In SOUND CHECK, we check in with some of our favorite musicians.
With a collaboration with MF DOOM, a tour with Wu-Tang Clan, and a single with Disclosure under his belt, 17-year-old rapper Bishop Nehru makes us wonder what we were doing all our teen years. Plus, he's not just a musician: the New York native also produces music and directs and edits his own videos. His first big break came in 2012 when his YouTube video of himself freestyling over Mos Def's "Mathematics" went viral. Ununderstandable, a mixtape, is coming up next. We caught up with the prodigy rapper in Austin at SXSW and talked Call of Duty, skateboarding, and the story behind his name.
Kathleen Tso: Fill in the blank: My name is _______ and my music sounds like _______.
My name is Bishop Nehru and my music sounds like God, heaven.
How did you come up with your stage name?
The Bishop part was from a movie with Tupac, Juice. I’m a huge fan of Tupac so I had to take something [from the movie]. The Nehru part I [came up with] during global history. I was in class and the person [the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru] came up and I researched him. I just liked it, it fit.
How did you start rapping?
I started recording probably a year or two ago. First I started making beats, then I got into recording. I started putting videos out on YouTube and people started taking a liking to them; it happened like that.
I’ve heard you direct and edit your own videos. How did you start doing that?
For a while when I was in seventh and eighth grades I was making Call of Duty videos, like montages. I was always into editing, so I had to transfer that kind of editing [skill] to music. It’s kind of insane, I was noticing it was the same; you just have to stick stuff together.
Where did you come up with the concept for the “Fickle Mind$” video that you directed and edited?
The song is really about not being able to trust people. I don’t want to give away what the video is really about, but it was basically a “trust no one” type of thing. You don’t know whom you can trust, who your worst enemy is.
What influences your personal style?
Skate life; hip-hop stuff. I like a lot of Tommy Hilfiger and Polo, but that’s just New York. When I was younger, I used to skateboard. So I’m into DGK and CCS.com and stuff like that. I’m also into what’s mainstream, Gucci, Louis Vuitton. And I just put on what feels good. If I look at myself in the mirror and it looks nice, that’s what I wear.
Which skateboarders do you look up to?
Rodney Mullen, Stevie Williams, Nyjah Huston
What has been the best piece of advice you have gotten along your career so far?
Keep doing you, n
With a collaboration with MF DOOM, a tour with Wu-Tang Clan, and a single with Disclosure under his belt, 17-year-old rapper Bishop Nehru makes us wonder what we were doing all our teen years. Plus, he's not just a musician: the New York native also produces music and directs and edits his own videos. His first big break came in 2012 when his YouTube video of himself freestyling over Mos Def's "Mathematics" went viral. Ununderstandable, a mixtape, is coming up next. We caught up with the prodigy rapper in Austin at SXSW and talked Call of Duty, skateboarding, and the story behind his name.
Kathleen Tso: Fill in the blank: My name is _______ and my music sounds like _______.
My name is Bishop Nehru and my music sounds like God, heaven.
How did you come up with your stage name?
The Bishop part was from a movie with Tupac, Juice. I’m a huge fan of Tupac so I had to take something [from the movie]. The Nehru part I [came up with] during global history. I was in class and the person [the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru] came up and I researched him. I just liked it, it fit.
How did you start rapping?
I started recording probably a year or two ago. First I started making beats, then I got into recording. I started putting videos out on YouTube and people started taking a liking to them; it happened like that.
I’ve heard you direct and edit your own videos. How did you start doing that?
For a while when I was in seventh and eighth grades I was making Call of Duty videos, like montages. I was always into editing, so I had to transfer that kind of editing [skill] to music. It’s kind of insane, I was noticing it was the same; you just have to stick stuff together.
Where did you come up with the concept for the “Fickle Mind$” video that you directed and edited?
The song is really about not being able to trust people. I don’t want to give away what the video is really about, but it was basically a “trust no one” type of thing. You don’t know whom you can trust, who your worst enemy is.
What influences your personal style?
Skate life; hip-hop stuff. I like a lot of Tommy Hilfiger and Polo, but that’s just New York. When I was younger, I used to skateboard. So I’m into DGK and CCS.com and stuff like that. I’m also into what’s mainstream, Gucci, Louis Vuitton. And I just put on what feels good. If I look at myself in the mirror and it looks nice, that’s what I wear.
Which skateboarders do you look up to?
Rodney Mullen, Stevie Williams, Nyjah Huston
What has been the best piece of advice you have gotten along your career so far?
Keep doing you, n