Punjabi Rap

         Rap music, or hip-hop music, is a music genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted. It developed as part of hip-hop culture. More than a century before rap exploded o­nto the music scene, West African musicians were telling stories rhythmically, with just the beat of a drum for accompaniment. Meanwhile, folk artists from the Caribbean Islands were also telling stories in rhyme. Indeed, these singing poets from Africa and the Caribbean lay the foundation for modern-day Rap music. Rapping is a vocal style in which the artist speaks lyrically, in rhyme and verse, generally to an instrumental or synthesized beat. Rap has stood the test of time and its popularity rages o­n with today’s artists such as Eminem, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z churning out hit after thought-provoking hit. 

         Hip hop has globalized into many cultures worldwide, In India, Pakistan Punjabi Rap has established by new young rappers, but the pioneer of the Punjabi rap is Roger David better known by his stage name "BOHEMIA" aka Raja , He is a Punjabi rapper and music producer from California. He started his career as a near-novelty, a Desi teenager from , delivering, hardcore rap music, a style of music which was unheard of at the time. But within a few years he has pretty much reinventing the Desi pop music scene and influenced not only youth to start rhyming Punjabi lyrics to hip-hop beats, but the Bollywood superstars as well.
           Bohemia (Born Roger David) is an ethnic Punjabi and was born in the Punjab Region of Pakistan. He refers to the historical Punjabi city of Lahore (his home town) in several of his songs. He comes from a Pakistani Christian family."I believe in God, but I am not religious" says Bohemia.
          The term “Bohemia” suggests flouting traditional mores. And rap is all about personal angst or feelings. So what is Bohemia the man all about? “Well, I lost my mom when I was just 14 or 15, and I was quite a momma’s boy. That made me mad and I was kind of pushed into negative things. I have to thank God for music, for that’s what finally made me wake up and gave a reason to live. Dad played the harmonium and I learn the keyboard”.
           When he was only 14 his family immigrated from Pakistan to "Tobay" area. While growing up in the rough streets of Oakland, CA, Raja used rapping as an outlet to escape from his thug life style. He took a bold step and became a local musician who played along with artists such as Sunil Khanna and Manesh Judge. Sunil has referred to Ra as a great musician and a poet. Raja soon started putting his poetry to his music and gave birth to Bohemia, the punjabi rapper.

          His independent debut album, ‘Vich Pardesan De’ [In the foreign land] quickly gained him popularity by hitting Top 10 on BBC Radio UK. This brought his creation of ”Punjabi rap” to mainstream recognition, making Bohemia pioneer of a new genre of music known as ‘Desi-Hip-Hop’ or ‘Desi-rap’.