Spot Light

On July 10, Hitesh Sharma DIPBA’15 reached the top of the BBC Asian Music Top 40 Chart with his hit song, Young Shahrukh.

How did you first get involved in music?
It was always around the house when I was growing up. My dad bought a PC when 
I was in kindergarten and by the first grade, I was using the Sound Recorder application on Windows 98 to speed up and slow down songs. I guess you could call those my 
first remixes!
How would you describe your musical philosophy?
Everything is centred around energy for me. It doesn't matter how complex or simple a song is, or what it's about, it has to transport you somewhere and give you some sort of euphoric feeling. I really want my audience to have a unique experience when they hear my music, and so I try my best to work towards that goal.
Why combine traditional Indian music and rap?
Fusing genres can lead to amazing new sounds and it attracts a wider demographic of people to the music. As for why I do it—
I see it as the most accurate way to reflect who I am through music. Growing up in an Indian household while listening to hip 
hop directly influenced my sound and musical tastes.
To what extent has your social media savviness played in your success?
Social media has been an extremely significant tool that I've used since day one. Leveraging social media to its full extent can push your music to millions of people from the comfort of your bedroom for free. It can level the playing field between an amateur musician and a major label artist. Social media is key.
What was the best aspect of your experience at the U of R?
The people! The friendships and connections I made during my time at the University of Regina have sustained over time and I'm sure they'll continue to last. Some of my closest friends today are people that I grew close with during my time at the U of R.
What are the things you miss most about Regina living in Toronto?
Again, it's undoubtedly the people. Folks from Regina are just built different, and 
I'm proud to rep the city wherever I go. 
A close second, however, would be the pizza. Regina-style pizza—whether it's Western or Trifon’s or Houston—is unbelievably good and an underrated highlight of the city. Any time I've had visitors from out-of-town ask for suggestions, I always tell them to grab some pizza and they're always mind-blown at how good it is!
Where do you envision yourself in 
ten years?
In music for sure, but I know my business side won't let me stay away from involving myself in other exciting ventures. I want 
to push the culture forward and make great art and experiences for people, and I'm confident I'll find ways to do that through music, business and everything 
in between.