Bohemia: The Punjabi Rapper

Bohemia, also fondly known as Raja is popular all across the globe because of his uncanny vocals and rapping skills. Bohemia was born in Karachi into an ethnic Punjabi, Christian family. His birth name is Roger David. He moved to America with his family in his early teens, it was there that his interest in music was instigated.

Bohemia is undoubtedly the king of desi rap and hip hop. He is a pioneer for popularizing desi hip-hop in India as well as abroad. Bohemia is also known for his gangsta style rap which instantly got him fame in a short span. He is not just a rapper but also a songwriter. He writes exceptionally well in Urdu and Punjabi. He has also turned into a music director and a producer in the span of his career. The very versatile Bohemia has been associated with Universal Music Group and many other famous music labels in the past. His infusing energy and infectious vocals are unforgettable.

Bohemia has been active in the music industry since 2002. His first album ‘Vich Pardesan De’ was an independent album that gained massive popularity and reached the Top 10 on BBC Radio UK in 2002. His second album ‘Pesa Nasha Pyaar’ was released in 2006. His third fame ‘Da Rap Star’ released in 2009 turned his fate overnight as it brought him instant fame and recognition. ‘Da Rap Star’ was nominated in different categories at the PTC Punjabi Music Awards in 2010. He was nominated for the ‘Best Punjabi Album’, ‘Best Sound Recording’, and ‘Best Punjabi Music Director’ at PTC Punjabi Music Awards. His album was even nominated for the ‘Best International Album’ at the UK Asian Music Awards. He released his fourth album ‘Gulabi’ in 2012 followed by ‘Thousand Thoughts’. ‘Thousand Thoughts’ won the ‘Best International Album’ at the PTC Punjabi Music Awards. His other albums include ‘KDM Mixtape Volume 1’ released in 2016 and ‘Skulls & Bones: The Final Chapter’ in 2017. Apart from his albums, Bohemia also gained popularity by collaborating with various singers. He collaborated with famous singers like Snoop Dogg, Gippy Grewal, Jasmine Sandlas, Mika Singh, Neha Kakkar, Bilal Saeed, and many more. His song ‘Jaguar’ was nominated for the ‘Best Duo’ at the PTC Punjabi Music Awards in 2016. ‘Jaguar’ was Bohemia’s collaboration with Sukh-E. In 2016, the track ‘Patola’ won the ‘Best Duo Award’ at the PTC Punjabi Music Awards. ‘Patola’ was sung in collaboration with Guru Randhawa. His famous track ‘Hathiyar 2’ in collaboration with Gitta Bains was also nominated for the ‘Best Duo Award’ at the PTC Punjabi Music Award in 2017.

Apart from Bohemia’s famous independent hits and collaborations in Pollywood, he has also worked on various film soundtracks in Bollywood. His famous Bollywood numbers are ‘Chandni Chowk to China’ from the movie ‘Chandni Chowk to China’ and ‘Subah Hone Na De’ from the movie ‘Desi Boyz’. He has also lent his voice for the movie ‘8 x 10 Tasveer’, ‘Breakaway’, and ‘Faraar’. Some of his other famous tracks are ‘Diwana’ from the album ‘Da Rap Star’, ‘Ek Tera Pyaar’ from the album ‘Da Rap Star’, ‘Zamana Jhali’ from his album ‘Skulls & Bones’, ‘Kali Denali’ from the album ‘Pesa Nasha Pyar’, ‘Bhul Ja’ from the album ‘Pesa Nasha Pyar’ and ‘Taur’ from the movie ‘Faraar’. Bohemia has also been featured in the Coke Studio sessions. 

The very talented and versatile Bohemia is a rare find. His passion for music and love for hip-hop is unsurpassable. Team ShoutLo wishes Bohemia the very best for his upcoming projects and associations.

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