This hip-hop artist, who grew up in the slums of Mumbai, is going to London to perform on a BBC Radio show

There has been, off late, a rise in the number of hip-hop artists in the city. They are not only talented but also believe in their cause and are vocal about their views. Now, one of them, 25-year-old Vivian Fernandes is moving out of the underground scene and has signed a deal with Sony Music. In addition, he’s all set to perform in London at the end of the month as part of a BBC Talent show.

From humble beginnings
Fernandes has written, co-composed and performed the new song Jungli Sher, which tells his own story from the gullies of Mumbai, representing the voice of the common man. Produced by Sony Music and helmed by ace director Vandana Kataria, the video was shot on iPhone 6s in 43 locales of Mumbai over four days, making it the first official music video to be shot on iPhone 6s.
When asked about the name ‘Divine’, a name he has given himself, Fernandes said that he began his hip-hopping career with gospel rap. “I would write lyrics asking the Lord about the meaning of life,” he said.
A local boy from the slums of Mumbai, Fernandes has crafted this journey from growing up in the streets to now being a poster boy. His award-winning 2013 release Yeh Mera Bombay went viral and thereafter received a lot of exposure on local radio stations across the country.

Nurturing talent
“I’ve lived alone since Class X. My mother and brother work abroad and I lived with my grandmother who passed away while I grew up. So, there was nobody to guide me during my initial years in college,” he said. Fernandes says that during college, he would rarely attend lectures and would spend time smoking outside the college campus. “I always knew how to rap and fortunately, my friends encouraged me to continue writing,” he said.
The road, however, wasn’t easy. Fernandes struggled with English, but then picked it up by reading newspapers and watching English movies. “It taught me new words and I wanted to keep learning. Today, I am able to rap with equal effort in both English and Hindi,” he said.
While speaking about his contemporaries, Fernandes says he is friends with all of them, as the hip-hop world is a close-knit one. “Artists like Todfod and Mawali are brilliant, rapping in Gujarati and Marathi respectively. Ace has been an old friend. I am so happy that all of them are doing well and I wish them all the luck for the future as well,” he concluded.