Meghana HarikumarVignesh Shivanand, better known as Brodha V, has released a new song titled “All Divine” to kickstart 2022. Additionally, he announced that he has joined Believe Artist Services.
Believe, a leader in non-film music and a leading player in digital music distribution has partnered with Brodha V. Believe assists local artists with growing their audiences locally and globally, by providing them with tailor-made services and digital tools to access new opportunities.
Brodha V wrote the bop during the second lockdown as an introspection into his success in the music industry and his undying drive to be the best. As a result of battling COVID all while nursing a physical injury, he wrote this song as a way to express himself and what he’s been through and how one can overcome their demons with grace and dignity. One of the best parts of this song is the melodious Malayalam chorus, which is a first for the hitmaker.
‘All Divine’ combines eminemesque rapping style with classical beats, just as its name suggests. This track is a reflection on what he experienced in the industry over the past decade and how he isn’t giving up on his dream of becoming the best rapper in India.
Brodha V who is said to be a very silent and private person spoke to Meghana Harikumar from The Balcony Stories for an exclusive interview. Below are the excerpts…
What is the new song “All Divine” about?
Yeah. Um, I think the song was mainly written with the idea that no matter how hard life gets or how much you feel like there’s no way forward, there is always something to look forward to and keep pushing forward and moving on. It is about overcoming the obstacles in life.
Why did you want to do a song like “All Divine”?
I was at my peak doing a lot of work, suddenly the pandemic hit us, and then I was sitting at home doing nothing. For the first time, I did not know what to do. Everything that I did was not working anymore as it was at a standstill. I was so stuck mentally. So I decided to write my feelings down and eventually, it turned out to be a song. The song is close to my heart. It is nothing about me being cocky and vulnerable. The song heals.
So, this song is all about the Pandemic?
I wrote this song during the pandemic, so I guess these feelings stemmed from that period of my life.
What are the Malayalam portions in the song all about, who worked on it?
I sang the Malayalam portions of the song. I seem to have a very good following in Kerala and every time I have been there, people just show up in huge numbers. Also, the melody I composed for All Divine had Malayalam sounds as well. The other artist is Steve Knight from the Band Flipsyde.
How important is mental health for youngsters and people on the whole?
If you’re not in the right space mentally, we must understand and work towards it. The best one can do at this point is probably to start talking to someone ready to hear you out and not look at it as some form of an illness.
If you have a cold or a fever, it’s kind of visible. So people know you’re sick but, when it comes to mental issues, I don’t think it is visible. Hopefully, people also start listening to you and you can have a dialogue. And I guess that’s the first step towards accepting that mental health is an issue.
“Vainko” was featured in The Family Man 2 series. How did that happen?
One of the writers of the shows happened to be a fan of my music. And he also happens to be from the south. And since the season was based around south Indian elements and stuff, he hit me up on a call and said we want to use this song. I was why not. Everybody I know loves and watches The Family Man. After this, the song boosted too.
Why exactly did you want to become a rapper and not a regular singer?
During my school, I was a very frustrated, angry kid, and I just wanted to express myself. And clearly, I don’t think metal and such genres were for me. And I wasn’t an instrumentalist either. I felt like, you know, it was easier for me to write things down and especially if I could write about the things I don’t like. I found a way to vent it out and that was Rap. And that kind of felt very therapeutic. Eventually, it became a mode to vent out feelings and never stopped after that.
Who is your favorite Rapper?
I’m a fan of early 90’s Hip Hop. So, I like MCs like Tupac, Jay Z, Eminem, OutKast, and many others.
Recently there was a controversy about Rapper Arivu being sidelined on the Rolling Stone magazine cover. Do you have anything to say about the deal?
I don’t know what happened there. We have had Rappers as Divine featured on the cover page of Rolling Stone. This I heard was about whose song it was rather. A big shout out to Arivu because he did contribute a lot towards the writing of the song. In general, I feel rappers aren’t mainstream names. So, it is natural that mainstream media won’t cover you like how they cover actors and singers. And Rapping is kind of like an alternative space, which is yet to be accepted.
Were you approached for Gully Boy?
Yes, I was a small part of the team. I was mentoring some of the kids that were going to act in the film and that’s it.
You are a Bangalorean. How many languages do you know?
Oh, I speak Kannada, English, and Hindi. I understand Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.
So what is your daily routine like?
It’s just boring. It was just me sitting and working, mostly. Haphazard sleep patterns, eating habits, writing, and composing. I have a very boring life to be precise.
How long do you take to write a song?
That depends, you know. Sometimes I can write one in just two hours, sometimes overnight, and some it takes months.
What is that one word you can’t do without, daily?
Words like Maccha, Ungamma, and Vainko are the words that are on top of my head if I am speaking to someone. Giggles…
Which college are you from?
I did my sound and film from SAE (School of Audio Engineering) in Chennai.
Where was the song shot?
COVID had kept me locked at home and after I wrote the song, my team planned to shoot it in a location that is serene and therapeutic and healing. Where else other than Chikkmagalur can we find all those, right? It was quite hard but we took all the precautions needed to keep COVID 19 at bay and shoot the song.
Have you heard people saying, “Oh what song is this”?
Oh, yes. Initially, the older generation did not connect to my songs. Rap was really new to India and for the fact that it is rendered in speed, many disliked it. The youngsters connected well, though. And raps are for youngsters because they can grasp them easily.
I loved your collab with JordIndians. Planning to do anything with them again?
Oh, sure. Why not. Sometime in the future for sure.
Editor
Ranjani Govind
Meghana Harikumar
