About Bohemia the Punjabi rapper. The term “Bohemia” suggests flouting traditional mores. And rap is all about personal angst or feelings. So what is Bohemia the man all about? “Well, I lost my mom when I was just 14 or 15, and I was quite a momma’s boy. That made me mad and I was kind of pushed into negative things. I have to thank God for music, for that’s what finally made me wake up and gave a reason to live. Dad played the harmonium and I learnt the keyboard.”
He goes on, “When we moved to the U.S., and after losing my mom, I left home. I was virtually living in recording studios and sleeping in cars. And of mine who was also a musician was murdered :( and replaced by another musician just as easily as if he was a broken instrument, I was mad again. I told the studio engineer that I was through with being a keyboard player who could go into anonymity if he died tomorrow. I wanted to leave my own music behind”.
Bohemia’s first album was Vich Pardesan De 2003, which was about coming to a foreign land. Hip Hop was then limited to the underground. But with this album, he pioneered Punjabi rap. Then came Pesa Nasha Pyar (Money, Intoxication, Love) 2006, the first-ever full-length Desi rap album to be released worldwide on a major music label (Universal Music Group).
Da Rap Star, his new album he says, “is all me, without any samples used other than my tribute track to Malkit Singh. I am showing off how good a producer I am! I have played all the instrutments keyboards, drums and did all the sequencing. There are tracks that describe my journey. To sum up, it’s me saying, ‘I’m me! Look, I’m still here!’”
Through his experiences, come raw raps depicting not just California street life, but a life many south Asians lead in America. Bohemia looks up to artists such as Jagjit Singh and the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and rapper's like Nas and KRS-One.
After having burnt up music charts with his Bollywood songs, Bohemia's highly awaited album Da Rap Star has finally released. Da Rap Star, written and produced entirely by Bohemia hit #1 on the Planet M chart India and is nominated as the Best Punjabi Album at the UK Asian music awards.
