It’s the International Villager himself, Yo Yo Honey Singh! The superstar singer-rapper-producer, who just released “Bebo” with frequent collaborator Alfaaz (exclusively on Saavn, in India), is sharing his all-time favorites with Saavn listeners today! Check out Yo Yo Honey Singh’s top picks on his All Time-Favorites playlist, only on Saavn. We also had a chance to talk business with Punjabi music’s main munda. His message for us? “We’re trying hard to bring back the Indian independent music scene… support independent music through Saavn.com, and keep supporting Yo Yo Honey Singh!” So, do your part and listen now.
Here’s the full transcript of our interview with Honey:
Honey Singh, we’re so excited to have you as our celebrity guest editor! Thank you for sharing your picks with Saavn’s listeners today. Are there any songs, singers, or music directors you keep coming back to? When do you find yourself drawn to these?
HindiYouTube pe search kar karke, aur woh log jab mashoor ho ya na ho, tab bhi unko sunta hoon, kyunki Mafia Mundeer actually maine dhund dhund ke hi logon ko banaya hai. Jitne bhi artists hain, un sab ko team me joda aur finally ek humaara group bana, sabka, aur main chahta hoon. In fact, kayi log aise hai jinko pata bhi nahi hota hai ki main unko bahut sunta hoon, aur main unko… kayi regional artists hai Bhojpuri, kayi regional artists hai Punjab ke, jo unko pata bhi nahi hai ki main unko kitna follow karta hoon, musically, unko sunta hoon ki unki kya baatein hai, kya… Aur definitely main chahta hoon un sab ko ek na ek din main record karu, aur definitely, I really want to work with some new talents aur… kayi saari artists aise hai, aur jinme se ek do artists aise hai jinko main bahut sunta hoon aur mein chahta hoon ki unko record karu, inse kuch gavaan, woh hai Kumar Sanu. Agar main gavaaun aaj ke daur mein, toh main kaise gavaaon, meri composition, urban music, and they gonna be crazy. Aur issi tarah hain ek Mohammed Aziz karke bohot famous playback vocalist hai, woh, unko mein chahta hoon, ek do Bhojpuri artists hain, unko mein gavana chahta hoon… so, it’s like that. Already jinke saath kaam kiya hain, unke saath, un mein se kaafi artists jinko main dubara gavana chahta hoon, usme se one of my favorite hai Jassi Sidhu. He’s my bro from England, clearly aur definitely main unse main dobara koi nah koi gaana gaana chahta hoon. He… kyunki woh Punjabi gaate hain, lekin woh seekhe English music hain. He is trained in Western classical music so unko woh sense hain, aur abhi tak unho ne Punjabi gaane gaaye hain, aur main chahta hoon ki Jassi Sidhu se main ek din R’n’B song gavaaun. That’s, I’m working on it.
EnglishI search on YouTube, and whether they’re famous or not, I still listen to them, because I actually got Mafia Mundeer together after searching and searching for people. I got all the artists in the group together as a team and finally, our group was born. In fact, there are many such people who don’t even know that I listen to them a lot, and… several Bhojpuri regional artists, several Punjabi regional artists, who don’t even know how much I follow them, musically, how much I listen to whatever they have to say… and I definitely want to record all of them someday, and I definitely want to work with some new talents and… there are plenty of artists like this, amongst whom there are one or two artists whom I listen to a lot and want to record some songs with, and (one is) Kumar Sanu. If I were to make him sing in today’s style, then how I’d make him sing, my composition, urban music… it’s gonna be crazy. And the same way there’s also Mohammed Aziz, who’s a very famous playback vocalist, him, I want him, and there are one or two Bhojpuri artists, I want to make them sing… so, it’s like that. Out of the people I’ve already worked with, there are enough artists whom I’d want to make sing again, of whom one of my favorites is Jassi Sidhu. He’s my bro from England, clearly and definitely I want to get another song out of him. He… because he sings in Punjabi, but he’s studied English music. He is trained in Western classical music so he has that sense, and until now, he’s sung Punjabi songs, and I want to make Jassi Sidhu sing an R’n’B song one day. That’s, I’m working on it. I was greatly influenced by the likes of various legends such as James Brown, Ludacris, Dr. Dre and Bob Marley, and I drew inspiration from them. This resulted in introducing a new variant of music in the form of Punjabi rap for me. I prefer singing in my native language Punjabi and Hindi, rather than English.
As a producer, singer, rapper, and actor, you’re a modern-day Renaissance man! Can you tell us more about your early musical/acting development and background?
I began my career in 2006, [when I] dropped my first single called “Glassy”. The song was so explosive that it went massive on airwaves; consequently, I won the highly prestigious ETC Punjabi award for “Best Sound Design” that year. Majority of my raps are stories taken from the lives of the ordinary man. I write what common men would typically go through and relate those situations through my lyrics.
Tell us a little bit about “Bebo.” What was it like working with Alfaaz again?
HindiBebo, Alfaaz ne do saal baad gaana likha apni album ke, Haay Mera Dil ke time pe woh aashiq aadmi tha, bhola bhala sa ladka, Mafia Mundeer mein, mujhse naya hi mila tha. Toh ab woh do saal mein bigad gaya, club club bahot jaane lag gaya, aur yeh club mein jo hota hai, jo sab ladke ladkiyaan nachte hain, kya fashion hai, sab kuch hor aate hi hain, uski observation hai, usne gaana likha. Aur zaahir hai likha usne toh gaaya bhi usne bahot badiya kyunki usko pata hai ki kya gaana hai yeh cheez kaise gaani hain. Kyunki mere saath hi saara din, hum log 3-4 saal se saath mein hi hai, saath mein sab kuch likhte hain, world travel karte hain, duniya dekhte hain, party bhi saath mein hain toh ladai bhi saath mein karte hai toh sab kuch saath mein hain toh… You know, that’s why it’s all about Mafia Mundeer, ki hamein kisi ko batane ki zaroorat nahi hai, ki tune kya likhna hai tune kya gaana hai, maine kya music banana hai. It’s understood, finally woh video mein bhi dikhta hai. So it’s fun, Bebo is always a fun, and we working on Alfaaz next album, whole solo album, so just keep supporting Alfaaz and Yo Yo Honey Singh.
EnglishFor “Bebo,” Alfaaz has written a song for his own album for the first time in 2 years. When we did “Haay Mera Dil” he was a lovely chap, a straightforward guy; we’d just met for the first time in Mafia Mundeer. Now, he’s been spoiled these last 2 years; started clubbing a lot, and what happens in these clubs, where all the guys and gals dance, what the fashion is, whatever he observed, he wrote a song about it. And what’s clear is that he wrote it and he’s also sung it really well because he knows the song, and how to sing this kind of thing. Because we’ve been together all day every day for 3 or 4 years, we’ve written everything together, traveled the world together, seen the world, partied, fought, everything together… You know, that’s why it’s all about Mafia Mundeer – we don’t have to tell each other anything about what you need to write, what you need to sing, what music I need to make… it’s understood, and finally, that comes through even in the video. So it’s fun. “Bebo” was always fun, and we’re working on Alfaaz’s next album, a whole solo album, so just keep supporting Alfaaz and Yo Yo Honey Singh.
Can you give us a sneak peak of what’s next for Honey Singh in 2013/2014?
Hindi2013 mein bahut kuch aa raha hai, filmon mein 10-15 gaane aa rahe hai, aur badi badi filmon mein, singles kaafi draw up kar rahe hai, we working on Alfaaz album, we working on Mani Hojla’s album and we working on a couple of international projects as well, so let’s see, aap support kariye aur baaki sab kuch… and one BIG BIG surprise is coming up, toh dekhte raho aap kya hone wala hai 2013 mein.
EnglishThere’s a lot coming in 2013: there will be 10-15 songs in movies, in big, big movies; we’re drawing up a bunch of singles; we’re working on Alfaaz’s album; we’re working on Mani Hojla’s album; and we’re working on a couple of international projects as well, so let’s see… you support us and everything else… and one BIG BIG surprise is coming up, so watch out for what’s coming in 2013.
Are there any other messages you’d like to share with Saavn’s listeners today?
HindiSaavn viewers ko mein yahi kehna chahta hoon ki just keep supporting Yo Yo Honey Singh, aur independent music scene ke andar bahot koshish kar rahe hain, ki Hindustan ka independent music scene hum wapis lekar aaye, woh daur jab Alisha Chinai, aur Baba Sehgal jaise legends the, aur Lucky Ali sahib jaise, aaj tak, 15 saal ho gaye hai, aur mein abhi tak sunta hoon, toh aisa chahta hoon ki Bollywood music toh mashallah worldwide famous hain hi, aur hum sun hi rahe hain, aur mein unke liye bhi gaane ga raha hoon, independent music ko bhi aap support kare, through Saavn.com, and keep supporting Yo Yo Honey Singh!
EnglishTo Saavn users, I just want to say this… keep supporting Yo Yo Honey Singh, and within the independent music scene, we’re trying a lot to bring back the Indian independent scene, the way it was when there were legends like Alisha Chinai and Baba Sehgal and Lucky Ali sir. It’s been 15 years and I still listen to them, and I want Bollywood music to (praise be to God) be famous worldwide; we’re listening to this kind of music, and I’m singing for them too; you should also support independent music through Saavn.com, and keep supporting Yo Yo Honey Singh!
What is your editorial choice for Saavn’s Song of the Day (Hindi or Punjabi) today, and why is this your pick?
HindiMain already logon ko bol bol ke pareshan kar chukka hun, ab aap logon ko bhi pareshan karunga… mera Song of the Day hoga “Brown Rang”! Ye mere liye humesha special rahega.
EnglishI’ve already irritated people saying it again and again, and now I’m going to annoy you all too… my Song of the Day would be “Brown Rang”! This song will be special to me forever.