MUMBAI: Rapper Divine — the real ‘gully boy’ has released the title track of his upcoming debut album, Kohinoor.
The track chronicles DIVINE aka Vivian Fernandes’ life and experiences, and how his roots gave him a sense of belonging, turning him into a diamond in the process.
The song touches upon the strong bonds of friendship and loyalty that DIVINE formed while growing up, and how these friendships have helped him stay true to his self, despite fame and success.
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“‘Kohinoor’ is my personal story. It’s raw and honest. I never imagined that I would one day work alongside a legend like Nas (American rapper), but my success hasn’t made my past disappear. I am very proud of my roots, of growing up in the ‘naka’ and the beautiful video by Panini and JD shows that,” DIVINE said.
The video, directed by Panini Priyesh Pandey and JD aka Joel D’souza, captures the emotions of the track.
Conceptualised by Panini, JD and Divine, the video was shot in the same gully where DIVINE’s first Hindi rap video was shot.
Produced by Gully Gang Entertainment, the video is the first release from Mass Appeal India, after its launch, in collaboration with Universal Music Group.
Universal Music Group, India and South Asia managing director and CEO Devraj Sanyal said, “Hip-Hop as a genre is so well known, yet so niche and has shied away from the mainstream for some time now. The simple reason is that hip-hop has never been worked in a concerted manner with a long-term plan, resources and teams whose only job is to create the future market for this genre.”
Mass Appeal CEO Peter Bittenbender also said, “At Mass Appeal Records India our vision is to make that happen, with an aggression and vision to create and own that culture for our region for everyone in it. With the legend, Nas, as a creative partner and my co-CEO of the label Peter Bittenbender, I’m deeply privileged to start this journey with the boss of that world, my brother and superstar DIVINE.”
He further added, “Expanding Mass Appeal into global markets has been a goal of mine and Nas’ for quite some time. Launching this venture with DIVINE as our first signing is next level and we couldn’t be more excited for the entire world to hear his fantastic project Kohinoor.”
