Naezy makes music with a message. The rapper has often spoken about creating "conscious hip-hop" that tackles social and political issues, through songs such as 'Haq Hai' and 'Azaad Hu Main'. We met him after the release of his new 6-track album, Maghreb, and, at a time when protests against the CAA and NRC are being staged nationwide, asked him about the effectiveness of rap as a tool of protest:
"I think rap has always been a medium to raise your voice against what's not right in your environment, in your society. Rap has always been a medium to communicate with your audience, to pass on a message, to share a truth that the media isn't showing. That's always been the case in the West. Informative messages through rap songs spark people's minds, give them knowledge about what is happening and speak the truth. I think this is the best way to raise your voice, to put yourself forward and impact society through your words and your writings. Rap and hip-hop are the best tools to tell people what is right. I've made many songs about our rights, our society, our government, the corruption in our system. And I'll continue to. I want other hip-hop artists also to speak out – many of them are. It's the right thing to do. Hip-hop is nonviolent, it influences the public and has the potential to bring about change. Props to people who are speaking out, it should continue to happen."