One of the original “Gully Boy” Naezy makes a solid comeback with his debut album “Maghreb”. The six-track project takes production from Karan Kanchan, U.K.’s Compa and Canadian producer Byg Byrd.
Staying true to his roots, Maghreb (meaning ‘West’ in Arabic) is centered around the ‘streets’, but also delves into the light-hearted themes of love. Through this album Naezy also brings out and highlights many social issues in the country, the realities of his street and neighbourhood and other relevant topics. Being a true fan of the West culture, he brings in a flavour of his understanding of the West in the album. With ‘Maghreb’, he tries to showcase the best part of Hip Hop, the genre that he believes brings the fun out of a person.
Talking about his debut album, Naezy said, “I always wanted to release an album. All my life, the west has been my inspiration. The sun sets in the west. Hip Hop originated in the west but my roots belong here in the east. India is east to the world but I represent the west of our country. This album is a flavour of the west but still maintains a core Indian expression since its written in Hindi and Urdu. I am calling it ‘Maghreb’ which means West. A lot of my thoughts and emotions have been piling up. I am glad and super stoked that I got this opportunity to share it with the world. Yet a little nervous since it’s my first album. I want to reach the hearts of the people, spread love and awareness, tell stories about the streets, inspire people and elevate the Hip Hop scene. This album is a statement that we’ve arrived and we’re here to stay.”
It’s been about an year since Naezy has been gaining back his momentum with single releases like “Mama Mia” and “Rukta Nah”. After spending all of 2018 away from the hip-hop scene. In 2019, he spent most of his time handling the limelight after his involvement in Bollywood hip-hop movie Gully Boy. The inspiration behind ‘Gully Boy’, Naezy has created a niche for himself and has inspired several hip-hop artists across the country to take up the genre.
Stream ‘Maghreb’ below, released via. Big Bang Records: