Watch Naezy Offer Lockdown Foresight in ‘Khamakha’ Video

Mumbai rap star Naezy kicked off 2020 by releasing his debut album Maghreb in January and amongst the bangers was “Khamakha,” which features a swelling horn section and old-school hip-hop flavors by producer Karan Kanchan. More importantly, it contained a hook that’s apt advice in the times of social distancing to fight against COVID-19. Naezy sings, “Surakshit hai tu Ghar pe/ Na ja Rasto pe /Bach tu be” (“You’re safe at home, don’t go out on the streets, save yourself.”)

It’s not even the first time on Maghreb that Naezy’s foresight has come to the front. On the unsparing title track, he sings, “Kal tak jo ladke goli chala re the/Aaj Desh chala re toh kya kare?” (“The guys shooting bullets yesterday are running the country today, so what can we do?”). Now, by releasing the music video for “Khamakha” – which shows aerial shots of Mumbai city interspersed with older footage of Naezy and just a few shots of him rapping from a room indoors – he’s reiterating the importance of staying at home. He says in a statement, “This video outlines the irony of life that used to be before this coronavirus crisis and encourages people to be conscious of their actions that can have an adverse reaction to the situation.”

Urging everyone to stay home, Naezy adds in the statement, “I want to appeal to all to be home, be safe and don’t panic as this is the best step to fight this situation. I’m really liking staying home and spending time with my family. It’s giving me enough time to sit, think and write more songs and plan for post-COVID world.”

Watch the video for “Khamakha” below.