TY-TY Smith and Shabz Join Hands for New Movement DESI TRILL MUSIC

A new movement launches with DESI TRILL MUSIC, a label and genre launched by Roc Nation co-founder  TY-TY Smith and U.K.’s Shabz Naqvi from the So Solid Crew. Choosing Universal Music Group as their global partner, DESI TRILL MUSIC aims to combine hip-hop, South Asian sounds and more to reflect the rising desi musicianship that Smith and Shabz feel is ready to take over the world.

Their first offering is slated to arrive in October and the label’s founders are currently working with East London-bred producer DJ LYAN to introduce the DESI TRILL sound. The launch of the label has been in the works for about three years and comes not just within 50 years of hip-hop, but also after the arrival of American labels like Def Jam India and Mass Appeal India to spotlight rappers in the country.

TY-TY and Shabz say that neither factor – hip-hop completing 50 years nor American heavyweight labels entering the South Asian market – was playing on their minds when they were working on DESI TRILL MUSIC. TY-TY spoke about how he and Shabz go back 25 years, in a joint Zoom call with Rolling Stone India.

While in London, Shabz wanted to sit down with TY-TY for his advice on launching DESI TRILL, which was the former’s way of trying to balance and fuse sounds from the South Asian community to create a globally known desi name on the same level as Latin stars like Ricky Martin, Shakira or Bad Bunny.

TY-TY recalls that he was asked for guidance. “I said, advice? I’m not gonna give you no advice. I’m gonna be a partner in this because I see what this is. And I see what this can be,” he says. Having been around when Panjabi MC’s “Mundian To Bach Ke” became a global hit in the early 2000s, TY-TY says, “Before Jay-Z jumped on it, we didn’t understand what he was saying, but we loved the song. It didn’t matter.”

Shabz says, “Hip-hop has contributed so much to our lives, [like] being outspoken and has taught us so much about the sound and the grooves. DESI TRILL is a fusion of that, keeping the South Asian heritage, but also giving Indian and the South Asian diaspora a new sound, a new reason to be a part of what everyone else is celebrating in the world.”

Together, they began working on to “create the sound” of DESI TRILL, with the ultimate goal of starting a movement that would create a legacy, much like hip-hop. Shabz says, “This is a sound, this is a movement so we thought who best to create this with than a DJ? That’s DJ LYAN. He’s of Indian/Bangladeshi descent, a young kid coming out of London. His whole sound is hip-hop but he’s playing with South Asian heritage sounds organically already. He just needed to reach that tipping point to make it DESI TRILL. He’s a force to be known with.”

They’re setting up more artists and rappers who can come in and work with DJ LYAN. “He’s going to be the first one to walk through the door and have more artists come through the door with him,” TY-TY says.

With the label, their scope lies in “giving opportunities to everyone, especially with India,” as Shabz says. He adds, “We want to provide India with a sound. The South Asian diaspora, they’re thriving for a new sound to come in and update where India is and is heading. We’re looking for talent from ground level, to have them a part of what we’re creating, so that they can also be a part of this new sound, and go back out into the world.” TY-TY adds that they want to sign Indian artists as well as acts from the larger South Asian community regardless of language or location. “I always believe people should keep their roots. That’s first and foremost, no matter what, [even] if it’s the longer route. That’s who you are. If you lose that, you lose who you are,” he adds.

Universal Music Group’s chairman and CEO, Sir Lucian Grainge said in a statement, “As the home for artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship in music, we’re so pleased that TY-TY and Shabz have chosen UMG as the global partner for DESI TRILL MUSIC. Having worked with TY-TY for many years, I know we share a passion for discovery and artist development, and I am excited to watch how he and Shabz influence culture around the world with this exciting new sound.”