Brown is in

Taking Indian beats to international heights

- NIRMAL JOVIAL

“Ty mama died, I was there, my nephew died, he was there He in my house more than I be there, more than Bey there”

IN 2018, WHEN music’s power couple, The Carters (Jay-Z and Beyoncé), released the song ‘FRIENDS’ as part of their joint album EVERYTHING IS LOVE, it served as a massive shout-out to their friends who had been there for them through thick and thin. Tyran ‘Ty Ty’ Smith had a special place in the song.

Ty Ty has known Jay-Z since the age of 14 and played a crucial role in the billionaire rapper’s life and career. Ty-Ty, who co-founded the entertainment firm Roc Nation in 2008 with Jay-Z, has also been instrumental in cultivating many of today’s top artists, like DJ Khaled, J Balvin, J. Cole, Rihanna, and Shakira. Now, he is scouting talent among brown communities worldwide, and taking them to international fame.

To achieve this, he has initiated a new genre of music and a label, Desi Trill, along with Shabz Naqvi, an Indo-British artist and repertoire (A&R) executive at Roc Nation and a member of the hip-hop collective So Solid Crew. The duo promises that all songs released under Desi Trill will combine elements of hip-hop, R&B (rhythm and blues), and South Asian music from different regions.

Naqvi was born and raised in the culturally diverse backdrop of south London. His parents were born in Uttar Pradesh and moved to London in the 1960s. His musical journey began at 16 when he discovered his passion for producing music on his elder brother’s equipment. This love for music production eventually led him to join forces with childhood friends to create So Solid Crew.