Same time, last year while taking a cab ride in Mumbai, I struck a usual conversation with my cabbie of the day, Sher Singh. His journey from Gonda, a small district in Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai, the financial capital of India, may resemble millions of similar life stories. Voilà! It turns out that the guy is in fact a rap artist in the making. A year later, the upcoming artist has released two of his albums and switched over to driving trucks. Asra Shaheen, content specialist, Vibezeen magazine chats up with ‘Gully Boy’ behind the wheels.
When the most ordinary moment springs up an extraordinary surprise in the Maximum City, the iconic song Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan is the perfect reckoner. Same time, last year is when I took a cab ride in Mumbai, a day after winding up my blog coverage of Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. Little did I know that an unassuming drive would yield yet another reason to cherish the spirit of the people who make the Maximum City. On my way from CSMT to the domestic airport terminal, Vile Parle I struck a usual conversation with my cabbie of the day, Sher Singh. Voilà! It turns out that the guy is in fact a rap artist in the making. Here I am with a rapper behind the wheels, who is sharing tidbits of his journey from Gonda, a small district in Uttar Pradesh, to this mega city, the financial capital of India. And of course, his hands-on ease with driving made me sit back relaxed without feeling edgy even when he was excitedly MCing his recently composed lines.
Penning down emotions in verses began as a me time in growing years
With keen interest in Shaayari (poetry) and Qawwalis (devotional music) since his childhood, writing out his experiences in verses came very naturally to Sher Singh. Coming from an underprivileged family background, he gave up his studies early on in search of livelihood to support himself and his loved ones. He initially took to truck driving, which was the most feasible option to earn a living. With his skill and passion for driving, he often keeps switching effortlessly between driving cars and trucks going by the need of the hour. Once while crossing the Khanauri Highway on the Punjab-Haryana border, one of his acquaintances suggested he move to Mumbai for brighter prospects. Having heard of the glitzy City of Dreams in the past, Sher Singh decided to pack his bags.
Life in a metro
Living in what is locally known as a jhopadpatti (slum area) in Andheri for more than eight years now, life has been a roller-coaster ride for him. Duped by a shady Delhi-based car lease company once operating in the city, the going got tough just before the pandemic. But unlike many other businesses that came to a standstill during the lockdowns, the food and medicine logistics companies were in high demand. Hence, the young man managed to earn his daily wages even in this crisis and in fact also helped his friends in dire need. This was also the time he witnessed the resilience and the community spirit of life in slums. He also points out that the best thing about Mumbai is that “it offers a plateful of hearty meal to fill empty stomach for the cheapest price compared to anywhere else in the country.”
He now amusingly recollects the initial cultural shock of coming to terms with what sound a brusque lingo (tu, tereko) when he moved in to the city. But today, Sher Singh has gotten hang of the local jargon with full on confidence. He says he has made peace with the life as a Mumbaikar.
Jwala and Khuda — fiery attitude and the bring it on spirit
The aspiring rapper, who looks up to the likes of Baadshah and Raftaar, has faced umpteen setbacks in his life only to emerge with more fiery and raw lyrics. His verses beam with a variety of unfiltered emotions ranging from “nothing to lose” dejection and disappointments to “bring it on” fearlessness. He made his digital debut with Jwala and Khuda, two of his recent-most albums finding a footing on YouTube and Instagram. The likes, comments and feedback trickling in everyday motivate Sher Singh to work vigorously on his third music video.
Driving through highways for extended hours and being stranded on borders for days together bring him up close with the stark realities of street life. It’s quite remarkable that despite navigating through his own rough patches on the personal and work fronts, he has immense empathy for the vulnerable street children and gullible impoverished people around. He dreams of building a rescue and rehab centre, especially for the kids.
Keep up the straight fire attitude, rapper boy!
Warning: Avoid accidents! Singing and listening to music while driving could cause accidents. This video/article does not promote flouting safety rule.
