The Butter Chicken Podcast

@ButterChickenPodcast x @HafandHaf live and direct from @TheGullyNYC in partnership with @BrownGirlMag

We start this new season of the @butterchickenpodcast off with a bang. Maria Qamar, illustriously known as @hatecopy, joins the #butterchickenboys @DJSharad and @DJJuicy for an incredible conversation at her solo NYC exhibit, FRAAAANDSHIP. They talk about the process of becoming an artist from within a desi family, the cyclical and long term effects of forming online and physical communities, and the paramount importance of promoting women’s education. Maria was born in Pakistan to parents of Bangladeshi and Gujarati descent and moved to Canada in the year 2000. She started drawing from a young age, and grew up reading comic books, which helped her realize that she was a visual learner. Maria’s work is influenced by what she realized about society after moving to and living in the West. Issues of policing women’s bodies and lifestyles form key tropes in her work. An important message that we took away from this discussion is the significance of putting your creations out there even at the risk of no one seeing it. We agree with Maria that the more visible you make this kind of work, the better the future will be for our culture. We round off the episode with a set of rapid-fire questions from @browngirlmag and then opened the floor to questions from our amazing audience. @hatecopy is a force to be reckoned with, and we can’t wait to see what’s next!

On this very special episode, the #ButterChickenBoys facilitate an illuminating panel at @LincolnCenter called desi:NOW- Then, Now and Future, hosted by the @desinowshow. @DJSharad and @DJJuicy sit down with founder and executive director of the Indo-American Arts Council Aroon Shivdasani @aroonshivdasani , artist and rapper, and curator at @Spotify Himanshu “Heems” Suri @nehrujackets , CEO and founder of Mela Arts Connect Heena Patel @heenatabla , and founder of Product of Culture Archana Misra Jain @archanamisrajain. Aroon began her mission in 1998 as a response to the lack of visibility and recognition for the burgeoning world of Indian arts and culture, and describes the process through which she promoted these two aspects for artists. Heems speaks to not only how concepts of marketing have changed from his early days as an artist to now, but also what it means to strive for visibility. He asks the expedient questions - what is the end goal for us? What types of assimilation and visibility do we want and for who? Heena comes from the world of Bollywood and the classical South Asian arts. She talks about the rampant eurocentrism of art and the ways we can go about to dismantle that. Archana speaks about her company Product of Culture’s mission. It is an online curation platform and an offline community builder. She contends with the challenges of building a unifying platform for South Asians - an incredibly diverse group - particularly in the age of social media’s influence.

What is diversity and what is inclusion? What is representation and what is collaboration? How do we teach our children? Tune in to hear an in depth and timely dialogue that addresses it all. And most importantly - let’s keep the conversation going.

This week, the #ButterChickenBoys dive right in with singer and second #EastLondoner, Nish. @Musicbynish tells @DJSharad and @DJJuicy how he started singing at the age of 5 at the encouragement of his mother, and how he was first into live music - both Bangla and English. We hear about his major influences like @RyanLeslie and @champagnepapi, both of whom have mastered the art of rapping and singing together. Nish educates us on the intricacies of the #Bengali language when writing lyrics to Western beats and melodies, and tells us the story of how he met his mentor @mumzystranger. Mumzy also joins us in this conversation and, together with Nish, talks about creating a new movement amongst #Desis. Some gems dropped during the episode include: leave your ego at the door when you come into the studio, and don’t wait for life to happen. Stay tuned until the very end for an amazing vocal rendition by Nish, and be sure to check out his newest banger - #Xoss!

This week, the #ButterChickenBoys sit down with trailblazer and trendsetter in the #urbandesi scene - Mumzy Stranger. @DJSharad and @DJJuicy learn about @mumzystranger’s heritage. Born and bred in East London to Bangladeshi parents, Mumzy mostly credits his siblings for paving his way into music. We hear the beautiful story behind his name, and also the artists who inspired his illustrious career - from @supercat_dondada and @bujuofficial, to @usher, @boyziimen, and @theofficial112. Mumzy’s hybrid vibes and openness to always keep learning have brought him to where he is today. He talks about being passionate and having unwavering support from his wife and mentors like Rishi Rich (@musicbyrr), but also taking the business side seriously too. We are here for his hybrid vibes and the newly emerging #UrbanBangla scene. Stay tuned till the very end for a surprise!

This week, the #butterchickenboys sit down with a forceful Los Angeles team - singer and musician extraordinaire The Musical Doc, and producer, DJ, and engineer Peter Madana. We begin with @themusicaldoc telling @DJSharad and @DJJuicy about her music filled upbringing. Her parents are both classically trained Karnatic musicians, and her father is an #ethnomusicology PhD. The Doc sang in her gospel church choir growing up, and identified with music even before identifying with her own name. She finished medical school - we know, incredible - and then found her way back to her North Star: music. We then delve into the inspiring teamwork and respect between @petermadana and The Doc. Peter and the boys take a (some may say necessary) tangent into the philosophy of what makes a “foodie,” and then make their way back to the importance of trust, faith, and friendship within a team. The Musical Doc gives us a scintillating #acapella taste from her new record #MelaninandHoney, a project through which her anticolorism message shines through. She’s asks, how do you talk about something as taboo, uncomfortable, and deep rooted as #colorism in an attractive way on a mainstream level? Well, she did it - and we highly recommend checking it out!

This week, the #ButterChickenBoys chop it up and laugh it out with their first Australian guest, Pav Dharia. @DJSharad and @DJJuicy learn about @pavdharia and his move from Punjab to Australia at an early age. Pav discusses the life changes, both good and bad, that came with migration, and how starting anew in a different land molded him into an independent artist who has been involved in all aspects of the creative process. We learn that Pav surprisingly was trained as a pilot, and started out doing production work on his talented dad’s vocals. This episode brings with it timeless wisdom about the dangers of instant gratification, the manipulative nature of social media “views,” and the joys of creating art with passion and honor. Give it a listen, and be sure to check out the ever-talented @pavdharia!

This week, the #ButterChickenBoys talk with the illustrious identical twin RnB duo The Mxxnlight - Luv and Kush Chandani. @DJSharad and @DJJuicy talk to @inthemxxnlight about their educational backgrounds in industrial engineering from RPI, and their musical backgrounds and love for @Sade and everything #Bollywood. The twins speak of their own trials and tribulations of the business side of things - from publishing deals and distribution, to monetization and paperwork. They are backed by @wizkhalifa, and share with us some savory stories of their journey from creating on #garageband and @soundcloud days to their life with @taylorgang now. Their sound is universal and deep - make sure you listen to their tracks on all

platforms!

In this week’s savory episode, the #butterchickenboys @DJSharad and @DJJuicy chop it up with RnB singer Robin Dey. Repping Southside Jamaica, Queens, @_robindey discusses his musical lineage replete with Hindustani classical musicians, teachers, and his legendary mentor and #GaanDadu Manna Dey. From Jagjit Singh and Ghulam Ali to @therealtank, Brian McKnight, and @chrisbrownofficial, Robin’s inspiration is vast. He illuminates us on his creative process and the transitions that took place in his career from being a one man show to having a team behind him. He is focused, engaged, and humble, and we are here for it!

This week, the #butterchickenboys sit down with their youngest guest ever. At the mere age of 19, UK-born @ezuworld spits knowledge about his already remarkable career. Ezu speaks to @DJSharad and @DJJuicy about repping #SouthLondon and the priceless training and experience he gained at his college, East London Music and Arts. He poignantly lays out a 360 understanding of how the music business works, and how expecting overnight success is one of the worst mistakes one can make. From blind messaging #Bollywood starts and starting his @YouTube and @Soundcloud channels, to collaborating with some of the biggest names in the industry, it seems Ezu has lived a hundred lives. However, this is just the beginning and we’re here to see it grow! Grab a #kulcha, and check out the #youngbrointhescene!