RAZATWN: The Interview

Pakistani-American rapper Razatwn readies his new album BRWN MACHISMO.

RAZATWN’s new album, BRWN MACHISMO, drops at midnight EST on January 20th, 2021. The Right Kind Of Brownies caught up with the rapper in Florida for an exclusive interview.

Follow RAZATWN on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.

What's your earliest memory of music?

I honestly don’t remember many of my early memories of music, which is crazy because being someone who makes music and dedicates themselves to it, you’d think that I’d remember every early memory. There are two memories I’ll never forget. I think it was around the time I was dipping my feet in writing raps. I remember the whole “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” wave. The first time, I was in my room doing some bullshit like playing with toys or doing homework until I hear “In Da Club” blasting from my sister’s room. I remember being so blown away by that song, so mind was blown that I asked my friend’s brother to let me borrow the album. That was when the thought of becoming a rapper occurred to me. 50 Cent had such confidence with every bar, and the production was insane. 

How musical is your family?

I have an uncle that lived in Pakistan before he came to America, and he was actually a musician working with like a bunch of artists out there. I can’t tell you exactly what he did, but the guy worked with Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar, Strings, Jawad Ahmed. All those fucking guys. When he moved to America, he actually told me he settled in Jersey and started cooking with Havoc from Mobb Deep for a bit. I don’t know if that story is true, but if it is, that’s fucking dope. My whole family is pretty artistic. My great grandfather was an actor in Bollywood under the name “M. Kumar.” He was in Mughal e Azam as the sculptor and produced a handful of movies. His son went on to be a director as well. Being creative basically flows in my blood.

What do you remember about the first song you made?

Oh shit. So, the uncle I was previously talking about. He moved to Florida for a little bit. He knew my intentions of being a rapper, so one day he called me to ask if I had some songs to record. This was my first recording experience ever, and it ended up being in my cousin’s garage. It’s crazy, for your first recording experience, you’d expect to be in this lavish studio. Nope, I was in a garage with boxes of clothes everywhere, and it was an experience I’ll never forget. Very humbling though, doing that kind of shit motivates you to evolve. We recorded a whole EP called “Garage EP” over some of my favorite instrumentals. At the time, it was the greatest thing I ever dropped. Now I look back at it and laugh my ass off. It’s somewhere on YouTube still, maybe. 

What do you think made you gravitate towards the genre you make today?

I grew up on Hip Hop. I always tell people if I could have two religions, it would be Islam and Hip Hop. Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Atmosphere were my GOATS at the time. I loved how they told stories, I loved the production they told those stories on, and I appreciated the mix of sonic and cinematic vibes they provided listeners. They told their lives and their truth. I’ve always stayed within hip-hop. Even if I extend to another genre, you can totally tell that hip-hop is always there. Especially being South Asian, you don’t have many hip hop artists from where I’m from that are really giving you their raw selves. It’s always like a carbon copy of someone else or them just shoving their culture down people's throats. Which no hate to them, they’re getting the fucking bag, and I salute them. Although, me being a South Asian man. I feel like what kept me in the loop of creating with hip hop elements… I have to show out. The stories I’m telling y’all are literally my life. A Brown guy living in America doing what the fuck he wants and figuring it out while trying to make it in America. That ain’t no gimmick. That’s literally what you’ll get when you hang out with me. I have a responsibility out here, and I’m taking ownership of that. 

How did you come up with the alias RAZAtwn?

I used to run this blog called ‘DOPETWN’ back in the day. It was to highlight creatives and shit. That died very quickly. I was rapping at the same time under ‘Raza.’ I dropped this song called “Bollyhood” in 2017, and it was placed under this screamo Mexican band under the same name, like, fuck, man, what are the odds? TWN is pronounced as ‘Town,’ but what TWN stands for is ‘The World’s Next.’ It just came together like that.

What are your thoughts on the music industry today?

That shit is changing every day. I don’t even know what to think about it anymore. All I know, you have to be very calculated in the industry today. The other person is doing may not be the right way for you, so you have to be a constant learner and pay attention. My team and I run a record label under the name “The Grocery Store Records,” which is basically most of our conversations. We plan out our projects, study the game, see what worked for this person, see what will work for us, and just bam. That’s really how the industry is now. To be honest, though, there are some negatives I can go into if I had the time, but I can truthfully say that it’s looking beautiful for the most part. You have a plethora of artists with a good team and such unique sounds just putting their art out into the world, and it’s inspiring.

What is your favorite song of yours?

Speaking from what was released, I’d have to say “Wish U Were Here,” which was produced by Owlist. Dope ass producer from Jaipur, India. I think the reason I love that one so much is obvious, I’m on America’s soil, and he’s on India’s soil, so just making that work is fucking dope. From what isn’t released as of yet is a track off my upcoming EP, “BRWN Machismo,” it’s a song called “Break Me DWN” produced by my brother Graff Beatz. Graff is a fucking wizard, man. I call that man my therapist sometimes. He created a beat that forced me to be blunt and positive. So I can’t wait for y’all to hear that one.

What are you currently working on?

I’m always working on some shit, man. I finally got the studio at the crib, so I’m frequently working on music. I just finished my new EP, “BRWN Machismo,” which is coming out in mid-January 2021. So that’s really exciting. I cannot wait for the world to hear that one. Besides that, just making music, writing, and working with my family at The Grocery Store Records. 

What's next for you?

Shit, I’m going to continue doing what I’m doing and searching for ways to evolve as a person and an artist. I have so much music in the bank, not talking, no double-digit shit. Like my previous statement, I have a responsibility, and I’m taking ownership of that. I’m in this headspace now where I don’t think there is anyone like me. Some people may be better than me, yeah, but how many of them are me? RAZAtwn? None. So here I am. What’s next for me is doing better, showing love, and letting the world hear my name.