Rapper Altaf Shaikh, who goes by the stage name MC Altaf, is known for famously teaching the 'Bambaiya' dialect to Bollywood star Ranveer Singh in the 2019 Zoya Akhtar directorial 'Gully Boy'. The rapper released his new single 'Big Moves' recently.
The track, released under the music label Gully Gang, sees Altaf flexing his lyrical aptitude by showcasing weighty lyrics that commend and celebrate his past achievements whilst spotlighting his future goals.
Talking about the track, MC Altaf expands, "Rap and hip-hop are such important styles for telling your story. When you speak about yourself, you don't have to just talk about your struggles and shortcomings. Flexing doesn't just mean money and cars. Flex about your dreams, your ambitions and how you want to ace your game with each passing day. The whole track revolves around my way forward mission."
Produced by Stunnah Beatz, the single interlace polished beats with high-pitched backing vocals deliver quite an urban sound. The vocal melody blends with the rapper's bar delivery. The drums build anticipation and highlight the punchlines, almost as a background narrative to the rapper's profound words.
Speaking about how the track came about Altaf states, "At the time I was writing Big Moves, I had decided to go visit Stunnah Beatz in Guwahati since I wanted alone time to develop this track into something unique and I thought if I head out of the big city then maybe I could explore a whole new vibe. The beat of the track is inspired by the American rapper Meek Mill, a first for me."
The music video for the track has been shot in monochrome by Samarth Shirke across Mumbai and Dubai and showcases MC Altaf's journey.
The video features major snippets from his studio sessions with legendary artists like KSHMR and performing in Dubai alongside his day ones to riding Yulu's with his gang, giving a sneak peek into his everyday life.
Highlighting the lyrical novelty of the track, he further reflects, "When I was writing the verse it came to me 'bade kadam dekh ke boley big moves!' which means we need to work smart and not hard to reach to the top and that's how I got my first line.
"I also have an avid interest in style, so I referenced my shoe collection which most people praise hence 'pairon pe who dekhke boley which shoes?' I was born into the middle class but I developed a high-class fate."
"Earlier my circle of friends consisted of dealers now I sign deals. I believe that your destiny is largely about you and your success is not time-dependent but self-dependent hence 'jana kaunsi manzil pe tu kar choose'.
"I'm a street hustler so when I used 'gang mere streets pe like nikalti Yulus', for me it all signifies how life comes to a full circle as I still roam the streets with my gang on Yulus whilst the VIP's call me on a legend on stage. You see the delivery boys on Swiggy/Zomato who work so hard riding their Yulus and that for me is the real hustle or hard work."