When I ask actor-musician Neeraj Madhav about the edginess and the underlying note of anger in some lines of his recent hip-hop numbers, he explains that braggadocio is a part of hip-hop music. \u201cHip-hop has an element of flexing or boasting. It is self-uplifting and about embracing the self. It can also be an outlet to vent anger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As hip-hop artiste NJ, he has cemented his place in Kerala\u2019s rap-heavy indie music scene. His latest single is \u2018Ballaatha Jaathi\u2019, in collaboration with homegrown hip-hop artistes Dabzee and Baby Jean. The earworm has garnered 14 million views on YouTube and has been streamed more than 20 million times [at the time of writing] via several audio streaming platforms since its release in June. The song will be part of his album, Padakuthira<\/i>, tentatively scheduled to drop later this year. He intends to collaborate with musicians across language and regional barriers for the album. <\/p>\n
\u201cNothing [films] exciting came up after RDX <\/i>(Robert Dony Xavier<\/i>). I am a right-brained guy, and if I am not enjoying the process [of creating] then I cannot do it. I\u2019d rather not do something if it does not excite me!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Belonging to an industry where one\u2019s relevance is measured by how often one is \u2018seen\u2019 on screen, Neeraj actively chooses to push boundaries. He also refuses to be complacent, does not try to fit in, and prefers to be picky rather than take on projects to rack up numbers. He will be next seen in Vaashi<\/i> director Vishnu Raghav\u2019s web series, Love Under Construction , <\/i>scheduled to stream on Disney Hotstar. <\/p>\nMusic focus <\/h4>\n
He chooses to focus on his music, which, he agrees, <\/i>has given him access to another audience. His musician persona attracts \u201ca younger, cooler audience.\u201d Music gives him the space to experiment as an artiste; his repertoire includes, besides hip-hop, melodies and pop songs too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 34-year-old\u2019s first rap number, which came out in 2020, was Jungle Rap.; Panipaali<\/i> followed, and there was no looking back as a musician for Neeraj. The indie music scene has evolved exponentially and is financially viable for musicians, unlike in the past.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of the contributory factors to the success of \u2018Ballaatha Jaathi\u2019, the most important is the familiarity with what Neeraj calls the \u2018Malabari\u2019 slang. Films located in the region and the popularity of musicians\u00a0such as Dabzee and Baby Jean, who hail from North Kerala, are factors that have mainstreamed the dialect and slang of the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wrote the hook for the song in 2020, but I did not attempt it then as I felt, at the time, that people would not get it. It is the right time now to collaborate with Dabzee and Baby Jean; we are from that part of Kerala,\u201d Neeraj says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While he belongs to Kozhikode, Dabzee and Baby Jean hail from Malappuram. Rapper-producer Rzee, who hails from Kannur, completes a combination of artists best equipped to reflect the culture of Malabar. Three different styles of the genre come together effortlessly in the song.\u00a0The video is slick, and the song is an earworm, the kind you listen to in a loop.<\/p>\n
Making Ballaatha Jaathi…<\/h5>\n
Rather than create a video with aesthetics typical of the original hip-hop style, Neeraj wanted something rooted in the local culture owing to the vibrant subculture around Malayalam hip-hop music and musicians.\u00a0\u201cAmerican hip hop draws from hood culture and gun violence, which we cannot relate to. We can only take the essence of it and add local and ethnic elements, with some cultural integration. Since Malabar has a strong Arabian influence, we discussed the concept of Arabian Nights and reimagined it for the video!\u201d The concept and direction is by Pranav Sasidharan.\u00a0He has spared no expenses in the making of the single, with the intent of creating a \u2018benchmark\u2019 for indie music.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cUnlike films, one has creative liberty as a musician. There are no strings attached. There have been hits and misses, but it has been an exciting journey in music.\u201d He finds live performances invigorating \u2018euphoric\u2019 experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That being said, he likes both his jobs \u2014 as an actor and a musician. \u201cThe gratification in acting is not instant, unlike, say, a live performance. That said, you can continue being an actor at any stage. Films give you a larger space for storytelling. As does music, where you get, say, five or 10 minutes. I am a fan of storytelling.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Storyteller first <\/h4>\n
He made his acting debut in 2013, the notable role being Drishyam\u2019s<\/i> Monichan. He has been part of films such as Apothecary<\/i>, Oru Mexican Aparatha<\/i>, Sapthamashree Thaskaraha<\/i>, Kunjiramayanam<\/i>, Charlie<\/i>, Adi Kapyare Kootamani<\/i>, Enkkilum Chandrike<\/i> and, most recently, Varshangalkku Shesham<\/i>. Neeraj was one of the first actors from the Malayalam film industry to appear in a web seriesThe Family Man <\/i>(2019) on Amazon Prime and later Feels Like Ishq <\/i>on Netflix. He had been working in other language industries, like Gautham Menon\u2019s Tamil gangster film Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu<\/i> (2022), when RDX<\/i> came calling.\u00a0<\/p>\n \nNeeraj Madhav <\/div>\n The 2023 film, directed by Nahas Hidayath, which he headlined with Shane Nigam and Anthony Varghese, was the kind of comeback-with-a-bang film any actor would dream of. Xavier was vindication and proof\u00a0that he could do different types of roles, even action-hero roles. He wanted a comeback vehicle because \u201cyou do character actor-type roles in other language industries, chances are you will get the same kind of roles again.\u201d<\/p>\n In more than 10 years since his acting debut, Neeraj has worked his way up in an industry that is still largely driven by camps and connections, unless you are an A-lister. Some of the angst of having to struggle finds expression in his music. \u201cYes, there are autobiographical elements in my songs. I have had my share of problems trying to cope with the system, but I am still standing.\u201d These feelings find expression in his music, where he writes about, among other things, being an outsider and not feeling welcome.<\/p>\n Neeraj is now co-writing a couple of scripts that he intends to produce. \u201cFortunately, today I am in a position to orchestrate projects for myself. Look at what Rakshit Shetty and Rishab Shetty are doing. Rather than wait for exciting projects to come my way, I want to make them happen.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Neeraj](\"https:\/\/th-i.thgim.com\/public\/incoming\/bsk0l0\/article68381010.ece\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/kimp_NJ2.jpg\" "\\"Neeraj")
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