"I want to give my supporters what they want"
Hailing from the East Midlands, Shide Boss is one of the most popular British Asian artists with a career spanning over a decade.
Whilst the musician has a distinct RnB sound, he continues to reinvent the wheel when it comes to his projects.
Fusing Bollywood instruments, rap and UK inspirations, Shide’s music speaks volumes in terms of creativity and innovation.
His debut single ‘Ni Sohniye’ (2011) got over 125,000 streams in just two months upon release.
Since then, he’s gone on to collaborate with some of the world’s biggest stars.
In 2014, Shide Boss teamed up with iconic UK rapper, Chip, for ‘You’re The One’ which turned out to be a milestone in the singer’s career.
The music video received over 1 million YouTube views which set up the success of ‘Women’ (2016) with legendary musician Zack Knight.
The multilingual track has over 1.5 million Spotify streams and over 3.7 million YouTube views.
The song managed to portray Shide’s musical vision and how he’s able to adapt his skillset toward different themes and beats.
Although, Shide is no stranger to paying homage to his South Asian roots.
The impact of his heritage has been shown throughout his catalogue in anthems like ‘Gal Sun Lai’ (2020) and ‘Nachna’ (2020).
The latter has a multitude of remixes including a drill and dance remix which were collated together for a 2022 EP.
Shide Boss’ prowess and ability to use his versatile voice in a multitude of tones give his fans such joy. And, it emphasises why each of his singles is so memorable.
The artist carried on this momentum with ‘Dil Ko’. Released at the start of December 2022, the track gathered over 50,000 Spotify streams within a few weeks.
So, we caught up with the multitalented musician to get his thoughts on the track, his career and future projects.
Can you tell us about yourself and how your love for music began?
I was brought up in Nottingham, my mother is English and my dad is Pakistani.
I had a really interesting upbringing and got to see two sides of my shared culture which made me see a lot of traditions and cultural practices.
As a kid growing up in Notts, I loved listening to Rap and RnB!
In the playgrounds, I was always humming an old school RnB track that my uncle played or listening to Giggs.
To be honest, my memories or early influences of music are always me listening to music with my mates.
How would you describe your sound?
My sound is not caged in, my creativity has no real barriers. If I like it, I make it.
“At one time I would have been an RnB artist, but I also produce rap and fusion music.”
I just like making sounds that come to me, rather than tailor-making them and making them fit into genres.
I want to go against the grain and make music that is unique to me which makes it unique to my fans.
Are there any genres/musicians that have influenced you?
I do what comes naturally to me, I don’t really produce music as someone else is making that sound.
I have an RnB/rap background but it just made sense to try something new for me and that was Bollywood sounds.
As a lot of my friends listen to that genre, I thought it was only right I dip into that scene.
Plus, it made a change to the music I have been making previously so I’m constantly trying to experiment as an artist.
Rap-wise, I listen to Giggs and a lot of British rappers so I’d say I’m very in tune with the scene here and that’s inspired some of my projects.
Can you tell us about your track ‘Dil Ko’ and what the reaction has been like?
The song came about as a friend suggested the track to me, once I listened to it, I just placed my words to it.
I made it more for a universal ear so it can reach more people and the little RnB boss twist I put on it made me proud.
The reaction has been amazing, I am so thankful to my supporters that have been there from the beginning.
They’re the true ones who are still loving my music and have been there through my journey!
“I have had a global interest in the track and it’s being played everywhere!”
I had a fan from New York message me and say that he had heard it on his local radio. So it feels good to know that people are enjoying the track everywhere!
It’s always exciting as I want to give my supporters what they want and that’s my music.
Do you think more British Asians are getting into music or is there progress to be made?
There is always room for growth and inclusion!
There are some amazing talents and we always have had to work that extra bit harder to be seen and heard!
With the introduction of social media, it’s giving everyone a wider and global reach, so things are a little more positive!
Hopefully, more of these musicians get the recognition they deserve and we all have to work together as one to get there.
As far as British artists, there are some ones you should definitely check out, yes.
You should look out for Diana Drill, she is a fellow Notts artist and her work is something else. There is really no one like her out there!
What is your ultimate goal in music and what upcoming projects do you have?
There is no ultimate goal in music, it’s just that I can continue to work on something that I love and that is music!
I have worked with some amazing people, but someone I would like to work with is Drake, that would be a great little collab!
“And yes, I am planning to have an EP in place in 2023!”
It’s going to be special, trust me! Some great collaborations to watch out for too so stay locked in.
There’s no denying how passionate Shide Boss is about his music and the mark he wants to leave on the industry.
With such a love for reinventing the wheel and producing new sounds, Shide has continued to impress his fans.
‘Dil Ko’, the latest installment of his impressive tracklist, is on a fast-track to elevate Shide’s career.
As his fanbase quickly grows, his ability to use multiple genres and influences has evolved the songs he is releasing.
They’re not only a representation of Shide’s personality but the modern state of British Asian music.
Check out more of Shide Boss here.