Recently Usman linked with a rapper with real street cred. When he spits people stand up and take note. He's from the Dum Dum Project; yes were talking about the one and only the1shanti!! The year 2005 he'll launch himself in the UK with the release of the Dum Dum Project's album Spiritual Bling.
Usman: The name the1shanti is quite unusual and unique, is that how you perceive yourself to be? How did the name come about?
the1shanti: Shanti's just that state of tranquility y'know? Everyone's lookin for that thing that'll take em there. I found it for me and try to live in that. It's how life can be if you decide to see it that way. That's where I radiate from.
Usman: You've been on the scene for years, how did the deal with Sony happen? And how do you think things will change for you now that this has happened?
the1shanti: The people at Sony Asia met with Cavo and Niraj and they worked it out. Wish I had a great story behind it but I was pretty uninvolved except on the music side of things. Change? I dunno, things stay pretty grind heavy round where I'm at.
Usman: Touring with Ultramagnetics MCs when you were younger must have been amazing, what do you think you learnt from those experiences?
the1shanti: It's a lot of laws and rules you gotta play by to make shit that's official hip hop. I learned em young from people that's legends (to certain heads). New York is where it was born and any MC outta New York is pretty straight with knowin you got a lot to live up to bein that way.
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Usman: What person, place or thing has had the biggest influence on your development as an artist?
the1shanti: If I gotta say one thing right now, maybe my fams. They put me out on the street 'cause I do what I do. If they didn't, I'da never starved for what I wanted. Shit's different in life when you only eat what you earn. Teaches you how big your heart for what you do is 'cause if it ain't there, you ain't stickin with it. In this game, success ain't no right or guarantee, it's a privilege. I got lots of love and respect for whoever got enough faith to follow what feels right instead of what sounds right. Sometimes it takes lettin go of everything that you want to accomplish what matters.
Usman: With the success of your first E.P "Deadline', at that point in your career did you think you had made your mark on the music |
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scene and begun to prove what you had set out to do? |
the1shanti: Nah, that was just groundwork. I had a single before that blow up too. It was important to me to do that. I wanted my history to trace back to the New York underground I came up in. Can't nobody take that struggle outta my past. I feel I got a good foundation to build on. In the end, good feelin music lives forever and catchy soundin shit comes and goes. I still got a whole lot to prove to everyone, including myself. But that's just me bein on the grind nah'mean?
Usman: How do you feel about the fact that you were one of the first people from the Indian subcontinent to break into 'the mainstream' after many years of hard work and now there are many people who are getting recognition just because the "desi' thing has taken off?
the1shanti: I honestly don't think about it yo. Things are just beginning around the world. Ain't no time to reflect on shit - that's for when you retire or take a break after gettin to a certain level. That level's different for everyone. For me, that level ain't anywhere in the near future.
Usman: You said in a previous interview "My life's a Bollywood flick" that if a movie was made about your life and didn't include your name in the title what would you think it would be called?
the1shanti: Aishwariya ain't enough.
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Usman: In performing all over the world as you do, in which country do you feel the best 'vibe'?
the1shanti: I caught a lotta love in the UK. I got peoples I consider family out there. I was doin this shit with Cavo way before anyone was tryin to do it and when mainstream Brit Asian shit was just drum 'n bass. It was a night like 4 or 5 years ago at Shaanti in Birmingham when Bobby Friction first kinda connected with me and it was clear we was all ready for somethin bigger. I think things ain't even begun yet. Everyone's just layin the foundations right now. Vibe? C'mon son, New Yorkers take the vibe with 'em wherever we go. Till then, get a bottle of Jack and calm down…we'll be back soon.
Usman: Talking about Mc'ing Asians in the UK all seem to wanna be an MC - from the ones you've |
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heard who do you really rate and why or are they all just wack? |
the1shanti: Hip hop's a beautiful thing. If it's done right shit ain't wack at all. To me, if you spit fire, you spit fire. You gonna spit that fire on a Indian laced joint, a r&b joint, a country joint, whatever. But I don't like it when cats don't pay dues and think I'mma give em love offa one record that's really some dude's demo pressed to vinyl. I also don't fu** with cats that just got one style of beats. That's one-dimensional and don't show experience. I don't get on records with inexperienced people, period. I'm on some quality control shit. Hell, I ain't even at the top of my game yet. It's like be mad, or step ya game up. Your choice. But make no mistake; I earned my respect on the streets first 16 bars at a time…
Usman: Richard was lucky enough to chat to your partners in crime, DJ Cavo and Niraj whom make up the rest of the Dum Dum Project (click here to view interview). Describe the buzz you get when you are working with them?
the1shanti: Yeah, while others be out gettin that buzz, we creatin that buzz. It's like Guru and Premier was seen back in the day on a certain level. They fu**s with everyone else but when they come together true heads know what fu**ing time it is. We got a connection we don't speak on and some things in life is just best to not speak.
Usman: You've been lucky enough to be involved collaborations with some really big artists. Who have you most enjoyed working with and why?
the1shanti: I'm real lucky to get to do what I do and I know I was put here to do it for y'all to enjoy. I can't tell who you think is really big or not…but I been blessed to be in the mix with a lot of people who's like minded and know how to keep it honest between us all. Loyalty is my number one thing and everyone I fu** with would die for me and vice versa, 'cause in the end we all gonna die doin what we doin right now. That's some purity of soul shit.
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Usman: You've done a track about how Indian girls you knew wouldn't get with Indian guys; do you have any trouble now with getting female attention?
the1shanti: I seen a lot in life, that's just one story. If you hintin at if I was rappin about me then yeah, but I made that story something y'all could understand. Come Closer is the name of that joint and I was rappin about feelin shut out, just like I watched Indian dudes get shut out on a certain level back as a kid. The girl in that story was hip-hop. Gettin shut out by a fly girl that understands you like that is like havin a big record out and not havin the label support to get the video aired just 'cause I'm something that nobody's seen |
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| before. Of course, shit's changed in both cases in the last few years. |
Usman: We know that you like Indian women, describe your ideal woman?
the1shanti: Huh? You mean there's a woman that's not ideal?
Usman: You are set to hit the UK isles real soon to promote the UK release of 'Spiritual Bling.' It's been getting rave reviews internationally but for those of us that are not in the know, what can we expect from this album?
the1shanti: A whole lotta what feels right not just sounds right. Straight heat, no matter what you call it.
Usman: What else can we expect from the the1shanti in the near future?
the1shanti: A lot's in the works. I'm a big fan of surprises.
Usman: Do you have any final words to the thousands of visitors of desitunes4u.com worldwide?
the1shanti: First off, thank you. For what it's worth, it feels good bein part of somethin during a time when people are buildin shit on a global level…and those few people actually have talent. That's some talent when singers unplug and do raw shit. Y'all are gettin spoiled. I'm on some open invitation shit…if any of y'all readin this come out to Brooklyn get @ me and let's get our drink on (email my full name at gmail dot com).
That ends the interview, firstly a big thanks to the1shanti for taking some time out to chat to us. Make sure you check out his website at www.the1shanti.com for all the latest on him. Also thanks to Vishal Kanwar for permission to reproduce the images of the1shanti.
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