Exclusive Interview with MC Special
After delivering the hit single 'Nachna Aundha Ni' back in 2007, MC Special is poised to release a brand new album shortly! SimplyBhangra.com caught up with him to talk about the new album and his view on the bhangra industry..
How did you get involved with the Bhangra industry?
MC Special:: Well I’ve been in the music industry now for 8 years. My first release was with Sukshinder Shinda. However, I’ve been in the music market for at least 12 years now. I’ve always had a passion for Bhangra music since a very young age. I started very young and I’m already in my late 20’s now. Well, people say I still look very young which always puts a smile on my face. ?
Who has been your greatest musical influence?
MC Special:: I have to say it’s been people like Gurdaas Mann, Shinda Paaji. Kuldeep Manak and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
How have you evolved as a producer since your music career began in 2002?
MC Special:: Within the public eye you have to move with the time. I knew that MC’ing would not always be around in the Bhangra industry. Don’t get me wrong, back in 2002- 2005 Bhangra music was heavily influenced with MC’ing and garage music. I’ve always been learning how to produce music, but as I’ve always said, don’t just jump on the boat for the sake of it. Work on it hard and it will always fall into place. Hence why back in the days I always featured on other albums as an MC only and then, back in 2007, I came out with my solo debut album “Something Special”, which I produced myself.
What can we expect from your new album?
MC Special:: This album has been very challenging since the release of my debut album in December 2007. Yes, it’s been already 2 years and 9months since the release. Where has the time gone …… LOL. The expectation for this album has been very high and I am aware of this. The success of my last album was massive. On this album I have been working hard with some great artists and instrumental players and I have come up with a whole mix of sound. I have always been a true Desi Bhangra lover and everyone is aware of that. So this time round I have worked more on the production of the album and gone away from the MC’ing. You will have your true club bangers. Also, instead of just releasing my second album, which will be coming out on VIP RECORDS again, I’ve got with something different.
This time round we are releasing a DVD album, which will include all the videos we are shooting for the album, backstage footage of the recording of the album plus all the backstage sneaks that you will never see anywhere else. The title of the album will also be announced soon. I’ll give you some names of people who are working with me on the album: Jaswinder Daghamia, Bikram Singh, Manak E, Late Kaka Bhaniawala, Faze Black plus many more. I don’t want to give too much away at the moment.
When will your new single be releasing?
MC Special::I am aiming towards the end of this year. But you know Indian timing; nothing works on time, so it could even be January. Whichever the date is people will be made aware via SimplyBhangra. I am putting loads of hard work in making this album right, because the Bhangra industry needs a lift. The last few years have been boring.
‘Nachna Aunda Nehi’ was very popular with audiences; how do you feel your new single will compare with this?
MC Special:: I’ve always said you can never beat your best track, so I’m hoping people will love this one as well. The first single track is a follow up to ‘Nachna Aunda Nehi’, which means ‘Don’t know how to dance’. So, this time I’ve come with a track called ‘Sanu Ve Nach Ke Dikha’ . Basically, now saying, ‘Okay, you know how to dance so how about teaching me?’ This will be the first single taken from the album, which will include a video. I’m looking to release a few singles first before the full album to give people an idea what all the hype has been about.
Which artists would you like to work with on future projects?
MC Special:: I’ve always been open to work with any artist who I feel has a great talent. I don’t care if they are brand new fresh sound. On this album, I’ve used fresh talent as well. We’ll see what the future holds.
With the Asian music scene steering towards a more traditional sound, do you feel there is a future for MCs in the industry?
MC Special:: Good question, but as I mentioned early on, I knew MCing would never last in the Bhangra industry, which is why I heavily got involved into production of Bhangra music. I will always say this, yes I produce my music along with some great instrument players. I don’t want to change my name and remove ‘MC’ because that’s always been me. I’ve even started working on some Bollywood projects as well to feature in some films.
If you could change one thing about the Bhangra industry what would it be?
MC Special:: Quality control! Nobody is controlling the industry, which gets loads of artists angry. Everyone these days seems to be releasing c**p. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some great releases as well. Put it this way, if someone went into a shop and looked on the shelf and picked up the first Bhangra album from an unknown artist, who has no clue about music and just released it in the sake of trying to be famous, what would they think of Bhangra music?
You won’t see this stuff in mainstream. These days, people are just in it for being famous and want to be on TV. Hopefully, true Bhangra fans know what I mean. Oh, and people have said to me when I’m out and about “How comes you have not won any awards?” All I say is, again, there is no control in our industry. Money talks. I don’t want to get started on this. My music talks for itself and I know the public love it and that’s all I want. An award is not going to change me!
Thank you for taking time out for this interview. Do you have any final words for your fans?
MC Special:: I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you so much for loving my music for the past 8 years. The support on my debut album was massive, hence why I have decided to release my second solo album. I hope you continue to support my music and give as much love as you can for the brand new album which will be coming your way soon. Don’t forget you can follow us on twitter.com/mcspecial or facebook.com/themcspecial we have loads of stuff going on at the moment with a brand new website coming soon (www.mcspecial.com), brand new videos, singles, the new album. 2011 is going to be a massive year.
