Music
“Our gig at Red Bull Off The Roof is gonna be a riot!”
New Delhi’s favourite firepower hip-hop duo Seedhe Maut talk about finally making it atop the bus for Red Bull Off The Roof at Bacardi NH7 Weekender.
If you needed proof that rap stars are the new rockstars, look no further that Delhi-bred hip-hop duo Seedhe Maut. Their performances – which only recently started back up after a gap due to the pandemic – are a powder keg with the fuse already lit.
Rapping at breakneck speed and packed with clever and intricate wordplay which calls out to gaming, anime and Delhi life (among several other topics), Seedhe Maut’s Calm and Encore ABJ have had the crowd vibing, moshing and going word-for-word with them at any given gig.
Working with Azadi Records since their early days, the duo took the staggered approach to releasing music following their 2018 album Bayaan. What followed were knockout songs like ‘101’ and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with India’s top independent artists like producer Ritviz on ‘Chalo Chalein’ and hitching a night out on the town with UK hip-hop/dubstep frontrunners Foreign Beggars on ‘No Enema’. Most recently, they solidified their place in Indian hip-hop by teaming up with one of the country’s most followed artists – MC Stan – on the incisive ‘Nanchaku’.
The last two of those releases added up on their न mixtape, which dropped last year. Now they’re teasing their next project Nayaab, calling on beatsmith extraordinaire Sez on the Beat once again. While they’re not strangers to festivals, they’re performing on the Red Bull Off The Roof stage for the first time at Bacardi NH7 Weekender this month. Read below to find out what’s in store.
Seedhe Maut performing at the finale of Red Bull Spotlight
© Vaqaas Mansuri
How have the first three months of 2022 treated you both so far?
The past few months have just been about recording new music. The tour was great but we have been working on our album for quite some time and now that it's finally almost completed, the pressure is on, more than ever to deliver a record that stands up to our expectations and even those of our fans. Long studio sessions every alternate day and video games is how our lives look right now lol.
You’re now getting a chance to properly perform songs that were wholly consumed online at first. What is it like seeing the reaction of audiences?
Yeah in fact performing that whole न mixtape live for the first time was such a vibe. न tour had us going to places and seeing faces that we never thought we would. People have such a passion for us and our music – it's on another level. Feel really blessed to have a team which resonates with our frequency and hence unlike any other act in India, we do the biggest and the smallest of live shows all over the country. Seedhe Maut is a lifestyle.
You worked with Sez for the new VCC/Valorant anthem ‘NHK’. What was that like?
Both Sez and us are crazy for Valorant. We used to play the game on our livestream all the time. Having them approach us was both unexpected and exciting. Although we worked the music around a video they were already making, I think we did a pretty good job in bringing that essence of Valorant to a lot of people who play the game and even to those who don't.
Seedhe Maut
© Anurag Sharma
Can you tell me a bit about what's coming up next in 2022?
NAYAAB is coming in May 2022. It's our biggest, most ambitious project yet. Seedhe Maut and Sez are back!
How do you feel about playing on a big stage again for Red Bull Off The Roof? This is your first time on there, right?
We’re really excited to be playing at Red Bull Off The Roof at NH7 Weekender! It is our first time playing at Red Bull Off The Roof and it feels pretty amazing! It's gonna be a riot!
What do you think about the return of a big music festival like NH7 Weekender on-ground?
I think all of us needed Weekender back in our lives after going through so much over the past couple of years. The idea of feeling free and celebrating music is what big music festivals are for and it is exactly what a lot of us want right now! So needless to say, we feel super stoked to be playing NH7 this time ✊🏼
How do you feel about the return of Red Bull Off The Roof and what are you looking forward to with the performance?
Both of us used to see that off the roof setup and say that we are definitely playing on that stage one day. Power of manifestation is real. Expect us to burn the stage to the ground 😤🔥