MUMBAI: Rapper Naezy says his debut album "Maghreb" comes with a flavour of the West, while maintaining its Indian essence.

"Maghreb", presented by Big Bang Music, is centered around the streets, but also delves into the light-hearted themes of love and camaraderie. Through his first album, Naezy wants to highlight social issues in the country.

"I always wanted to release an album. All my life, the West has been my inspiration; the sun sets in the west, Hip Hop originated in the West but my roots belong here in the East. India is Sast to the world but I represent the West of our country," Naezy said.

"This album is a flavour of the West but still maintains a core Indian expression since it's written in Hindi and Urdu. I am calling it 'Maghreb' which means West. A lot of my thoughts and emotions have been piling up. I am glad and super stoked that I got this opportunity to share it with the world, yet a little nervous since it's my first album," he added.

The rapper said that he wants to reach the hearts of the people.

"And spread love and awareness, tell stories about the streets, inspire people and elevate the Hip Hop scene. This album is a statement that we've arrived and we're here to stay," he said.

To this, Gaurav Wadhwa, CEO and Co-Founder, Big Bang Music, said: "With Naezy's debut album 'Maghreb', the idea was showcasing all sides of Naezy as an artist, expanding the desi hip-hop genre to fresher and light-hearted themes while keeping it balanced with his hard hitting socially relevant anthems, creating a project that personifies Naezy and his idea of 'asli' Hip Hop."

For "Maghreb", Naezy has collaborated with international artistes such as Byg Byrd and Compa, as well as Indian Hip-Hop producer Karan Kanchan.

Source:IANS