Inspired by Jamaican culture through reggae, Latin culture through its vibrant music and, more recently, West African culture through Afrobeats, London-based music producer and artist Shabazz Naqvi felt the need to celebrate South Asian culture, particularly Indian culture, on a global stage. When he asked his longtime friend and mentor Ty Ty Smith about his vision, the Roc Nation co-founder offered to help Naqvi; he wanted to join Naqvi on this journey.
“He has been more than just a colleague; he has been a mentor to me. He said, ‘I’m not going to help you. I want to do this with you’. From that moment, the Desi Trill Music label was born. “It was incredible to have someone like Ty Ty, who, with his vast experience and insight, understands and shares my passion for celebrating South Asian culture on a global stage,” says Naqvi over a video call from London.
Joining him in conversation, renowned producer Ty Ty Smith says Desi Trill is not just a label or a genre, but a movement and a mindset. “When I look at the world, I don’t see myself as just a record executive. I see opportunity, I see vision, and I see a chance to create something new. We’re not limited by labels or traditional industry structures. We’re entrepreneurs, visionaries, who take something concrete from our ideas,” he says.
Brown culture
Desi Trill represents a blend of cultures and its slogan, ‘Brown is Everywhere’, is a statement that reflects the presence and influence of Desi culture around the world. The slogan came from a conversation between Smith and Naqvi, where they realized the ubiquity of brown culture around the world. Smith says, “My experience of feeling at home anywhere in the world, from China to Miami, where I encountered elements like hip-hop, inspired the slogan. The idea is that wherever they go, they carry their identity proudly, just like a flag.” Naqvi emphasizes that it is similar to a national flag, symbolizing their presence and celebrating their heritage wherever they go.
Growing up in London, Naqvi says he was a “real Indian kid”. He was born into a family from a small town called Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, India. Naqvi’s father moved to the UK in the 1960s when he was just 16 years old. “Like many in our community, he moved with his brother in search of better opportunities. He met my mother during a visit to India in the mid-to-late 60s. They got married and he brought her to the UK. That was the beginning of our family’s new chapter in the UK. I consider myself the first generation of my family to be born in the UK.”
Naqvi says he never spoke to his parents in English. “We always communicated in Hindi. Watching Bollywood movies on VHS was my parents’ way of staying connected to their roots, especially before the internet came along. Indian culture has always been deeply ingrained in me.”
The Difficult Passage
Smith grew up in the projects in Brooklyn, specifically in the Marshall Projects – a challenging place. “It’s tough out there, and a lot of people don’t make it out. Luckily, some of my childhood friends rapped, and we supported each other. We grew through that support and eventually created some companies. During this journey in hip hop and music, I met Shabazz almost 20 years ago. For me, it’s simple: everything happened through hip-hop, through music. That connection has been the basis of my journey,” Smith says.
Shabazz shares Smith’s sense of shared human values and belief in the unifying power of music. Both see music, especially hip-hop, as a force that brings people together.
India is the center of
This year, Desi Trill’s ‘Brown is Everywhere’ slogan resonated with recently launched tracks such as ‘Mumbai Magic’ and Young Sammy’s ‘Intro’, as well as other significant releases. The talent search goes beyond India to include artists from across the South Asian diaspora, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and more. “Brown is everywhere,” Naqvi reiterated. “We are looking for talent from all parts of South Asian culture.”
“India is our homeland, but we embrace talent from across South Asia. This inclusive approach ensures that Desi Trill represents the entire South Asian community,” says Smith.
What do the artists want?
Smith and Naqvi choose artists intuitively rather than following strict criteria. They believe that artists choose them, not that artists choose them. “We are lucky that artists also want to believe that what we are doing is right,” says Smith.
Additionally, they emphasize promoting mindsets rather than specific genres or styles, welcoming any artist who matches their mindset and vision. This approach allows a diverse range of artists to be considered for their label.
Desi Trill is open to collaborating with the Hindi film industry, as it considers it an integral part of South Asian culture. Smith and Naqvi believe their unique sound can bring a fresh perspective to Bollywood, enhancing its storytelling with new musical dimensions.
Bollywood Inspiration
Speaking about his experience in Bollywood, Smith says that even though he didn’t grow up with Bollywood music, his exposure to Bollywood music was quite memorable for him. “About 20 years ago, Jay-Z and I were in London – we’ve been close since we were 14 – and we heard Punjabi MC on the radio. Despite not understanding the lyrics, we were mesmerized by his voice. Just like kids in Russia would go crazy over Michael Jackson’s lyrics without understanding them, the same thing happened with us and Punjabi MC. The sound and rhythm all connected to us on a different level. That exposure stuck with me. It opened my eyes to how diverse music can be appreciated despite the language barrier.”
Smith began to correlate it with other genres like reggae and Latin music. “Many of my friends are Latin, and I would jam to their music without understanding the words, but it didn’t matter because the music itself was powerful,” he says, “If Punjabi MCs’ music had been more popular back then, who knows how big the South Asian influence would have been today? I believe we are coming full circle now. We are at a point where South Asian sounds are becoming the next big genre. My guess is that in the next three to five years every big artist around the world will embrace this genre. Remember, we had a conversation about this,” Smith smiles.
