BHARATI PAWASKAR
There’s no age group that listen to rap. People listen when a song has something profound to say. And a listener can be anyone. Though perhaps the youth of the country is probably the major bunch inclined towards hip hop. An Indian rapper who climbed the steps of success on the backdrop of a long struggle in the B town, Dino James has released his new track ‘Bhokali’ recently. Speaking on this Dino claims that ‘Bhokali’ is a transition in his life - where he is ‘known’ but ‘still struggling’.
Dino who is in Goa currently, has visited the State for over 15 times but had never been to Arambol. “Now that I am here I am in love with this place,” he smiles. Briefing on what success means to him the rapper quips, “I remember somebody had asked Eminem about his state of mind when he released Marshal Mathers LP and he said that he was broke! And again he was asked the same question when his second album was released and he said he was still broke and hungry! Bhokali is a transition in my life where I am known but still struggling! People show me love through recognising me, clicking selfies with me, subscribing to my channel, engaging with my content, making me feel like a celebrity but behind all of that I am still struggling to make ends meet.”
Dino narrates, “Rap is all about storytelling and I used it as a medium to vent out my feelings and so, my feelings composed and conveyed without filters, eventually became my style!” But he is grounded as he admits, “Well, even a perfectionist like Aamir Khan can’t guarantee that a project is going to be a super hit. As creators, all we can do is to give our hundred percent and put everything in what we do and let the world decide!”
It took some time for Dino to realise that rapping is his calling. He recalls, “Till the time my third song released I was still afraid to claim the title of a rapper. I was in the process of understanding my skill sets and thoughts. But with each new release, as I received a lot of love and appreciation from the people, I kept building more confidence to proclaim myself a rapper. I’m still learning and improving and that journey will continue.”
Breaking the myth rapping is something which anyone with little vocabulary or rhyming can do, Dino claims, “Most people consider rapping to be cool and easy but it’s not how it is perceived. You need a mixture of a whole lot of skill sets and most importantly the correct emotion to express yourself with the right words. My first song was Girlfriend. It was a very raw song with a very outright attitude. That song was my state of mind, back then. You evolve and change as a person as time goes by.”
Dino turned to rapping but did not choose it as his career initially. “Well. I always say, I did not choose it, it chose me. It came out of nowhere. One day, back in 2014, when I was sitting on a beach in Mumbai, admittedly disheartened by life, and a boy with a guitar sat next to me and started playing songs. We began randomly jamming and I somehow instantly composed and rapped some songs and it stuck me that perhaps this is my way forward. I was an ordinary person going through the ordinary day to day struggles of finding my place in this world and this new-found talent gave me not just a new direction but a way to express myself.”
Dino’s life took a U turn. He did not look back since then. All his 10 albums are well-received. “The response from Indian listeners is overwhelming. The love and personal messages I receive from people about how my songs have motivated them makes me feel glad that I chose to write, rap and speak my mind. My success lies in the fact that so many people connect to my songs on a personal level.”
Dino tasted the fruits of success after seven years’ struggle. He came to Mumbai from his home town to become an actor.
He did quite a few acting roles in TV shows, commercials and films but did not find his special place like he does now after getting into music. So he admits that the turning point of his life was when he actually started writing songs.
A Malayali Catholic, born and brought up in Madhya Pradesh, Dino did his schooling from Sarni. He discloses that he took a drop out while graduating from Nagpur University. From his own story, he picks up bits of advice for youth - “Stay focussed, keep trying and be patient.” He himself follows the same track.
“I want to keep making more songs, write more, focus on my videos. Eventually I wish to have my own production house. I want to share more stories. As I grow and experience life, I want to keep sharing those experiences genuinely and without filters with my listeners. I want to stay myself and authentic and not get carried away by what’s expected to be a commercial success. I want to try to be as original as I can,” concludes Dino.
