Delhi-based hip-hop duo, in cahoots with producer extraordinaire Sez on The Beat, released their third album Nayaab on May 27, 2022. Utilizing an amalgamation of playful sonic elements, the album has lived up to the hype that its predecessors created, taking the project’s popularity to another level through its impeccable production and thematic scheme. But a lot of things were left to decipher in the record, which had the fans putting on their detective glasses trying to figure them out. We have jotted down 10 things that might help you get a clearer picture of the album and what it is all about.
A Symbolic Album Artwork
- The album consists of 17 songs in its repertoire. Keeping in tune with this is the album artwork, that derives its inspiration from these 17 tracks. That is to say that the artwork uses scenes and sequences from each of the tracks to paint its portrait. A rather crafty take on an album that leaves no stones unturned to make complete use of everything that you could possibly include in the making of a record.
- If you look closely at the artwork, you’ll notice a man hiding underneath an umbrella. The umbrella also has a tear in it through where light seeps in, probably a symbolic gesture to denote enlightenment in darkness. However, it is interesting to note that the tear in the umbrella is shaped in the form of the map of Delhi, the capital of the country, and also the hometown of the duo. It also acts as a metaphor for the inherent political tone of the album.
Who All Provided The Melodic Vocals on the Tracks?
- Rapper Abhijay Negi aka Encore, who forms one-half of the hip-hop duo, contributed his vocals to the 6th track of the album titled “Maina”. His silky voice works perfectly to contrast the gritty rap verse and makes sure to bring out the vulnerability present in it, thereby adding a fluid texture to the overall mood of the track. A music video for the song was also released recently.
- In “Teen Dost”, Siddhant Sharma, or Calm who is the other half of Seedhe Maut, provides his vocals for the main melody line. And it turns out to be pretty refreshing, to say the least. Both boys have taken their turns to contribute the main melodies in a few of the tracks while the other raps, complementing each other in the process.
Direct And Indirect Features on the Tracks
- AB17, the Delhi-based rapper who provides vocals in the track “Batti”, came across the duo by the sheer stroke of fate. The boys were judging a competition during the lockdown period where the former was a participant. And it seems like he impressed the duo enough for them to take him on board in the latest release. Needless to say, he did a damn good job in bringing out the essence of the track by giving it his all.
- The 8th track of the record “GODKODE” uses a voice recording of rapper MC KODE who made headlines last year due to his controversial statements in an old rap song and subsequent disappearance as a result of all the hate that he received. Calm possessed this recording which they used in the song as a tribute to the rapper. In the small section, the rapper can be heard talking about his childhood trauma and growing up poor. The beat of the track has also been produced by Calm.
Some Things Might Not Have Known About “Anaadi” and “Chidiya Udd”
- “Anaadi” and “Chidiya Udd” play out like a conversation between Encore and Calm who are playing individual characters in the tracks, replying to each other through their rap verses. Quite an intriguing concept to include in the album that has made itself out to be pretty special so far. The former talks about the growing generational gap between Desi parents and their children which ultimately leads to a strained relationship. The rappers embody the son and the father in the song respectively, and present their narrative from the perspective of both. The latter croons about the national capital’s political atmosphere from the POVs of the Lutyens’ politician (played by Calm) and an oppressed individual affected by rampant corruption meted out by the politicians (played by Encore).
- After recording “Chidiya Udd” about 4 times over the past three years, this is the version that the artists decided to go ahead with to include in the record, marking it as the final version. And their efforts bore fruits, as the track carries with it a fiery punch that speaks for itself.
Some Other Cool Stuff About The Album That You Need to Know
- They use the title of the album Nayaab in the first titular song and the last track titled “Marne Ke Baad”. In the latter, the word makes an appearance at the very end, in the last line – “Saanso ke saath aur mane ke baad bhi/ Rahenge amar/ Nayaab”.
- In an afterparty stream of Nayaab, Calm showed a previous version of the tracklist which featured vocals from rapper Dilin Nair, popularly known as Raftaar. Seedhe Maut had collaborated with the rapper back then. However, it did not make it to the final cut. In hindsight, fans are still hopeful for a future collab between the artists in maybe a new track.
