MUMBAI: With the Gully Boy fever taking over the streets of Mumbai, we would want to introduce you to another rapper in town - Razif, a jovial Uber driver partner from the city. While he is an exceptional driver, loved by all his customers for his service, he also happens to bring about surprise and laughter in the lives of many customers with his rap songs.

Known for his spontaneity and charming personality, he often accepts challenges from his passengers and raps songs on any topic on the spot. Having worked at places like Red FM, Big FM and 107.8 FM in the past, he has been driven by music for many years now.

Driver Razif is known to rap for his customers, on which he says, “I started rapping from 2012, then I used to work for a corporate company. There, too, in the break time, we used to have fun as I used to rap. My first debut album was Haryana Ki Choori that released in 2012. Now GullyBoy has been a trend everywhere. If I find a word that is interesting, I do a rap on it.  I have watched 8 Mile and I know that the picture is all about Divine and how he struggled.”

He further adds, "Mumbai is a dream world, where dreams come true. People come over here and they want their dreams to make your dreams come true and to accomplish those dreams, you need some kind of back up - a boost. Uber is really helping me out. For example, I have got my car and it’s kind of earning for me. I have a few customers who did think of me later.”

On being asked, when did he start rapping, he tells, “My brother used to play English songs, they used to like it and used to watch it and got fond of it. I used to read out the lyrics that’s how I got inspired, I just don’t rap in English, but also in Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi.”

He mentions that he is a pro in rapping in front of his customers, “I have rapped a million times in front of my customers, for example, if a person is feeling hot then I come up with a rap for them. I usually entertain people, I talk to them. Mumbai is full of traffic congestion. If a person books a cab, many times 90% of the people say that I did not even realize the journey got over so quick. That’s the response I get and I feel good.”

When asked if movies like Gully Boy are really going to inspire rappers from our country, he explains, “Yes rapping is a booming culture in India. Rap was started by colored people and it then gradually came into existence. Rap is a good way to express yourself. When I was a kid, I used to recite Machli Jal Ki Rani, I used to add my own words into the poetry, it’s all about Shero Shayari.”

Razif reveals his future plans, “I plan to get into Bollywood, get into rapping and become popular for a good reason. If I am Rjing, I take out several issues and talk about it. People are contacting me and they know about me. This is how I am becoming popular.”