How MC Josh is trying to change the way people look at Dharavi in his new anthem

When a 16yearold Joshua Joseph navigated the narrow winding lanes of Dharavi in 2016 reciting impromptu rhymes for locals lounging on the sidewalks he didnrsquot have many takers They had more enticing distractions mdash marijuana hashish and alcohol to name a fewDharavi Anthem by music producer Shaurya Verma and Joseph who now walks the streets as MC Josh opens a window to the same bustling lanes but almost decade after his teenage experience ldquoWhen I stroll the streets now I see people in a huddle around a beatboxer a rapper or a Bboy Art has taken over Dharavi has changedrdquoJoshua Joseph centre performs for the music video in Shahu NagarThe experience that sparked the fire in the 25yearoldrsquos heart to pen the anthem is one that is shared by the youth of Dharavi ldquoI was at a job interview with my friends from Dharavi last year When the time came to state where we had come from most of them claimed to be from Sion Matunga or Mahimrdquo Joseph sighs Itrsquos not entirely their fault he says The outsiderrsquos gaze is still coloured in pity distrust and despise Recorded in Josephrsquos home studio the anthemrsquos hook mdash lsquoMujhe garv hai main Dharavi sersquo Irsquom proud to be a Dharavi resident mdash aims to break the stigmaWhile some choose to maintain their myopic view Joseph and his contemporaries persist At an event in the city earlier this year singer Shankar Mahadevan joined Joseph and his crew in an impromptu cypher later fondly labelling them lsquohis Dharavi boysrsquo in approval But Joseph is not just talking about performing artistes like him when he raps lsquoKala ki baat kalakar yahan bhare padersquo Talk about art yoursquoll find an artist in every lane ldquoThe irony here in Dharavi is that yoursquoll find someone who can dismantle a car and another who can build one from scratch on the same lanerdquo he laughsJoseph in green raps for Shankar Mahadevan centre in MumbaiJoseph is now recording a music video for the track in the lanes of Shahu Nagar where children from the neighbourhood will don shirts sporting lines from the track and sing along to the anthem ldquoEven before the release of the music video the feedback has been overwhelming Across crews my contemporaries have started writing in to appreciate the effortrdquo Joseph smiles A densely populated section in Dharavi Pic CourtesyWikimedia CommonsThe rapper who most recently performed at the Ziro Literary Fest in Arunachal Pradesh in September has a point to make through the anthem Dharavi he says is no longer a place yoursquod pray to make it out of ldquoWhy would you Today we have everything from safer streets to good schools and a buzzing economy that fuels the selfsufficient neighbourhoodrdquo he reasonsScan to watch an unplugged performance of Dharavi AnthemJoseph recalls Mumbaihiphop pioneer Vivian Fernandes aka Divinersquos concluding words at the recent Gully Fest event in Goregaon ldquoDivine bhai took a moment to announce lsquoTo all my young fans go to school get educated and chase your dreams Not everyone needs to rap like Divinersquo I couldnrsquot agree more Wersquove rapped about dreaming in the slums for long enough itrsquos time to make them come truerdquoLOG ON TO MC Josh on SpotifyIn sync with DharaviTune into these tracks that capture the essence of this buzzing locality Code Mumbai 17Rapper MC Altafrsquos account of growing up in the gullies is an ode to the neighbourhoodrsquos nononsense way of lifeLOG ON TO YouTube Dharavi Cypher Vol 1This multiartiste collaboration opens a window into the neverending hustle to make it big from the slumsLOG ON TO Spotify Nikkal NikkalDharavi rap duo Dopeadelicz talk about life and rebellion in this catchy tune that features in the 2018 Rajinikanth starrer Kaala set in Dharavirsquos slumsLOG ON TO YouTube