Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

This rapper’s a jack of all

- PHOTO: Satish. H

At his best: Hip-hop artiste Ishq Bector performing at the launch of Skye Club membership on Thursday.

HYDERABAD: A practitioner of alternative medicine, massage therapist, song writer, music director and video jockey (VJ). That’s ‘Ishq’ Bector for you. A complete package, this Indo-Canadian hip-hop artiste has been tagged India’s numero uno rapper.

It’s as if success sits softly on his shoulders and he says it is all about believing in oneself. Rejected by MTV for not being ‘Indian’ enough, he has come a long way since then, bagging slots in MTV, B4U and Channel [V] as a VJ, also singing and composing in Bollywood.

This multi-talented Gemini has also rapped in Tamil! A diehard optimist, he graduated in Chinese medicine. “I had a deal with my parents that if I complete my graduation, I should be allowed to do whatever I wanted to,” he says, with a smile.

Someone who says hip-hop is a cult, he is all set to make it bigger in the country.

“I mix hip-hop angle to love songs and make it interesting, that much more touching. The challenge is to be a part of the mainstream music and yet create a niche for hip-hop,” he says.

Ishq Bector was at Bottles & Chimney pub here on Thursday for the launch of Skye Club Privilege Card, an exclusive card that offers benefits and discounts for regular party-goers.

Ishq has written, produced and sang for Bollywood films like ‘Dhoom 2’, ‘Fight Club’ and ‘Pyaar Ke Side Effects’. Having shared stage with the likes of artistes Sean Paul, Mobb Deep and Rishi Rich, to name a few, he advises aspiring singers to depend on themselves.

“Even if someone says that you cannot do this, don’t believe it. And don’t fall in the trap of waiting for someone to help you out or recognise your talent,” he says.

His upcoming release includes ‘Aye Hip-Hopper’, apart from bagging offers from big Bollywood banners like Subhash Ghai’s ‘Hello Darling’.

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