Bohemia - Pakistani Punjabi Rapper!

Recently DJ Dev caught up with Bohemia: The Punjabi Rapper who has just released his album Pesa Nasha Pyar on the Ishq Records label. He is best known for his unique style of rappin' - Why is it unique? Coz he raps in Punjabi!! To find out more on the rising star then simple read on!

DJ Dev: Now, for those in the minority, who don't know much about you, give us a quick rundown of 'Bohemia: The Punjabi Rapper.' Where you from? How long have you been in the game?

Bohemia: I came to Bay Area - The Mission in SF- a little over ten years ago. I moved around different spots in the Bay, and ended up in West Oakland where I linked up with SHA One who was producing music out there. He was starting up a record label, and he liked how I flowed. We hit it off real good and he offered me a 50/50 deal in the label. We dropped the first album and it all grew from there.

DJ Dev: Punjabi rapping is something that has been played with for a while, but you are certainly the most successful to have perfected the form. What's the reaction been like from the mainstream in the states? Bohemia: People in the main stream like it you feel me? My music's been played for mainstream artists, underground artists, on some of the hardest and most grimy blocks in California, and they showed me nothin but love. DJ Dev: And from the desi community? Bohemia: From ninety percent I get Desi people feelin my music. The other ten percent are desi's who tell me I'm selling out, or I'm making them look bad. They just can't understand what I'm doing; but that's just it; they can't understand.

Bohemia

DJ Dev: You certainly have a large Punjabi vocabulary, maybe more so than a whole lot of your listeners. Was there ever the worry, that a lot of you fans would not be able to understand many of your lyrics?

Bohemia: I've thought about that, but this is what I do naturally. It's something that's very personal to me. If I changed it up so that more people understood it, it would lose allot of its natural drive.

DJ Dev: Do you also rap in English?

Bohemia: No. My songs have a lot of English in them; hooks, chants, verses; but they're all from other people who're down with me.

DJ Dev: You've released the album Pesa, Nasha, Pyar - can we take it the album revolves around these three themes?

Bohemia: Yeah, it's those things and everything in-between you feel me? It's my life story out here in America.

Bohemia	DJ Dev: This is your second album; if I remember correctly, how does it differ from you first? Bohemia: The first album was darker. At that time in my life shit was real hectic for me. A close friend had been murdered that year, so it had me thinking some dark thoughts. That whole album was just me and SHA One (Bohemia's producer) in the studio vibin' to this real dark mood you feel me? I would drive out to Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland and get blazed up. I would just sit there in my car and write rhymes for hours. Then I would role back to Sha One's studio and he would put me down on the beat. That's how the whole album was made. Pooja Jain, my manager, had a huge influence in the evolution of what became my second album, Pesa Nasha Pyar. DJ Dev: On the new album there seems to be some great collabos - how did you hook up with the likes of the legendary Snoop?
Bohemia: That was through my homie Sin and Bark In The Back Records. He called me up and was like "I got some folks who feelin' yo shit..."

DJ Dev: Did you get to actually work with him in the studio?

Bohemia: We put it down at the Bark in the Back lab in LA.

DJ Dev: What was his take on the whole desi scene?

Bohemia: We keep it all business in the lab. We save the chitchat for another time. But I'm sure he's feelin the whole desi scene just like Missy and Tim, or Hova.

DJ Dev: Back to the Punjabi rapping thing - have you heard of any of the other attempts to rap in Punjabi? A popular ex-radio DJ - Missy D - had a track doing the rounds a couple of years ago. Did you ever get to listen to it? What's your take on it?

Bohemia: No I didn't. I know a few people who rap in Punjabi, and some who rap in Urdu and Hindi. I don't have a problem with that. In fact I want to hear more people puttin it down like that.

DJ Dev: How do you rate the Asian MC's who rap in English?

Bohemia: There are a lot of Asian MC's rappin in English. Some are good, some are garbage, just like black or white MC's, you got one's who can murder a beat, and you got one's who can't even stay on beat.

DJ Dev: You're signed to Ishq Records, Bally Sagoo's label - has he had much input into this album?

Bohemia: Bally's biggest and most important input into Pesa Nasha Pyar was his knowledge. He's been in the game for a long time, so he guides me, as any good producer should do with an artist.

DJ Dev: Do you expect to stay on his label? Or do you see it as a stepping-stone, until maybe a mainstream label steps in? Bohemia: That's something I haven't even thought about. Right now I'm focused on the tasks that are in front of me. So what's important is that the current situation is handled right. My team likes to see lots of those dollar signs. You do business with us? Okay, then walk that walk that you're talking about and we'll be cool. DJ Dev: Who are the main producers on the album? Bohemia: SHA One, who's my producer, and Mixman Shawn, who's my DJ. DJ Dev: Now, you've worked with Snoop - who everyone knows as a huge name on the hip-hop scene. Which other rappers are on your wish list?

Bohemia

Bohemia: Most definitely Nas, Jay Z, Mobb Deep, Dre, Bone Thugs.

DJ Dev: And any particular producers?

Bohemia: The Neptunes, Timberland, and in the UK's Rishi Rich and Zeus.

DJ Dev: What's next for the Punjabi rapper?

Bohemia: Look out for the tour jumpin off in a minute. And also the PNP (Pesa Nasha Pyar) DVD.

DJ Dev: Any final words for the thousands of readers of desitunes4u.com?

Bohemia: Much love to desitunes4u.com, and to all my Desis out there representing with pride. Pick up the new album 'Pesa Nasha Pyar' and log on