The rapper talks about his acting debut in ‘Nardan’ and the growing acceptance for Malayalam rap
The rapper talks about his acting debut in ‘Nardan’ and the growing acceptance for Malayalam rap
Malayalam rapper Feejo’s joy knows no bounds after Aashiq Abu’s release heartburn, The Tovino Thomas-Anna Ben-starrer, a powerful critic on news channels, has not only given him a pivotal role, but also featured his song, ‘Thannathan’.
“The film has another rap track, ‘Neetha’, by rappers MC Cooper and Marthian. Perhaps for the first time in Malayalam cinema, the film credits features ‘rappers’ instead of ‘lyricists’. The hunt for Malayalam rappers over the years is being done and this film has come as a shot in our hands,” says Faejo.
He played the role of Mudiyan, a rapper in the film. The character is pitted against Tovino’s character, Chandraprakash, the high profile and cut-throat news anchor. Screen sharing with Tovi Chetan, Anna, Indrans sir and my first film was not something that I expected. It has been a rewarding and memorable experience,” says Feijo, who started his career as a rap artist a decade ago.
Phaseo with actor-DJ Shekhar Menon, who composed the songs in ‘Nardan’. photo credit: special arrangement
He met Aashiq during ‘Para’, a digital hip-hop festival featuring prominent rap artists from Kerala, held last year. The show was directed by Aashiq and curated by actor-DJ Shekhar Menon and actor-composer Srinath Bhasi. “Romance Chetan Then my songs were praised. But I was shocked when I got a call from him that I have a role in his film and I will also do a song. That was a bonanza!” he laughs.
Feizo with director Aashiq Abu. photo credit: special arrangement
Faejo says he was apprehensive after doing a screen test for the role. “I have faced the camera only for my music videos. So I was not sure if I had done enough to clear the audition. Even after I came on board, I knew very little about the character. So, when I realized that I have such an important role, I was pleasantly surprised!”
get into the groove
He says that Shekhar is a musician who understands rap/hip-hop culture. heartburn Helped while making the song. “I am doing fast-paced songs. However, the director and composer told me that even though ‘Thannathan’ has rap elements, it should be a catchy track keeping in mind the pace of the film. Sekhar Chetan Set it up in such a way that I could deliver exactly what he wanted for the track,” he explains.
Malayalam rapper Phaseo | photo credit: special arrangement
Faijo mentions that even though he has no combination scenes with MC Cooper and Marthayan in the film, he was on set when the video was shot. The director has tried to change the misconception that rappers are into drugs and lead a wayward lifestyle,” he added.
fact File
Kochi native Faijo (coined from the initials of his name Fabin Joseph) was introduced to rap by his brother Vipin Joseph. His first original song ‘Private Aravshala’ was about self-financed colleges. She has collaborated with rapper Raftaar and actor Varun Dhawan in a music video to promote hip-hop dance festival Breezer Vivid Shuffle. His popular songs include ‘Avasaram Tharu’, ‘Bhumidevi’, ‘Malasaram Ennodu Thane’ and ‘Theruvinte Kalakaran’.
Feijo is fresh with Mohanlal’s success arattu In which he sang the theme song (‘Thalayude Vilayattu’) with MG Sreekumar. This song composed by Rahul Raj was in the trending list. “It is not new in Malayalam cinema for big stars to use rap songs. However, the trend is to use Tamil songs as is the case with lucifer (‘Kadavule Pol’) or in English as in Mammootty Abrahaminte Santhical, A male name Chetan Said we would try it with Malayalam songs,” says Faejo.
in tinsel town
Feizo’s debut in films was maradona For Sushin Shyam and he has done the most number of songs for Jake Bejoy ( Ranam, Kalki And operation java) Her other film projects are Athiran, Jim Boom Bha, Under World, And uriyadi,
“Acceptance from the film industry has to do with how much the audience appreciates our work. The best part about working in films is that I have been able to experiment with the rap genre and give something new to the listeners.”
Faijo says it’s important for every rapper to have his own style. Meanwhile, he is optimistic about the good times ahead for Malayalam rap. “It is true that we have a long way to go when compared to the scene in Tamil or Hindi. However, there is more acceptance for rap in the new generation and Malayalam rap will take the place in the next five or six years. By that time we may have the support of more music labels,” he says.