BEHIND THE MUSIC

A Multi-Talented Free Spirit

Pasha Bhai is a multilingual rapper, poet, lyricist, and singer from Bangalore, India. He is known for his unique blend of Dakhni rap, hip hop, and poetry, and his socially conscious lyrics. Pasha Bhai has released two albums, Bangalore Ka Potta with Demixx Beats (2022) and Ye Hai Baghawat (2020), as well as several singles and EPs. He has also collaborated with other artists, including Agaahi Raahi, Yung Waris, AKX, Smokey The Ghost, Loud Silence, King Sinister, and Circle Tone.

Pasha Bhai is also the co-founder and an integral part of the Bangalore-based artist's crew Clan Bokka Phod. He is also the co-founder of Dakhnistan Studios.

Bio

A Musical Journey

Pasha Bhai was born in Bangalore in 1998. He began rapping at the age of 16, and quickly developed a following for his unique style. In 2018, he released his debut single, "Eid Ka Chand." The song was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to launch Pasha Bhai's career.

In 2020, Pasha Bhai released his collaborative debut album, Ye Hai Baghawat. The album was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to establish Pasha Bhai as one of the leading voices in Dakhni rap. In 2022, Pasha Bhai released his second album, Bangalore Ka Potta. The album was another critical and commercial success, and it cemented Pasha Bhai's status as one of the most important artists in Indian hip-hop.

INFLUENCES

Pasha Bhai's influences include artists such as Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Tupac Shakur, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Honey Singh, Raftaar, and Raga. He is also influenced by the Dakhni language and culture, which he incorporates into his music.

Publications

Pasha Bhai has been featured in several publications. Here are a few of them:

  • Frontline: Pasha Bhai’s journey from the Muslim ghetto of Neelasandra to the posh clubs of Bengaluru is as much a story about his art as about Dakhni Urdu, the language he consciously chooses to rap in.

  • Rolling Stone India: On November 4th, 2022, rapper Pasha Bhai aka Mohammad Affan Pasha and producer Demixx Beats aka Syed Awaise Pasha released Bangalore Ka Potta, a debut full-length project from the duo that quickly became the talk of the town.

  • The News Minute: Pasha Bhai, the frontman of Dakhni, was featured in an article titled "Dismantling Dakhni’s ‘broken dialect’ myth, one track at a time".

  • The Hindu: Pasha Bhai and members of Clan Bokka Phod were featured in an article titled "Ghalata-e-Dakhnistan promises a smashing time ahead of second edition".

    Here's some stuff

Accomplishments

  • Multilingual Rapper: Pasha Bhai is a self-taught performer who has been honing his skills since the young age of 161. He raps in Dakhni, Hindi, Urdu, and English.

  • Debut Album - ‘Bangalore Ka Potta’: On November 4th, 2022, Pasha Bhai and producer Demixx Beats released ‘Bangalore Ka Potta’, a debut full-length project that quickly became the talk of the town. The album tackles themes of personal identity, casteism, religious discrimination, linguistic and cultural heritage, and institutional violence.

  • Popular Singles: Pasha Bhai has released over 25 singles in Dakhni, Hindi, Urdu, and English. Some of his popular songs include ‘Eid ka Chand’, ‘Haraanya’n’, and 'Kumbhakarana’.

  • Performances: Pasha Bhai has performed in several spaces in Bengaluru. Being part of the opening act for Raftaar, Divine, MC Stan, Seedhe Maut, Krishna, Baba Seghal on different occasions has added to his growing reputation.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Pasha Bhai is active on social media, and he has a large following on platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. He uses social media to connect with his fans and to promote his music.

FUTURE PLANS

Pasha Bhai is currently working on his third album, which is due to be released in 2024. He is also waiting to create the opportunity to tour in India and abroad.

Overall Bio

Pasha Bhai is the nom de guerre of 24-year-old multilingual rapper, poet, lyricist and singer, Mohammed Affan Pasha of Bangalore’s Neelasandra. A self-taught performer, honing his skills since the young age of 16, he has, till date, released over 25 singles in Dakhni, Hindi, Urdu and English. He has also featured on several tracks by

prominent Indian Hip Hop artists – most notably alongside Sumukh Mysore a.k.a. Smokey The Ghost’s Balder than the Baldest from their sophomore album The Human Nation.

In the nascent yet burgeoning Indian hip-hop scene that values both underground credibility and commercial appeal, Pasha Bhai’s debut single ‘Eid ka Chand’, produced by Manas Sharma with a music video directed by Vyshnav Vinod, broke through the noise without succumbing to the pressure of formulaic tropes. Released on YouTube in August 2020, ‘Eid Ka Chand’ has since then garnered over 55 thousand views and has been appreciated for introducing Dakhni to mainstream hip-hop by both leading news outlets and music magazines alike.

As co-founder of Bangalore’s homegrown hip-hop community, Wanandaf, commander-in-chief of Neelasandra’s very own hip-hop collective, Clan Bokka Phod, and between managing multiple business ventures, Pasha Bhai moves with an air of chaos and urgency. While the Covid-19 pandemic dampened many spirits, music making was amped up, leading to the release of India’s first protest rap compilation album, Yeh Hai Baghawat, in October 2020 alongside Akx and Agaahi Raahi. His latest releases, ‘Pasha Bhai’ and ‘Khuda Gawah’, are testament to his versatility, fusing his signature hard-hitting lyricism with a melodic turn to sufism.

By opening sets at concerts headlined by Indian hip-hop’s leading artists like Raftaar, Divine, and MC Stan, curating his own line up for a two-hour showcase of Dakhni hip-hop artists under the live IP Ghalata-e-Dakhnistan for Bangalore International Centre, and performing at Ziro Festival of Music in Arunachal Pradesh, all in the same

year – Pasha demonstrated the ability to command a crowd’s attention with unmatched rhythmic flow and a grand cadence – cementing himself as an undeniable force amongst up-and-coming independent artists in the subcontinent. Focused on creating ever-evolving, genre-bending, boundary-pushing music, Pasha Bhai released his debut album, Bangalore ka Potta, in November 2022.