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Divine talks about being first Indian rapper to feature on Times Square Billboard

Mumbai - Divine said there was no pressure on him because of the lockdown and while making ‘Punya Paap.’

Published: Wed 7 Apr 2021, 11:34 AM

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Mumbai rapper Divine (usually spelt all-caps as DIVINE) made it to the Times Square Billboard in New York for his album 'Punya Paap' in December.

“Releasing an album is always an important milestone for any artist and I’m grateful to my fans above all who’ve waited patiently since my previous album,” said Divine, whose actual name is Vivian Fernandes.

“‘Mirchi’ secured a spot on the YouTube Top 100 Global Songs recently, a first for me with regards to a global charting. And now that we’ve made it to the iconic Times Square. This is a sign that the story of hip-hop in India is no longer confined to a nascent perspective but it's burgeoning and we are headed for exciting times. Life is good and I’m grateful.”

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Divine shot into prominence in 2013 with the release of ‘Yeh Mera Bombay,’ followed by ‘Mere Gully Mein,’ along with a fellow rapper. The title track of ‘Punya Paap,’ has topped 10 million views on YouTube.

In a recent interview, Divine said there was no pressure on him because of the lockdown and while making ‘Punya Paap.’ “I had no phone calls, no brand endorsements, no shows. I was in my zone, and had fun writing this album. I wanted to bring in sounds that were in my head, in my heart and were never out there.”



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