Agrita Dhawan - Having the "Why" Is Very Important to Stay Motivated

A lot of people know me from MTV Hustle where while being a contestant, I paved the path for many young female rappers in this male-dominated field.

1. Tell us more about your background and journey.

I'm a Rapper, Singer & Songwriter who was born and brought up in Faridabad, Haryana. A lot of people know me from MTV Hustle where while being a contestant, I paved the path for many young female rappers in this male-dominated field.

I currently am working on a quarantine series called "Freeverse Fridays" where I release a rap verse every Friday I'm also working on my new singles with my team along with major collaborations. Today Agsy is a household name and a force to be reckoned with in the rap industry with the vision to go global and represent India.

2. When did you first decide you wanted to pursue music, and how did you start?

I've always known I was meant for the extraordinary, but the obsession of being a musician started when I was around 14. I used to watch "Hannah Montana" where the main protagonist performed in front of thousands of people, and I instantly knew that was my call. I started writing English pop songs, rehearsed, did covers and tried to self learn music through YouTube.

My path as a rapper though started as a surprise when I was in college where instead of singing, I performed a rap impromptu at a talent show. Even though I didn't win the show, I received so much love from the audience that day, I could see my childhood dream being fulfilled. I knew hip hop chose me then, and it's been a hell of a journey since then.

3. Who is your favourite artist, and why?

Nicki Minaj is hands down my favourite artist and will always be. The confident badass energy that radiates from her inspires me to be just that - an inspiration. The first time I ever rapped was in that talent hunt, and it was "Superbass" by Nicki. So I owe my career to her, and my lifelong dream is to collaborate with the queen.

4. Can you throw some light on opportunities one gets as a rapper?

Hip-hop as a genre in India is fairly new but is growing at an accelerating rate due to its cultural essence, and the awareness rappers bring by voicing out. Attention to desi hip hop from Bollywood and television has also created a lot of opportunities.

Today a lot of big brands want to collaborate with upcoming artists, provide them with endorsement deals, live concerts are entertaining rappers like never before. Even Bollywood films are incorporating and accepting new hip hop indie artists in their songs.

Overall it's an excellent time for rappers with more to come soon.

5. Is formal training required, or can one train themselves purely on the basis of talent?

Rappers usually train themselves by putting in time and effort into their writing. There aren't a lot of places where rap is taught since the genre is relatively new with exceptions like The Dharavi Dream Project.

I personally trained myself by learning from western artists and incorporating desi languages like Punjabi, Hindi and Haryanvi to create my own unique style.

6. What piece of advice would you like to give to future and aspiring artists?

Be it rap or any other field, having the "why" is very important so that you stay motivated. Be honest to your art, hone your skills and keep a learning curve. Also, success doesn't come overnight so you must never stop believing in your art even when times are hard. Enjoy the process and grind hard.

7. Which is your favourite book, and why?

I don't read a lot of books. I'm more of a visual person, but I really like the self-help book " The power of the subconscious mind" by Dr Joseph Murphy. It really helps me stay positive and explore the possibilities of the law of attraction.

P. S. I believe in miracles.