IT training rolling stone india TruePDF february 2019

> ISSUE 00133 > FEBRUARY 2019 > rollingstoneindia.com TIME Contents 44 DIVINE & NAEZY: TIME ISHAAN NAIR The poster boys of desi hip-hop narrate the story of their hard-won success in their most honest interview yet By Nirmika Singh 30 Jordan Peele’s American Nightmares The Get Out director is planning to scare the hell out of you By Brian Hiatt Contents The Mix 08 Jungle Cross New Borders The U.K soul band’s cofounder Tom McFarland on coming to India, their latest album ‘For Ever’ and his review of the year gone by BY ANURAG TAGAT 12 The Art of Being Mino The South Korean hip-hop star wowed critics and fans alike with his solo album ‘XX’; but is he any closer to discovering who the ‘real’ Mino is? BY RIDDHI CHAKRABORTY 16 Mosko’s Debut EP ‘Teeth’ is a Clarion Call to the Dancefloor The New Delhi dance rock act comprising guitarist Moses Koul and vocalist Kavya Trehan on the two years it took to release their first record 18 Festival Review: Orange Festival 2018, Arunachal Pradesh From guzzling orange juice to going off-roading and taking in a variety of music, the festival has solidified its position… BY PRASHIN JAGGER 22 Jonita Gandhi: ‘You’re Not Going to Appeal to Everyone The Indo-Canadian singer talks about stagnation in current Bollywood music, being part of this year’s ‘Royal Stag Barrel Select MTV Unplugged’ and more… BY DAVID BRITTO Q&A 18 Rivers Cuomo Weezer’s leader on the Grammys, Toto’s “Africa” and that wacky SNL sketch BY SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON Department 56 Playlist Future makes a song about fancy watches and exotic cars sound like some kind of psychedelic blues, Metallica give a head-banging classic some country shine, Bad Bunny sings gloomy, wonderfully selfeffacing lines and more… Reviews 52 Music Soft Rock for Hard Times Three West Coast acts revive the sound of Laurel Canyon for a new age BY WILL HERMES Online Exclusive Vh1 Supersonic 2019 One of India’s biggest music festivals returns for a sixth run from February 16th to 17th The now two-day festival lineup will feature the likes of American rapper Jaden Smith, English producer Bonobo, Irish rockers Two Door Cinema Club and more Supersonic 2019 will also see EDM producer Marshmello return as headliner for the second year running ON THE COVER DIVINE AND NAEZY Shot on Iphone Xs Max by Ishaan Nair Styled by Neelangana Vasudeva Assisted by Aabha Malhotra Hair and Makeup by Jean Claude Biguine All Clothes by Numero Uno Rings by Curio Cottage February 2019 | Rolling Stone India |3 PRASHIN JAGGER 35 India Jason Fine EDITOR DEPUTY EDITOR Radhakrishnan Nair EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & PUBLISHER MUSIC EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE CONTENT DIGITAL DIRECTOR Anurag Tagat SENIOR WRITER Riddhi Chakraborty SENIOR WRITER & VIDEO PRODUCER Neelangana Vasudeva FASHION EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Sunil Sampat, Soleil Nathwani DEPUTY ART DIRECTORS Hemali Limbachiya, Tanvi Shah and Anshul Bhansali PRODUCTION MANAGER Mangesh Salvi SENIOR DIGITAL MANAGER Jayesh V Salvi Minal Surve Manoj Sharma GENERAL MANAGER (DELHI MANOJ@MANSWORLDINDIA.COM) DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER Sean Woods Christian Hoard Joseph Hutchinson Catriona Ni Aolain Tulsi Bavishi (BANGALORE TULSI@MANSWORLDINDIA.COM), Noha Qadri DEPUTY MUSIC EDITOR NEWS DIRECTOR Jerry Portwood Alison Weinflash Simon Vozick-Levinson David Fear Maria Fontoura Jason Newman CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Matthieu Aikins, Mark Binelli, Jonathan Cott, Cameron Crowe, Anthony DeCurtis, Tim Dickinson, Raoul Duke (Sports), Josh Eells, Mikal Gilmore, Jeff Goodell, Vanessa Grigoriadis, Seth Harp, Erik Hedegaard, Will Hermes, Steve Knopper, David Kushner, Greil Marcus, Alex Morris, Charles Perry, Janet Reitman, Rob Sheffield, Paul Solotaroff, Ralph Steadman (Gardening), Neil Strauss, Touré, Jonah Weiner, Christopher R Weingarten VICE CHAIRMAN Craig Perreault EVP, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Todd Greene EVP, BUSINESS AFFAIRS AND GENERAL COUNSEL Debashish Ghosh MANAGING DIRECTOR Santosh P Gajinkar (9969571319) Ken DelAlcazar SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE Tom Finn SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Nelson Anderson VICE PRESIDENT, CREATIVE Joni Antonacci VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION OPERATIONS Stephen Blackwell HEAD OF PORTFOLIO SALES Gerard Brancato VICE PRESIDENT, PMC DIGITAL ACQUISITION Noemi Lazo VICE PRESIDENT, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND MARKETING OPERATIONS Young Ko VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE Gabriel Koen VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNOLOGY Bhautik Mehta (9819728984) MIS & OPERATIONS George Grobar CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Jenny Connelly (MUMBAI NOHA@MANSWORLDINDIA.COM) CIRCULATION MANAGER ROLLING STONE is owned and published by Penske Media Corporation SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCT ADVERTISING & SALES EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITOR ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS David Britto STAFF WRITER CHAIRMAN AND CEO Gerry Byrne Nirmika Singh EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jay Penske Kevin LaBonge Gus Wenner PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS AND LICENSING Brian Levine VICE PRESIDENT, REVENUE OPERATIONS Judith R Margolin EDITORIAL OFFICE: 401, 4th Floor, Todi Building, Mathuradas Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400013 Tel:67487777 E-MAIL: editor@rollingstone-india.com, circulation@rollingstone-india.com PUBLISHER AND Andrew Budkofsky CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT VICE PRESIDENT, DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL Julie Trinh VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL TAX Kelly Vereb Jessica Grill Lauren Utecht VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES AND CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS Tarik West VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES Christina Yeoh VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNICAL OPERATIONS REGIONAL OFFICES: 24/01, First Floor, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi 110016; 33/1, Santhome Ist Stage, 1st A Cross, Indira Nagar Bangalore 560038; 2, Nabapalli (Bindanpalli), Kolkata 700084 ROLLING STONE INTERNATIONAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Meng Ru Kuok Ivan Chen Tom Callahan Julie Zhu VICE PRESIDENT, AUDIENCE MARKETING AND SUBSCRIPTIONS Nici Catton SENIOR DIRECTOR, PROJECTS Gurjeet Chima SENIOR DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL MARKETS Eddie Ko Copyright © 2019 by ROLLING STONE LLC All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited The name ROLLING STONE and the logo thereof are registered trademarks of ROLLING STONE LLC, whose trademarks have been licensed to MW.Com India Private Limited Published by Radhakrishnan Nair on behalf of MW.Com India Private Limited Published at MW.Com India Private Limited, 401, 4th Floor, Todi Building, Mathuradas Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400013 Tel:67487777 www.rollingstoneindia.com 4| February 2019 | Rolling Stone India | Jann S Wenner FOUNDER AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR SENIOR DIRECTOR, ADVERTISING OPERATIONS Andy Limpus SENIOR DIRECTOR, TALENT ACQUISITION Amit Sannad SENIOR DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT Karl Walter SENIOR DIRECTOR, PMC CONTENT ROLLING STONE (ISSN 0035-791x) is published 12 times per year, which is subject to change at any time, by Penske Business Media, LLC, 475 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017 The entire contents of ROLLING STONE are copyright © 2019 by ROLLING STONE LLC, and may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without written permission All rights are reserved International Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No 450553 Mike Ye SENIOR DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ACQUISITIONS Constance Ejuma DIRECTOR, SEO Laura Ongaro EDITORIAL AND BRAND DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL Katie Passantino DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Derek Ramsay SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER BAGGING IT WHEELS FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com FEBRUARY 2017 | K 150 50 MY FATHER'S SON RANBIR KAPOOR ON RISHI KAPOOR THINGS THE CO-LIVING STARTUP BOOM THE KOCHIMUZIRIS BIENNALE ASHIM AHLUWALIA STYLE WHAT'S NEXT FOR INDIAN CRICKET? RUNWAY LOOKS AT HIGH STREET PRICES WHEN VVS LAXMAN ANNOUNCED HIS ARRIVAL SIHH 2019 PREVIEW THE DOUBLE LIFE OF WHEELS RANA DAGGUBATI AN ACTOR, A VFX SPECIALIST HOW TO INVEST IN WINE THE INTERVIEW TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2019 MASERATI LEVANTE • SUZUKI IGNIS • INDIA'S MOST EXPENSIVE • MOTORCYLES WHERE TO TRAVEL IN 2017 INDIA'S BEST WHITE WINES KL RAHUL NUCLEYA SONAM WANGCHUCK SUKET DHIR AMITABH BHATTACHARYA CHARU SHARMA HRITHIK ROSHAN OPENS UP TIGER SHROFF A CULINARY JOURNEY IN WANTS TO BE A PERFECTIONIST BEST CARS & BIKES OF THE YEAR THE INTERVIEW SUJOY GHOSH SUBSCRIBER’S COPY THE WATCH SPECIAL STYLE WHISKIES WHEELS • JEEP COMPASS • LEXUS IN INDIA • VOLVO S60 POLESTAR • INDIAN CHIEFTAIN 48 HOURS IN AMSTERDAM FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com FEBRUARY 2019 | K 150 WHAT ARE WE ADDICTED TO NOW? AYUSHMANN KHURRANA TURNS UP THE CHARM FACTOR TV SHOWS TO BINGE VICKY KAUSHAL LEADS THE CHARGE OF THE NEW BOLLYWOOD THE SHOE SPECIAL DEBUTS IN INDIA MEN AND THEIR SNEAKER COLLECTIONS SUBSCRIBER'S COPY STYLE DRESSING HACKS FOR EVERY OCCASION LUXURY SMARTWATCHES WHEELS • ROLLS-ROYCE BLACK BADGE • JEEP COMPASS • SUZUKI DZIRE • MOTORCYCLE SAFETY GEAR THE INTERVIEW HANSAL MEHTA BENGALURU'S THE BEST RUNNING SHOES TIMELESS DRESS SHOES NEW CRAFT BEERS SHIRT SPECIAL FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com SEPTEMBER 2018 | K 150 SHIRTS YOU HAVE TO OWN CELEBRITIES AND THEIR FAVOURITE SHIRTMAKERS HOW TO WEAR PRINTS WHEELS WATCHES THE YEAR'S BEST MINUTE REPEATERS JAGUAR XJ50 celebrating WHEELS ADVANCED CAR SAFETY SYSTEMS MS DHONI HOW THE FORMER CAPTAIN SURVIVED ATTEMPTED AXING 18 years of success • AUDI RS6 AVANT • INDIA'S BEST CONVERTIBLES • MARUTI SUZUKI CIAZ 48 HOURS IN SYDNEY GARAM HAWA TO MULK MUSLIMS IN HINDI CINEMA SUZUKI V-STROM 650 XT DHRITIMAN CHATERJI ON MRINAL SEN AND SATYAJIT RAY PALACE INTRIGUE THE INTERVIEW NEERAJ KABI #SINGINDIASING THE ASCETIC IN THE MIDDLE ON STAGE ROYAL ENFIELD 650 TWINS ANGAD BEDI ON BISHAN SINGH BEDI INDIA'S BEST CHETESHWAR PUJARA ABHISHEK MAJUMDAR'S THEATRE INNOVATIONS RANGE ROVER SPORT DUCATI SCRAMBLER 1100 FATHERS AND SONS SMALL-BATCH COFFEE T-SERIES AND ITS CONQUEST OF YOUTUBE WAS KUMBLE'S FALL INEVITABLE? WHEELS CURRENT CINEMA THE BEST WATCHES FROM SIHH 2019 THE DEFINITIVE HALEEM GUIDE BEJEWELLED WOMEN'S WATCHES FEMALE DESIRE IN BOLLYWOOD THE COOLEST BAGS OF THE SEASON THE INTERVIEW CHETESHWAR PUJARA FOR THE MAN IN FULL www.mansworldindia.com JULY 2017 | K 150 THE FINEST MOONPHASE WATCHES FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com OCTOBER 2018 | K 150 BEST COMPLICATED WATCHES TAIWAN'S AWARD-WINNING THE LABORATORY KIRORI MAL COLLEGE'S FECUND DRAMATICS SOCIETY 72 HOURS IN MIAMI BARBEQUE LIKE A BOSS "I'M AT PEACE AND IN LOVE WITH EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO HAS BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE." 2017'S FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com MAY 2017 | K 150 INDIA'S BUSIEST BAR CHAINS THE OUTLIERS RANVEER SINGH THE MARATHON TRAINING GUIDE THE NEW BREED OF INDIAN CRICKETERS NORTHERN IRELAND STYLE GOA'S INNOVATIVE LIQUOR INDUSTRY HOW WOMEN ARE WINNING THE INTERNET BYJU RAVEENDRAN MEN OF THE YEAR TOMMY HILFIGER AND HIS INDIAN CONNECTIONS DOES AAMIR KHAN HAVE A SAVIOUR COMPLEX? THE EDUCATOR UP CLOSE ANOUSHKA SHANKAR FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com DECEMBER 2016 | K 150 MW STYLE HOW TO WORK ATHLEISURE LIKE A BOSS WHEELS THE CARS AND MOTORCYCLES TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS YEAR THE RETURN OF VINYL RECORDS BMW SERIES JAWA IS BACK TATA HARRIER THE DENIM ISSUE GADGETS FOOD TRENDS DRESSING UP MOVIES FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com JANUARY 2017 | K 150 WHY NAWAZUDDIN SIDDIQUI NEEDS TO REINVENT HIMSELF HOW ELEVAR IS REIMAGINING THE CRICKET BAT THE YEAR'S BEST WATCHES HOT IN 2017 MW STYLE FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com JANUARY 2019 | K 150 SUBSCRIBER’S COPY India’s original men’s magazine THE BEST IN-EAR PODS THE MANY MOODS OF KARAN JOHAR THE INSTAGRAM FITNESS CRAZE THE BEST HEALTH RESORTS IN INDIA FARHAN AKHTAR AS RELEVANT AS EVER STYLE FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com MAY 2018 | K 150 36 HOURS IN MOSCOW MIDAS TOUCH JUHI CHATURVEDI THROUGH THE EYES OF WILLIAM DALRYMPLE DENIM TRENDS FOR THE SEASON TRACKING TIME DIVE WATCHES YOU'LL LOVE THE FINEST NEW WHISKIES IN CONVERSATION WITH NANDITA DAS HIPPEST NEW BARS THE BEST WHEELS CAMERA PHONES (REALLY) SMART TVs • AUDI Q7 • TOYOTA YARIS • INDIAN SCOUT BOBBER 48 HOURS IN TAIPEI SMART TVS ARE THE WAY TO GO TINDER CONFESSIONS 48 HOURS IN BOSTON TOM CRUISE STILL A BADASS AT 55 THE FIERCE AMBITION OF SPECIAL THE BEST MOONPHASE WATCHES WHEELS FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com SEPTEMBER 2017 | K 150 FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com OCTOBER 2017 | K 150 • VOLVO V90 CROSS COUNTRY • VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN • SKODA OCTAVIA • MAHINDRA ADVENTURE STYLE KICKING AROUND A EUROPEAN FOOTBALL PRIMER THE HOTTEST AW17 BRAND LOOKS THE INTERVIEW CULINARY JOURNEYS RAJA KRISHNA MENON EATING (REALLY) WEIRD IN NEW ZEALAND SHIRT SPECIAL ALI FAZAL ROCKS THE SEASON'S BEST SHIRTS SHOE RACK A VISUAL HISTORY OF THE SNEAKER CROSS CONNECTIONS EVERYONE'S RELATED IN BOLLYWOOD WHEELS THE INTERVIEW KIDAMBI SRIKANTH AKSHAY KUMAR'S MANY REINVENTIONS THE SUPER BOXING LEAGUE FARHAN AKHTAR HOW HE EMBRACES FAILURE POCKET WATCHES FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com DECEMBER 2018 | K 150 ONLY WATCH 2017 ICONIC MOVIE WATCHES KEEPING PACE INDIA'S FAST-BOWLING RICHES SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT ON NEPOTISM, STARDOM AND THE WATCH SPECIAL SUBSCRIBER’S COPY SUBSCRIBER’S COPY T H E GROOMING FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com AUGUST 2017 | K 150 SUBSCRIBER’S COPY e 35 SH O PP IN Pag G O FF ER KING KOHLI "I DON'T WANT TO BE ANYONE ELSE" • MERCEDES-AMG GT R • HYUNDAI VERNA • HONDA AFRICA TWIN • BENELLI 302R BOUNDARY BREAKERS WEB SERIES' IN INDIA WHAT ARE HIPSTERS EATING AND DRINKING? 48 HOURS IN BRUSSELS BHUMI PEDNEKAR IS HERE TO STAY SMART HOMES WHEELS • AUDI Q2 • BMW SERIES • PORSCHE PANAMERA TURBO THE IRREPRESSIBLE RANVEER SINGH THE YEAR OF RAJKUMMAR RAO ADVENTURE TRAVEL IN SWITZERLAND THE FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP BHUVAN BAM INDIA'S BIGGEST SOCIAL MEDIA STAR THE BEST OF 2018 MOVIES TV SHOWS GADGETS RESTAURANTS ALCOHOL CARS AND BIKES 2018'S BEST WATCHES STYLE HOW TO SLAY THE PARTY SEASON THE DRINKING MAN SPECIAL TRAVELS THROUGH SINGLE MALT COUNTRY GOA'S BEST PARTY SPOTS THE BEST INDIAN WINES THE YEAR OF GIN HOME-BAR HACKS COCKTAILS YOU HAVE TO TRY THE INTERVIEW AANAND L RAI NO CHILDREN, NO PROBLEM COUPLES GOING CHILD-FREE Men of the Year SPECIAL download your digital issue now Available on: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Android devices Subscribe through Magzter, the Digital Web Store, on iTunes and Android Market www.facebook.com/mansworld.ind | www.mansworldindia.com | on ipad at magzter.com The Mix Jungle: ‘It’s An Exciting Experience Going Somewhere So Far Away From What You Know’ The U.K soul band’s co-founder Tom McFarland on coming to India, their latest album ‘For Ever’ and his review of the year gone by down to his birthday on February 2nd He says, “It’s going to be super cold in all of those places and we’re going to come to Mumbai and it’ll be boiling.” Soon after, from February to April, the seven-piece band – also featuring co-founder Josh Lloyd-Watson – tour through Europe, North America and Australia It’s safe to say that everyone’s coming to India for the first time, though “I think, culturally and in terms of that – we’re really excited I think people are maybe a bit nervous about what to expect but I’ve spoken to some friends who’ve been to India and played before and they say the crowds are really receptive to everything, so we’re excited too,” McFarland says The appearance comes on the back of their 2018 album For Ever, which released four years after the hugely successful self-titled debut While Jungle catapulted the band into global stardom for millions-viewed videos such as “Busy Earnin’” and “Platoon,” it became clear that McFarland and LloydWatson were all about projecting a specific visual identity and aesthetic Even today, Jungle’s popularity rides on their energizing, feel-good choreography and sublime storytelling, all going over smooth, groovy funk, disco and soul vibes McFarland says dance is a “very important aspect” of the group’s music “I think we like to imagine people in the real world reacting in the same way to our music that you’d see in our videos I think the two are very inter-linked but I don’t think they’re necessarily always symbiotic with each other,” he adds Whether it’s playing to thousands at big-ticket festivals or selling out indoor venues, Jungle likes to “retain an intimacy” when it comes to performances It’s one thing to have seven members to live up to the sound of Jungle songs like “House In L.A.,” “The Heat” and “Heavy, California,” but McFarland says it also helps each of them realize there’s other people to connect with on stage He adds, “I think for us that’s the most exciting thing about playing live music, just being able to have a dialog with your audience whether it’s 600 people or 10,000 people We always try and make sure we have as much energy as possible.” ANURAG TAGAT CHARLIE DI PLACIDO O ver the phone from London, Tom McFarland is excited about his neo-soul band Jungle’s India debut this month for more reasons than one “So we’re actually going to be playing the festival on my 30th birthday, which is quite exciting as an occasion as well,” he says Jungle, who have seen a global meteoric rise in acclaim and popularity thanks to their slick soul, R&B and funk sound, will make their way down to Nashik to headline the 2019 edition of wine and music festival SulaFest And the shows before that include Kiev, Moscow, St Petersburg and Tokyo McFarland is having a laugh just thinking about the way he’s counting The Mix A.R Rahman Uday Benegal Anushka Manchanda Nexa Music Launches Nationwide Talent Hunt for Emerging Indie Musicians Nikhil D’Souza If you’re an original artist creating English-language music, this is your chance to collaborate with A.R Rahman, Clinton Cerejo and others COURTESY OF THE ARTISTS (RAHMAN, CEREJO, D’SOUZA, MANCHANDA); PRANAB DOLEY (BENEGAL) Clinton Cerejo JACK DO RS E Y I wouldn’t have forced myself out I would have helped You could have succeeded with the proper help, is that what you’re saying? Yeah You have to keep in mind, we had a company of 13 people I had never been anyone’s boss That was all new I had to fire someone that we were entirely dependent on to bring the service back up We were under massive scrutiny We had massive scale from day one It resonated immediately People were throwing money at us We had Facebook, who just copied the same thing that we did There was a lot of stress I was working nonstop The service was going down all the time We were paying half a million dollars in SMS bills It was crazy Our office felt like a tomb It was dark There were no windows There’s a choice one can make: If you put someone in a situation like that, you have to help them or you just replace them, and I was replaced Would it be fair to say that after you were forced out, you were determined to let the world know who you were and what your importance was? Yeah I saw myself being erased from everything, intentionally erased That wasn’t cool I was part of the story I shouldn’t be erased from it For two years I was considered the co-founder Then suddenly I’m not? Changing history, I’ll speak up about I usually don’t speak on behalf of myself I don’t fight for myself That was the one time that I did I don’t know if it worked No one really cared You’re sitting here now Clearly, something worked No, no I went off and did my thing I learned what I needed to learn I built a company It’s rock-solid and stable Had no blips I think I proved to myself that when I put my mind to it and when I have the right access to tools, that will help me grow Based on the time you spent with him, would you be able to lay out your philosophical differences with someone like Mark Zuckerberg? Twitter and Facebook have approached the world in different ways I would love to I just don’t know what his philosophies are I don’t know what their purpose is Facebook’s purpose? Mm-hmm I know what they say, but I don’t know I see Mark as a very, very smart businessman He will excel to gain as much market share as possible If you were CEO of Facebook instead, would you know what to with them? No I’ve got enough on my plate I think the intention of a lot of people at the company is right If the philosophy is helping the world realize that we’re all facing the same problems We should end this distraction of nationalism That is a promise of the internet I would rather us be proactive around solving these problems together than reactive If that’s the goal and that’s the stated intention, then I would know a few things to What was your most memorable encounter with Zuckerberg? Well, there was a year when he was only eating what he was killing He made goat for me for dinner He killed the goat 42 | Rolling Stone India | February 2019 In front of you? No He killed it before I guess he kills it He kills it with a laser gun and then the knife Then they send it to the butcher A . . . laser gun? I don’t know A stun gun They stun it, and then he knifed it Then they send it to a butcher Evidently in Palo Alto there’s a rule or regulation that you can have six livestock on any lot of land, so he had six goats at the time I go, “We’re eating the goat you killed?” He said, “Yeah.” I said, “Have you eaten goat before?” He’s like, “Yeah, I love it.” I’m like, “What else are we having?” “Salad.” I said, “Where is the goat?” “It’s in the oven.” Then we waited for about 30 minutes He’s like, “I think it’s done now.” We go in the dining room He puts the goat down It was cold That was memorable I don’t know if it went back in the oven I just ate my salad It’s hard to find a metaphor in that I don’t know what you’re going to with that, but hopefully that’s not the headline Revenge is a dish best served warm Or cold Did you come away from Twitter to Square with a newfound world-conquering ambition? No, I don’t want to conquer the world Some people say you were motivated by revenge or, more pleasantly, to show them that they were wrong Definitely, when I started Square, I needed to prove a lot to myself I was put in a position to something, and I thought it was going quite well I was surprised to learn that it wasn’t Then I was out I spent months trying to figure out what happened The only way I know how to figure out what happened is just to it again How you balance your admiration of someone like Steve Jobs with our current knowledge of his darker side as a human and a boss? I don’t know much about what he was like to work with I’ve read the book, but there’s some counter-arguments to that as well He resonated with me because he wasn’t just a technologist He was an artist too My dad was a technologist My mom was an artist That balance, you can’t really find that anywhere He was the only one doing anything interesting in that regard He was just such an icon too He really had a sense of who he was He was very confident and curious and just a fascinating character I was drawn to that early on This was at the time of Macintosh I remember seeing that commercial during the Super Bowl It was unlike any other thing in the world, this whole against-the-system personality and creativity It was just so inspiring, so I had to learn about him and learn about his company Unfortunately, he was fired two years later What was your introduction to punk rock? A club in St Louis, and a lot of basements My favorite band at the time was Flipper Then they led me to Operation Ivy Then Operation Ivy led me to a bunch of the Bay Area folks [The ska-punk band] Common Rider led me to the Coup and hip-hop One of the things I appreciate about punk is the activism When I got here in ’99, I immediately went to Gilman I worked the door as a bouncer, which is funny, because look at me It turns out that most of the people that go to Gilman are pretty harmless There’s no alcohol I loved it It was a co-op, collective I would be dancing to all these punk bands I would look to the right, and Billie Joe Armstrong is there dancing too He’s tiny and jumping on the stage I’m like, “Wow, that’s really cool.” It doesn’t matter who you are, they’re all here That’s how I got into it Earlier, you said, “I’m a punk.” Can you be punk rock and be who you are right now? Is that really possible? Can I be that today? Yeah, I think so I hope so I think we need different takes on life There’s a number of people who might come from a similar background as I did and be a little bit weird or odd or whatnot and see me as being weird and odd and extra: “Yeah, if you can it, I can it.” What did you initially respond to in punk? The fact that you would have these bands of three people get up onstage who were absolutely terrible They would get booed People would throw things at them They would keep playing Then they came back in two weeks, and they were a little bit better Then they came back in two weeks, and they were much better Then they came back in four weeks, and they were amazing I’m fascinated by this concept of working in public and allowing people to see you get better and better as time goes on To me, it’s what the world needs To me, that’s one of the greatest benefits Twitter provides Elon does it so well He works in public He thinks in public He ideates in public I got that from punk Hip-hop has a little bit of it as well Kanye, Life of Pablo, was that in the streaming age “I’m gonna fix ‘Wolves.’” I wish he’d kept that going Someday he’s going to fix it It was amazing He was the one that, finally, someone got what’s possible with streaming You can change it at any point, and no one, to me, yet, has fully realized the medium of streaming How you define your spirituality? Not to any particular religion Anything that builds self-awareness feels spiritual to me I guess I feel a sense of spirituality when I feel a connection to, like, global consciousness What I love about walking around New York is it just feels so electric and I feel connected to everything Even though I’m not talking to anyone, it feels like I’m in a moment that’s super-dense and very, very connected I think Twitter has some of that potential to show at least the closest thing we have to a global consciousness Being able to tap into what people think What the vibe is around whatever’s happening in the world That’s how I wanna be able to use it It’s like, what people think about what I just did? And that’s where I think text matters over video, over images Text is so quick to the neurons It’s just so quick to consume It’s so much more raw in terms of expression, where it makes you feel the feeling in it Did you have any urge as a kid to be famous? I never wanted to be an entrepreneur I never wanted to be CEO I never wanted to be a public figure I had this idea for a while, and I wanted it to work That’s all And I became a CEO because I had to But that was it We raise money because we had to pay people This was all out of necessity rather than desire I love being behind the scenes The character I loved most in The Wizard of Oz was the wizard ’Cause he was behind the curtain 44 | February 2019 | Rolling Stone | TIME The poster boys of desi hip-hop narrate the story of their hard-won success in their most honest interview yet By Nirmika Singh PHOTOGRAPHS BY ISHAAN NAIR • STYLING BY NEELANGANA VASUDEVA • ALL CLOTHES BY NUMERO UNO tours But the biggest testimony to their skyrocketing stardom came last year when director Zoya Akhtar announced her new film, Gully Boy, based generally on the scene and particularly on the lives of the two rappers The whole of last year also witnessed the film’s lead actor Ranveer Singh turning into a bantai himself—Instagram posts of him hanging with local rappers, spitting verses in his car or in the recording studio were consumed and shared delightfully | ALL PHOTOS SHOT ON IPHONE Xs MAX In August 2016 Vivian Fernandes aka Divine and Naved Shaikh aka Naezy made it to the cover of Rolling Stone India among three other peers At that time, the story we were reporting was of a rising trend, a infant scene waiting to explode Barely two-and-half years since that Internet-breaking cover, almost everything has changed for Divine and Naezy As the faces of Indian hip-hop, the two artists have gone on to release a series of songs, headline festivals and embark on February 2019 | Rolling Stone | 45 What does all this mean to Divine and Naezy? As we sat down for a chat post this month’s cover shoot—co-incidentally in the same Kalina studio the August 2016 cover was shot in—we got hit by a burst of nostalgia and elation, the kind that screams, ‘look how far we’ve come.’ Here are the excerpts: When we speak of desi hip-hop, your names are the first that come to mind Things seem to be moving at such a rapid pace for you both How has life changed? Naezy: Life hasn’t really changed, it’s the same Like always, I still wake up every day with the feeling of wanting to write something new, something different My routine hasn’t changed much but yes, creatively, the responsibilities have increased People have high anticipation and expectations of what we are up to – the rhymes we are performing and the songs we are releasing So yeah, we have to now think twice before every move But the [hip-hop] is also changing so much – there are so many new rappers now The space is crowding a lot but it’s also a good thing—it has helped each and every one of us to hone our unique style Divine: Whatever Naezy has just said is so true! There are new platforms, new stages and new responsibilities It has all gone a notch higher now There’s only upwards now—upar ki taraf ab, rukna nahi hai (There’s no stopping us now) And it’s a great time for the whole scene, not just for me and Naezy The whole scene is flourishing for everybody—sabke liye jagah hai (there’s space for everyone) Now that you both have made your Bollywood debuts, there are two different opinions that are emerging from people One says that you both have become ‘sellouts’ and the other says that this will pave way for more indie artists to cross over and find opportunities Is it a double-edged sword for you both? Divine: Arrey, they should listen to our songs! We aren’t writing typical Bollywood songs We are writing from our heart In Gully Boy, we wrote the songs from our heart Koi zor zabardasti se main track nahi karta Bollywood ka (I will never a film project under any kind of pressure) The whole idea for us is to expand our own scene and our own audiences via Bollywood Naezy: Haan bilkul (Totally) We aren’t dependent on Bollywood because we have achieved so much already without it But at the same time, I feel Bollywood is playing a very important role in giving us the exposure to reach the masses The Yo Yo [Honey Singh] and Badshah-listening audience doesn’t naturally look for underground sounds and artists like us, so without Bollywood we wouldn’t have been able to reach that public Also, with Bollywood, we’ve crossed another boundary—people listen to Hindi film songs not just in India in every home, every TV, but across the world Divine: And even in small villages and cities It was important for us to hit that sixer with this project and I am sure it will be quite the sixer! Our music will now reach every home Naezy: As far [as] the creative side is concerned, Bollywood today has a lot of directors that understand our kind of hip-hop, like Zoya ma’am and Anurag Kashyap And we are also very choosy—we don’t want to every Bollywood project that is offered to us And even when we these film projects, we ensure that is our authentic hip-hop Divine: Yes, totally! We also know that they will call us only if they want something that is authentic We definitely don’t want to end up being ‘fillers’ in songs! Naezy: They should learn to take risks They should not be dependent on things other than their art to get traction, whether it is trying too hard to bag a Bollywood song just to get traction or wanting playing certain kind of shows If we are confident and have faith in ourselves and our art, we really don’t need to depend on any one thing to succeed Divine: Yes, one has to take risks And today, the game is changing for both music and cinema Take Sacred Games for example—khatarnaak series tha (It was mind-blowing!) We’ve not seen anything like that in Bollywood but with its popularity, maybe we will get to see more such kind of content And with music, there’s more quality rap emerging The bar is rising every day Naezy: Competion itna ho gaya hai ki agar koi kuch likhta hai toh doosra bolta hai main usse bhaari raap likhoonga (There’s internal competition among local rappers to write better verses) Divine: Hamaare se acche-acche rappers aane walein hain (Soon there will be better rappers than us on the circuit) Naezy: We witness such great talent all around us Some of them—if they work on their craft, say for a year, they’d spit rhymes better than us! Divine: If a good song releases today, there’s a better one that comes out in the next month that beats it Naezy: There’s competition and there’s also craze Divine: As we speak today, I’m sure there’s someone writing a verse! “Koi zor zabardasti se main track nahi karta Bollywood ka The whole idea for us is to expand our own scene and our own audiences via Bollywood.” - Divine When you guys were first approached by the Gully Boy team and were told that the film was based on your lives, were you apprehensive that your story would be told as a dramatic, melodramatic Bollywood saga? Naezy: We knew that Bollywood market ke hisaab se chalta hai, masala-mirchi toh rahega usme (That it will be an exaggerated version) We tried a little to pull the narrative towards reality—show the indie stuff and reality—but we were powerless And we had to understand that the film has to well in the market too If someone is investing in our scene, it’s natural for them to want returns But yes, if we were to make a film ourselves, we’d make it absolutely real Divine: Haan, ek banana chahiye (We should make one!) Naezy: Bombay 70! ‘Bollywood Se Hatkar’! What you think stops indie artists from aiming for higher? Is there something within that causes a hurdle? Divine: Nobody wants to take a chance in the scene They don’t want to play on the front foot Do you think there’s also a herd mentality amidst all this? A lot of aspiring rappers see the so-called glamour, the flashy clothes and bling and want all of that? Naezy: A lot of people look at us and think ‘Wow, these guys are rapping, getting popular and making loads of money, so let me also try it.’ But that’s such [a] flawed way to look at things—you must pursue things that you are good at I mean, now all of a sudden everyone wants to rap in our style—how can that be possible? Original jo hai andar se aata hai —jiske paas bhi hai, woh apne aap nikal ke aayega (The originality comes from within) Divine: You can’t fake it Fans pakad lenge Aur tum nahi tikoge (Fans will see through your gimmickry and you won’t last) Naezy: Aur mujhe lagta hai ki hip-hop aisi cheez hai jo agar tu gully se hai bhi nahi tabh bhi kar sakta hai (Any one can embrace hip-hop) Divine: You don’t have to be from the gully to rap If you’re a student, rap about your school or college If you have a family situation, rap about that Naezy: Agar tu nahi hai gully se, toh tu nahi hai bhai (But if you aren’t from the gully, don’t try hard to seem like one) Divine: Haan! (Yes!) Wardrobe courtesy Numero Uno Naezy: Toh yes, there is a herd mentality Sab behti ganga mein haath dhona chahtein hain (Everybody wants a piece of the pie) Divine: Chalti train mein sab jump maarna chaah rahein hain Lekin nahi hota aise Pakad mein aa jaata hai (laughs) (Everybody wants to ride the hip-hop wave right now) How important is it for you guys to rap in your mother tongue? Naezy: It’s very important Till the time you express in the language in which you think, you can’t make a connect with the audience And when the audience listens to it, they can relate too Mother tongue mein jab likhtein hain, toh andar se aata hai Woh direct hit karta hai (When I write in my mother tongue, I can express more honestly, and it hits hard) And when it is packaged nicely with music, we forge a bond with the listeners immediately; they begin to understand us better I can express myself best only in Hindi and Urdu; English thoda nakli lagta hai, thoda plastic lagta hai mujhe (English feels fake, plastic) Hindi aur Urdu aisa hai jo ghus jaata hai andar tak, aur tumhaari ruhaani taaqat ko feel kar sakta hai (Hindi and Urdu manage to invoke my deepest thoughts, even spiritual expression) Divine, you feel the same way? Divine: Oh yes, I feel that the connect is more When you speak to your family, you speak effortlessly, on a personal level and that’s how artists should approach their content—relatable In my rhymes, I try to speak the same way I would talk to my friends and family And because of that, zyada log aate hain shows mein aur machaate hain (There are more people enjoying the shows now) Whether it is an autowalla or a businessman, they all enjoy it What is the message you want to give to young people who want to follow in your footsteps? Divine: I want to tell them that hip-hop isn’t just about rapping; and rapping isn’t everything Naezy: Yeah, I wrote a rhyme on this called “Dhoondh”—Dhoondh le maksad/Tu kyon aaya tha is duniya mein…Rapper banna hi sab-kuch nahi hai Aaj kal public aisa-aisa rap kar rahi hai aur public ko lagta hai kya Divine aur Naezy ne paida kiye hain Woh log naam kharaab kar rahe hain (Some of them can’t rap to save their lives and somehow our names get spoilt.) What the young folks need to understand is that they need to discover and hone their own unique talent And this takes time It doesn’t happen overnight And everybody is chasing instant fame… Naezy: Woh jitna jaldi upar jacte hain utna jaldi neeche aate hain (The ones that get instantly famous end up fall down harder too.) Divine: I’ve been doing this for 10 years How much you write everyday? Naezy: I recently started writing with pen and paper My new diary of 150 odd pages is almost full! It’s a different feeling to hold a notebook in your hand and scribble in it Divine: My phone is filled with my notes of my writing And my rhymes are always swimming in my mind I get ideas anywhere and everywhere Can you guys share the latest rhymes you wrote maybe today or in the past few days? Divine: I would love to but if I put out my unreleased work, there’s a chance someone will pick it, rehash it and use it as theirs That’s why I am always wary of performing unreleased pieces It’s happened with me once! Naezy: Sahi mein, aisa hota hai (Yes, it happens) Naezy, I have to say, the whole hip-hop community was waiting for your comeback The scene was missing you… Divine: Wohi, I was telling him about the stuff that happened in the scene while he was away We missed him a lot, the whole scene [was] missing him a lot because Naezy jaisa koi rapper abhi tak paida nahi hua hai hamare yahan Aur kabhi koi doosra Naezy nahi ho sakta hai (There can’t be another Naezy) His style, the way he uses his syllables, and the feeling he communicates — his rap has comedy, aggression, satire, sarcasm Naezy mera favourite rapper hai scene mein (Naezy is my favourite rapper) Naezy hamara bhi favorite rapper hai! (Naezy is our favourite rapper too) Naezy: Arrey, mujhe kya charge kar diya tum dono ne (The two of you have motivated me) Divine: Honestly, I saw so much content this past year, so many good releases came out, but whenever I want to listen to authentic Indian hip-hop, I play “Asal Hustle” (Naezy’s 2016 single) As an artist, Divine: Our real fans know how distinct we are Naezy: It is only the outsiders that think we’re alike Maybe because we are from the same city Divine: The uninitiated new fans need to listen to a lot more hip-hop to know how and where it all came from Naezy: Today this conversation is in the zone— apun ne sab khol dala (We have bared it all) I think these kind of conversations between two artists like yourselves are very significant, even if they’re part of an interview, because it causes you both to affirm, validate and encourage each other How often would the two of you express love for each other’s art in such depth! Divine: Yes, and it’s very important for us to tell our fans what we think about each other Saath mein upar jaayenge, maza aayega! (Success in each other’s company will be even sweeter!) Divine, which is the one artist that inspired you to pursue hip-hop? Divine: Nas Naezy, which is the one song/album that can make you cry? Naezy: “When Thugs Cry” by 2pac Divine, what is that one typical thing about Bombay 59 that people might not be aware of? Divine: That it’s a humongous area! People think it’s a small cluster, but it’s spread over many local- “Mother tongue mein jab likhtein hain, toh andar se aata hai Woh direct hit karta hai English thoda nakli lagta hai, thoda plastic lagta hai mujhe.” - Naezy Naezy has an original power, unlike anybody else Naezy: I missed the scene terribly, life seemed very empty without performing, but it was important for me to take this break Just before my hiatus, I remember Divine had released a song, daaru-waaru karke, toh mujhe laga ki yeh banda na chal lega, mujhe dar tha.(I was scared, I thought his song won’t work) But when I returned after a year, I saw every other rapper was on shaky territory but Divine was there, like a rock I was very happy And it is inspiring to see him maintain his originality through all these years Divine: Like I said before, if you’re authentic, there’s space for everyone Naezy: A lot of people say our styles are very similar but I don’t think that’s true at all… ities And, we get the best anda-pav served with schezwan chutney next to the JB Nagar circle And what about Bombay 70, Naezy? Naezy: Bombay 70 is full khatarnaak but it’s turned into this swanky area with malls and express flyovers—SCLR Modi bhi guzarta hai wahan se (Modi has been spotted taking that route too!) People also think Kurla means pocket maar lega koi (That you will be mugged) But geographically, this area is the heart of Bombay—it falls right in the middle of town and suburbs It’s full gangsta’ but we are trying to clean up its image, now that so many artists are emerging from there People like me Now Kurla boasts of all kinds of people—the educated folks too Wardrobe courtesy Numero Uno ON NAEZY Denim trucker with military patches; Spicy Red sweatshirt with real denim print; Jwellery by Curio Cottage ON DIVINE Black Racer Jacket with contrast checkered tape detail ob sleeve; “STAY VIBRANT” printed teeshirt; Active Jogger jeans in dark indigo wash with a black side stripe Divine, what is your favourite Hindi word? Divine: Gully For me, it’s the biggest term ever My first-ever rap had that word too—galliyon ke gul mein chhupta hai mera raaz (In the dusty bylanes lie my deepest secrets) This word is now stuck to my artistry Gully, for me, doesn’t mean poor or underprivileged, contrary to what many think Gully means walking with your head held high Gully ka matlab gareebi nahi hai, gully ka maltb hai gareebi se nikal ke aana (Gully doesn’t signify poverty but the will to emerge out of poverty) Gully is about being yourself And it’s important for us to iterate this because people are misconstruing the meaning of gully It’s amusing how almost every ‘gully rap’ music video today carried shots of gutters, gaalis (bad words) and what not Naezy: Gully bahut deep cheez hai Jazbat hai, ehsaas hai (Gully isn’t mere a thing; it’s an emotion, an experience.) Divine: In the “Mere Gully Mein” video, we wanted to show the happiness and joy in a gully We didn’t want to show poverty Naezy: The video was about how we are happy wherever we are! Divine: And how we should things from the heart Yes, money is important It creates more opportunities Naezy: It is a bitter truth that money talks No matter what we might say, the truth is that without money there’s no life Divine: And what you tell your family, your mother—you can’t just pursue hip-hop without earning a living You need money to survive, raise a family, buy a house, car As far as monetary security is concerned, are you both in a more stable and comfortable space now? Divine: Haan zaroor, aur bahut accha lag raha hai (Of course, I am happy now)Now I can make music without worries There’s no pressure—previously there would be a fear that if the song tanks, I would have to go back to a job Today there’s a little more stability because there are platforms, brands, magazines that are supporting us Naezy: But my folks at home are still upset that I am pursuing music ON NAEZY Red Racer Jacket with contrast checkered tape detail on sleeve; Slim Fit Deep Indigo Denims; Black Henley Body Fit Teeshirt Despite seeing you on stage with a mainstream actor like Ranveer? Isn’t that a dream come true for Indian parents? Naezy: All that doesn’t matter to my family—unko farak nahi padta.(They don’t care) They see that as a nice, cute thing—they’ve been seeing me on stage for four years now But their thinking is different But now my mother is beginning to understand why I am pursing this—the poetry etc I tried explaining to her how I am different from the other rappers She’s been understanding but my father is still not convinced He seems to be caught between the dilemma of letting me what I want on the one hand, and feeling the societal pressure on the other—that he must be a strict father and show me the ‘right’ way So yes, there are still many restrictions for me Mujhe bola jaa raha hai tu rap chhod de Lekin maine ek saal bina rap ke jiya aur mujhse nahi hota hai Main bina rap ke nahi reh sakta Woh mere rag-rag mein hai (I have immense family pressure to quit rap but I can’t It’s in my Divine, Naezy, Ace, Bobkat and Stony Psyko on our August 2016 cover veins I can’t live without it) Maine koshish kari kaafi lekin ladai zaari hai (I am trying to fight the fight.) Divine: Nahi bantai, kabhi nahi chhodega.(He won’t quit) What, according to your parents, would be a dream job for you? Naezy: They want me to an MBA and a nine-to-five job My dad, he is okay with me doing anything that keeps me from music He thinks the industry is a very bad place Or maybe he’s seen other rappers taking some bad routes So he’s become very overprotective He’s okay with me just sitting at a computer, or even doing a small job as long as it’s not music Doesn’t the Bollywood tag make them proud? Naezy: If it does, they haven’t told me yet! I think they hide the fact that they are actually proud of me Indian parents… Divine: (Laughs) Aur jab gaana aata hai toh jhat se ek ad lib gaa denge! (And when our song plays, they’re the first to sing along to it) Naezy: But at the same time, I have to say my dad understands me a lot more now Because I am sure he gets two kinds of opinions from people — if one set of people urge him to tighten his control over me, the other bunch must be praising me, and congratulating him So I think he has mixed feelings How’s life changed for you and your mom? How’s she doing? Divine: Meri maa saai hai bilkul (Mom is doing great!) The most important thing is that I get to eat food cooked by her I am very happy (laughs) Toh apna time aa gaya ki nahi? Divine: Time aa gaya hai par isko barkarar rakhna zaroori hai (Our time has come but it’s important for us to keep it going) Naezy: Apna time aaya tha, aaya hai aur aate rahega! (Our time had come, is here and will keep coming!) Music SOFT ROCK FOR HARD TIMES Three West Coast acts revive the sound of Laurel Canyon in a new age of despair By WILL HER MES Better Oblivion Community Center Oblivion Community Center Army ★★★★ Jessica Pratt Quiet Signs ★★★ Cass McCombs Tip of the Sphere ★★★ W HAT IS it about dashed expectations that breed singer-songwriters? As the Sixties dream cratered, a golden era peaked in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon — think Joni, Jackson, Sweet Baby James Now, a new one is blooming as the American experiment contemplates its doom Father John Misty’s cosmic snark, Mitski’s aching character studies, Kurt Vile’s transcendent vagueness — all offer strangely comforting proof that hopelessness springs eternal This year has plenty more on offer Phoebe Bridgers’ tenderly spooky debut, Stranger in the Alps, was ILLUSTRATION BY Bijou Karman February 2019 | Rolling Stone | 50 Reviews Music followed by last year’s dazzling Crosby, Stills and Nash-style Boygenius EP, cut with kindred aces Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker Now, the 24-year-old Bridgers has another low-key supergroup The debut by Better Oblivion Community Center opens in the voice of a seasonal hire on “I Didn’t Know What I Was in For,” searching for meaning in a world so full of pain it can drive a person literally mad Bridgers is soon joined by BOCC’s other half, Conor Oberst Twenty-five years in, he’s a touchstone for a new generation, Bridgers in particular His vocal shiver is now more tremor than seizure; the duo harmonize beautifully, Oberst’s voice often just a brooding floorboard creak behind Bridgers’ brightly bloodshot confidences (see “Chesapeake”) “Big Black Hearts” finds communion in joyously ugly guitar noise, while “Dominos” looks toward a raptness shy of hope, but preferable to numbness Like Bridgers, Jessica Pratt is from California, but she’s more desert mystic than stark realist Pratt was pegged as a folkie (genus freak folk) with 2015’s On Your Own Love Again, but Quiet Signs is iridescent proof she’s more than that, painting hazy emotional landscapes rooted more in early-Sixties film themes and bossa nova than the decade’s folk revival Suggesting Karen Dalton or an inversion of Nico circa Chelsea Girl, Pratt’s vocal strangeness may be an acquired taste But it’s irresistible once acquired NoCal rambler Cass McCombs shapeshifts even more He’s a woodsy abstractionistturned-master-of-vernacular: droning indie pop, baroque choral soul and especially sad-dreamy folk rock recalling Cali kin Neil Young and Elliott Smith But the West Coast spirit hovering most prominently on Tip of the Sphere is Jerry Garcia McCombs covered “Dark Star” on 2016’s Day of the Dead tribute; here the vibe is late-Seventies Dead, grooves more burbling than rushing, pedal steel recalling Garcia’s un-Nashville style (“Rounder”) But “American Canyon Sutra” suggests Allen Ginsberg and Alan Vega in its indictment of our Walmart culture And “Sleeping Volcanoes” (which should be titled “The Armageddon Song”) scrambles Babylonian horror and vintage tunecraft with 21st-century deadpan Like the best of this deceptively chill new wave, McCombs’ music honors the past while steeling itself for the future Durand Jones and the Indications Kelley (left) and Hubbard NASHVILLE HANGOVER Florida Georgia Line, country’s poets laureate of keg stands, try to grow up By JONATHA N BERNSTEIN T HE PAST half-decade of country music has often felt like one extended response to Florida Georgia Line’s 2012 hit, “Cruise,” which ushered in the wave of escapist fantasies set to syncopated drum loops that became known as “bro country.” Lately, though, the party’s more or less ended, as country has course-corrected toward more traditional, sensitive balladry Even the poets laureate of beach bonfires and keg stands have moved on: In 2016, Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley reinvented themselves with the pseudo-Christian pop ballad “H.O.L.Y.,” which they followed in 2018 with their Florida Georgia Line Can’t Say I Ain’t Country REPUBLIC ★★ ★★ BREAKING Beautifully Tender ’70s Soul From Indiana DURAND JONES and the Indications, an R&B outfit that came together at Indiana Univer- sity, like to say they recorded their 2016 debut for just $452 That’s hard to believe after hearing “Is It Any Wonder?” a soul ballad that recalls the exquisite, expensive-sounding early-Seventies music of the Stylistics The Indications get even better on new LP American Love Call, which contains frequent jolts of Frankie Lymon falsetto from drummer Aaron Frazier Much of contemporary R&B is forceful and rugged; on tracks like “Court of Love” and “Sea Gets Hotter,” the Indications stay wonderfully delicate ELIAS LEIGHT 53 | Rolling Stone ★★★★★ Classic | ★★★★ Excellent | ★★ Good | ★★ Fair | ★ Poor RATINGS anodyne Bebe Rexha collaboration, “Meant to Be.” Enter Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, Florida Georgia Line’s jumbled claim for the genre’s ever-changing center One of the album’s central reference points is the latest LP from ex-labelmate Taylor Swift: This is something like their own Reputation, a defensive, winking response from the act that’s come to serve as shorthand for everything wrong with modern country It’s full of attempts to shore up their credibility, along with jabs at detractors (see the title track and the Nineties-rap-referencing skits) At 19 tracks, FGL’s fourth album often feels more like a streaming-era hip-hop blockbuster than a traditional Nashville LP This is playlist country, with a cross-section of sounds — R&B slow jams, thumping country rockers, folky Edward Sharpe knockoffs — that’s wide enough to appeal to any subset of the group’s pop fan base The most memorable parts of Can’t Say I Ain’t Country are in the lyrics, which outline FGL’s modern South in potent detail: the dead-end jobs, the orange peels rotting on barroom floors, the man washing down a gas station biscuit with Mountain Dew, the couple saying grace in a Mexican restaurant Elsewhere, Hubbard and Kelley work too hard to chase country’s recent trends “Women,” featuring Jason DeRulo, is a halfhearted try at the grown-man female-appreciation anthems that are all over country airwaves; “People Are Different” is a boilerplate take on the Trump-era pleas for compassion that Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan all released in 2018 “We used to live on Instagram,” Hubbard sings, “worried about who-all gives a damn.” But when FGL stop partying and put down their phones, they sound more worried than ever The result is an uneven record that leaves country’s most irreverent hitmakers sounding needlessly cautious ARE SUPERVISED BY THE EDITORS OF ROLLING STONE FROM TOP: RICHARD GABRIEL FORD/GETTY IMAGES; ROSIE COHE SOF T ROCK GUIDE The superstar who remade hip-hop in his own image By ROB SHEFFIELD D rake combines the yin and yang of hip-hop in ways that seemed impossible until he showed up He’s a blockbuster pop heartthrob who doubles as a rap warrior, having more feelings per bar than anyone else in the game He’s mastered the moreis-more streaming economy, with a crazy sprawl of albums, mixtapes, deep cuts, one-off loosies, duets, SoundCloud digital dashes Hold on, we’re going home MustHaves What a Time to Be Alive 2015 Scorpion Take Care 2018 2011 A surprise double LP, revealing more than anyone wanted to know about the passion and pain of Aubrey G The titles tell you where he’s coming from: “In My Feelings,” “I’m Upset,” “Jaded,” “Emotionless.” People complained at first it was way too much, but with this guy, way too much is the point And Scorpion is masterful from start to finish “Summer Games” is a blast of New Wave synth-pop, and “Nice for What” combines New Orleans bounce with a Lauryn Hill soul hook It’s too soon to tell how history will rate “In My Feelings,” with its controversial lament for a mysterious girl named Kiki, but it might just get remembered as the song that capsized the Kanye era When Drake takes Pusha T’s bait and agonizes over sucking at fatherhood, he converts an L to a W (or at least a T) as only he can Drake’s big creative breakthrough proved he can swerve from the street to the club to the after-hours drunk-dialing disaster without losing any of himself along the way The title duet with Rihanna radiates erotic tension, and in “Headlines” and “The Motto” he takes care of hip-hop braggadocio But after the party’s over, he opens up with “Marvin’s Room,” the ultimate late-night confession of loneliness It also has the ultimate Drakean lament: “I’ve had sex four times this week, I’ll explain/ I’m having a hard time adjusting to fame.” Nothing Was the Same Further Listening His collabo with Future is a brilliant quickie — they spent six days banging it out, though it sounds like they might have budgeted in some extra time for late nights at the strip club, flying on booze and pills and regret and shame Both were feeling cockier than usual, and it shows Especially when they flex “Jumpman,” which inspired a dance interpretation from Taylor Swift If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late 2015 A straight-up mixtape that plays to his rap base with rage rants like “10 Bands” and “Energy.” He came to bring the smoke, airing grievances left and right He complains about a groupie’s dad not sending a thank-you note for the Christmas gift He even complains about driving his girl to her bar exam through the snow Getting upset about snow in Toronto? Now that’s peak Drake 2013 His defining album, pushing every mood to extremes Emotionally, he goes from to 100 real quick Drake hit new heights with the Quiet Storm smash “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” “Started From the Bottom” and “Tuscan Leather” slam hard, and “Wu-Tang Forever” goes for romance “Worst Behavior” is his thuggest moment ever, down to the comically Canadian title Who else could get away with “Bar mitzvah money like my last name Mordecai”? Nothing Was the Same remains his most anomalously concise LP — from the last moment in history when Drake had any commercial incentive to hold back So Far Gone 2009 The mixtape that put him on the map as an MC, not to mention his long-running production wingman Noah “40” Shebib “Houstatlantavegas” is a song that helped define the Drake enigma — introspective, miserable, yet also petty and bratty and self-sabotaging In other words, a totally accurate introduction to the Drake that the world would come to know and love More Life 2017 A sprawling 22-song “playlist” — or is it an album? A mixtape? A way of life? Drake makes his big yacht-pop hip-hop statement on More Life The internationalist flair is a real thrill It sums up why Drake is a great pop artist — because at heart, he’s a great pop fan, always thirsting for his next new favorite sound CAITLIN CRONENBERG Drake Reviews Music Going Deeper HIS BEST VIDEO God’s Plan Room for Improvement 2006 His debut mixtape, with a title so ridiculously self-deprecating you wonder if he was kidding True, he was still figuring out how to rap But “Try Harder” previews his mature style: “Sometimes I feel like Lohan and Hilary Duff are the only ones with enough/To feel what I’m about to say in this song.” Any MC with the nerve to begin a song with those lyrics was clearly an original Drake called the “God’s Plan” video “the most important thing I have ever done in my career.” It might be his Drake-est video, and his most Canadian He dashes around Miami giving out money — he hands cash to fans, scholarship checks to students, even pops into a supermarket and pays for groceries By the end, he’s given away a million dollars Only Drake would play the comeback card on his second mixtape He jumps from belligerence to self-parodic pop floss, like in “Asthma Team,” when he yells, “Stop acting like teen girls are my only market.” Comeback Season is his most backpack album, openly influenced by undergrounders like Slum Village Money for nothing in the vid ‘I GET LONELY TOO’ 2016 2007 ‘CHARGED UP’ of posh ennui, as he cops to feeling full of “Marvin Gaye shit.” Although he never put this on an album, he did a sequel on Nothing Was the Same: “Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2.” Views Comeback Season resulting in a viral duet that never got officially released but makes an already dirty song even filthier A mixed double album, surprisingly underwhelming considering how many hits he parked on it By the time Views came out, “Hotline Bling” was already a pop classic, and it was hard to ignore that it demolished the other 19 songs surrounding it on Views These days, Views sounds like a dry run for the global pop scope of More Life and Scorpion Loose Joints His best guest spots, non-album singles and more ‘9AM IN DALLAS’ 2010 An early thematic statement, one that he’s kept revisiting ever since, from “5AM in Toronto” to “6PM in New York.” It could have been a defining song on his debut — except it just missed the album deadline 2010 For a while there, Drake and 40 were scheming to a mixtape of full-on Nineties-style R&B “I Get Lonely Too” has a lean Atlanta sound — based on TLC’s “Fan Mail” — that could have been a TRL-era chart-topper ‘DREAMS MONEY CAN BUY’ 2011 One of those internet sensations where Drake stunts on someone else’s beat — here, Jai Paul’s “BTSTU,” which Drake sets out to decorate with his own rhyme but ends up claiming as his own ‘GIRLS LOVE BEYONCÉ’ 2013 Drake and 40 team up with James Fauntleroy, bowing to Ms Carter while slicing up a loop of “Say My Name.” Nobody knew it yet, but Bey was secretly prepping her Drizzy duet “Mine.” Rapping about Beyoncé makes him meditate on why he can’t be a better man, a real proto-Lemonade mood A touching confession: “I need someone I leave through the front door with.” 2015 In the summer of 2015, Meek Mill came for Drake’s head, charging him with high crimes against hip-hop — specifically, using ghostwriters Drake hit back even harder with this — hearing them slug it out was one of the summer’s radio highlights ‘BACK TO BACK’ 2013 A SoundCloud duet with J Cole, paying respect to titans of Nineties R&B They sound so deep in the Nineties pocket, the track is suitable for airplay on the Box (Another great Drake tribute to Jodeci: “How Bout Now.”) 2015 Four days after “Charged Up,” Drake came back again with his knockout punch The cover artwork is baseball great Joe Carter hitting the home run that won the 1993 World Series: i.e., the moment when Toronto dunked on Meek’s hometown, Philly Best boast: “Very important and very pretentious.” ‘0 TO 100/THE CATCH UP’ ‘WORK’ 2014 Drake gets to play Paul McCartney here, with the hip-hop answer to “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” — in other words, he combines two totally unrelated songs into a six-minute opus of a single that’s profoundly weird, yet one the radio couldn’t resist 2016 The long-running story of Rihanna and Drake: These two just can’t let it go In the tradition of “What’s My Name?” and “Take Care,” they duet about the thin line between love and sex, with Rihanna going full Caribbean with her patois One of Drake’s most awesomely doofy pickup lines: “If you had a twin, I would still choose you.” ‘JODECI FREESTYLE’ ‘TROPHIES’ 2014 “Man, this shit is not a love song/This is a ‘fuck a stripper on the mink rug’ song.” For once, he’s not kidding himself — it really isn’t a love song He’s busy nursing grudges against his enemies ‘SWEETERMAN’ 2015 Drake adds his two bits to the Ramriddlz electro-sleaze hit, ‘SUMMER SIXTEEN’ 2016 A victory-lap anthem — Drake compares himself to “Jimi Hendrix with the solo,” because he’s bold as love He also compares his swimming pool to Kanye’s: “Look, man, ‘Ye’s pool is nice — mine’s just bigger, is what I’m saying.” Never change, Drake At the 2013 VMAs, Brooklyn CHARLES SYKES/INVISION/AP IMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK ‘STREET CRED’ Thank Me Later 2009 The official debut of a new pop phenomenon, though not yet the assured “artist as professional mess” he’d become This was a showcase for pop froth, but it’s bracing to hear him team with Lil Wayne — they sound like they’re from the same place, instead of thousands of miles apart 2009 A Gucci Mane banger from The Cold War: Guccimerica, with Drake trading rhymes with Gucci and Killer Mike ‘PARIS MORTON MUSIC’ 2010 “I talk slicker than a pimp from Augusta,” Drizzy proclaims here It was a game-changer for the Boy, flaunting his diamond-life lover-boy lifestyle February 2019 | Rolling Stone | 55 The Mix PLAYLIST OUR FAVORITE SONGS AND VIDEOS RIGHT NOW MY LIST Nelson, who will back Neil Young with Promise of the Real at shows this spring and summer, listens to these tunes when he’s feeling apocalyptic RAY CHARLES “Come Rain or Come Shine” The statement of this song is so defiant: I’ll be your rock in a world that’s falling apart That’s a good sentiment to have in a trying time Lizzo “Juice” Is it just us, or does Lizzo keep getting cooler? The Minneapolis supernova follows up her fantastic run of 2018 confidence-boosters (“Fitness,” “Boys”) with the sweetest groove of all “I’m like chardonnay, get better over time,” she chuckles Cheers to that! Nilüfer Yanya “In Your Head” This London singer won us over with the sly minimalism of her 2017 single “Baby Luv.” The first taste of her forthcoming full-length debut, Miss Universe, ups the ante with bigger guitars and a chorus that sticks like glitter-spangled glue “Token” Holy echo pedal! Animal Collective’s sunshine superman sends one of his nicest-ever melodies cruising into space on this choice tune from his new LP, Buoys Set your headphones to “wow.” 56 | Rolling Stone “Crushed Up” Our Native Daughters “Quasheba, Quasheba” A visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture inspired Rhiannon Giddens to create a new roots supergroup This slow-burning standout from its first album tells the story of singer Allison Russell’s enslaved ancestor: “By the grace of your strength,” she sings, “we are home.” Bad Bunny “RLNDT” Panda Bear | Future Many of Bad Bunny’s hits swagger and strut, but the Latin-trap star sounds like he’s in need of a pep talk on “RLNDT.” As the beat broods beneath him, Bad Bunny sings gloomy, wonderfully self-effacing lines: “Tears leave no trace, so I not leave a trace.” February 2019 Who but Future could make a song about fancy watches and exotic cars sound like some kind of psychedelic blues? Never mind — just press play Sharon Van Etten “Seventeen” It’s easy to be cynical about the city you’ve grown up in changing all around you, but on this synth-buzzed stunner from her new Remind Me Tomorrow, Van Etten looks at the New York of her past and present with a feeling closer to hard-won acceptance: “I used to be free/I used to be 17.” Metallica “The Four Horsemen” (live) Metallica give their headbanging classic some country shine on this track from their new live LP By Lukas Nelson The slide acoustic is a surprise twist that totally works — and so is James Hetfield’s Merle Haggard impression Priests “The Seduction of Kansas” These righteous Washington, D.C., punks swerve left onto the dance floor with this eerie, excellent tune about America’s heartland It’s the title track from their second album, coming out in April 10 Potty Mouth “22” No, it’s not a Taylor Swift cover It’s something even better: a blast of pop-punk adrenaline from this great L.A crew, whose first album since 2013, SNAFU, is out in March NEIL YOUNG “Sail Away” This is from Rust Never Sleeps He’s got friends he’s lost, but everything is OK as long as he can get to a sailboat I feel that WILLIE NELSON “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” Pretty self-explanatory: ashes to dust, dust to ashes and so forth It’s a jovial romp on one’s inevitable demise TOM WAITS ”Come on Up to the House” ”The world is not my home/ We’re just passing through.” We don’t know what this world is ARETHA FRANKLIN “Bridge Over Troubled Water” How we lift ourselves out of the times and into a new era of prosperity and hope? 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