The Seremban-born rapper-songwriter, whose real name is Shevan Raj said his latest album was made possible through a grant he received from the Cultural Economy Development Agency, better known as Cendana, a body set up to help artists wishing to launch new projects.
He said he and his fellow artists had a “terrible time” during the Covid-19 pandemic when all live musical events were cancelled, directly affecting his primary source of income.
Apart from live events, all music studios were also forced to shut, ruling out any possibility of rehearsing his music as well.
“So, this album is a reminder to myself that as an artist, I should keep doing what I’m good at by making more rap music so that I don’t lose touch with my music skills,” he told FMT.
He added that Projekt-101 started off as an online platform in which to showcase his musical talents, as well as his penchant for poetry and storytelling in the form of video snippets or reels on social media.
He said his latest album is a compilation of five singles, among them “Mudhalali”, “Naange Dope” and “Vibin’, all of which he composed during the numerous lockdowns in the country.
Looking up to American rappers like Eminem and JCole, Sheezay said he
collaborated with local rappers Arunboii and Amos Paul in this latest effort.
“My idea to bring in rap has been inspired by the things around me – whether it’s friends or even in my everyday life. All the five singles have messages dedicated to youth.
“There are times where I take a short nap and then wake up just to jot down some of the thoughts in my mind, or I would just experiment with some random beat on the radio and see whether I can rap to it.”
Sheezay got his first taste of fame with his album ‘Kambathu Rapper’, released in 2012. Since then, he has worked with various local Tamil artists such as Havoc Brothers, Arvind Raj and Pyschomantra.
His most successful single to date is ‘Saage Poren’ which he released in 2018. He also has an impressive list of awards including those he won at the Vima Music Awards that recognises musicians across Asia.
He said the grant from Cendana has not only allowed him to continue making music for his latest album, but to churn out marketing and production materials, including music videos for all the songs.
There’s no stopping him now after the long hiatus forced upon him by the pandemic. This talented and ambitious artist intends to keep writing and rapping and working on more albums well into the future. So, stay tuned people!