign new acts. In the particular case of Bhangra artists, the outlook is not as bleak as it seems. Seeing that 99% of Bhangra acts do not receive royalties from album sales, they're not affected in that way. Also, through the Internet, their music is reaching places where you may not be able to buy Bhangra albums. So, you can say that every cloud has a silver lining.
Irfan: What should we expect from 'Mentor' in the near future?
Mentor: At the moment, I'm going deep undercover, waiting for the right moment to strike, so watch this space!!!
Irfan: Do you have a final message for the thousands of desitunes4u.com visitors all over the world?
Mentor: Don't follow; lead!
That concludes the interview, if you want to contact Mentor yourself simple e-mail him now at mentor@musician.org.
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