EXCLUSIVE: Rapper Naezy Admits His Challenging Times Aren’t Over Yet; Says, “Pura Surrender Kar Gaya Hu”

Naved Shaikh, known as Naezy, is an influential Indian rapper and songwriter from Mumbai, credited with pioneering the gully rap genre. Born on August 10, 1993, in Kurla, he grew up in a lower-middle-class Muslim family, with his experiences in Mumbai’s streets shaping his music. His passion for rap emerged during college, leading to his breakout single Aafat! in 2014, which went viral for its raw portrayal of street life.

He gained further recognition with Mere Gully Mein alongside Divine in 2015. His journey inspired the 2019 Bollywood film Gully Boy, where Ranveer Singh played a character based on him. In 2024, he was the runner-up on Bigg Boss OTT Season 3. Naezy continues to use his music to address socio-political issues, aiming to inspire and create awareness among the youth. In an exclusive interview Neazy shares an anecdote about the hardships he went through.

Rapper Naezy on tough times in life

In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Bubble, Rapper Naezy shares about the hardships he faced and how he dealt with them. He said, “Bohot mushkilo me tha mai, bohot haalat me tha, pareshaan tha, koi mujhe puchta nahi tha, kisi ko bhi meri padi nahi thi sab bhul chuke the mujhe aur mere pass kaam nahi tha, mere pass paisa nahi tha, koi bhi nahi tha, mere pass bas family thi. Namaz padhta tha, dua karta tha aur family ke saath reheta tha, simple food kahi ghumna firna nahi, kahi aana-jaana nahi. Toh waise din maine bohot guzaare. (I was in a lot of difficulties, in a tough situation, troubled. No one asked about me, no one cared about me, everyone had forgotten me. I had no work, no money, no one—only my family was with me. I used to pray, make duas, and stay with my family.

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He continued,“Kaafi samjha cheezo ko, thoda sabar liya, toh automatically cheeze mere favour me aane lagi, toh yeh journey aasan nahi hai.” (Simple food, no traveling, no outings, nowhere to go. I spent many days like that. I understood a lot of things, learned patience, and slowly, things started falling in my favor. So, this journey hasn’t been easy.)

Rapper on trusting God

He concluded, “God yeh hai ki joh haalat deta hai aur haalat se nikalta hai, toh mereko upar waale pe pura yakeen hai. Ab joh bhi hoga sab uske haawale. Pura surrender kar gaya hu.” (God is the one who gives challenges and also helps overcome them. I have complete faith in Him. Now, whatever happens is in His hands—I have fully surrendered myself to Him.)

Watch full interview

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