'Films give you unprecedented reach'

RAPPING RECORDS

I only use the language the youth speak day in and day out. The language used in one of my early numbers might have been observed as abusive but lately, I have been producing very clean music and believe it or not, there are more takers for it,” says none other than the sensational rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh, who needs no introduction owing to the popularity of his songs, rapped in his style.

Metrolife caught the Punjabi rapper in a candid chat when he was recently in the City to perform at Lemp Brewpub & Kitchen, where Honey shared how he became a rapper, his views on rapping language, decision to try his hand in Bollywood and his upcoming film – as an actor!

The songs from his recent album Satan are on every music lover’s mind but few know that Honey started out as a composer. “As a composer, I had to sing some portions of the song in the way I wanted the singer to rend it. So I took to singing and eventually to rapping. When I observed that youth were interested in rap and we only had English and a few Hindi rappers at that time. but no Punjabi rapper. I saw this as an opportunity and took to it only to find that it was accepted overwhelmingly well.”

What makes his music more special? “I filled the void with my desi style. Punjabi is something that so many of us speak and hearing a rap song, that too international-style, is always pleasant. This I guess is the very reason as to why my renditions have touched so many hearts,” he says and confidently adds that he knew beforehand that his songs would top the charts.

“I always believed in myself and knew that my music is good. I somehow had a feeling that the response is going to be good but to be blatantly honest it has surpassed all my expectations. Imagine Dhanush asking me to sing for a Tamil movie and Bengalis dancing on my music during Durga Pooja! This is something that can give a high to any artist.”

Is this why he took to Bollywood too? “Bollywood is not something that I was initially interested in. Primarily because when you sing for films you have to adjust as per someone else’s brief and schedule which is very unlike me. I like to do my own things, my own way and in my own time. But in the recent past I have been inundated with requests from filmmakers. But the one good thing about films is whether you like it or not, they give you an unprecedented reach and make you heard in the smallest of the towns and villages – the ones you never knew even existed on planet Earth!”

2013 will see Honey Singh as an actor: “Next year, you will see me in Tu Mera 22, Mein Tera 22 and also get ready to rock on the dance tracks from Race 2 and Jatt Airways.” All this is for his fans who, “start shouting YO YO when I get onto the stage to perform.”