When you are spoilt for choice, it becomes difficult to make your own unique identity, especially in this wide sphere of the internet. Other than being a total original you should also be able to connect directly to your target audience to secure a place in their remembrance. And if there is one person who has successfully mastered that path it is the famous rapper from Mumbai, Divine aka Vivian Fernandes. He has grown up in the slums of Andheri and grown so big today that the entertainment industry has found a subject in him. Zoya Akhtar’s film Gully Boy starring the versatile actor Ranveer Singh is based on Divine and his peer Naezy.

To begin with Vivian's journey, writing for a contemporary and urban audience ain’t easy. But he was able to pick up the very essence of the city into his songs. With so much of exposure to the best of Hollywood rap songs, his meticulous flow and quick understanding of the Indian hip-hop scene helped him succeed. His tryst with the rapping world started when he saw some design of a rapper on someone’s t-shirt. Who knew his curiosity would make him part of that world one day? He had a struggle ahead because his family wasn’t here, he stayed with his grandmother and hip-hop was associated more with drugs. “I was writing a lot of devotional rhymes because I was living with my grandmother and she would take me to church every single day and I was an altar boy for mass. That’s how the name Divine came about. The main reason I am what I am is because I practically lived alone; my mother and brother both worked abroad ever since my dad left. I would write every day for five hours at a time, and I’d spend days trying to perfect one verse,” he quoted in an interview with popular magazine Verve.

Divine's one of the many famous tracks 'Mere Gully Mein'

He even faces competition from Bollywood rappers who have something to contribute in most of the remix tracks today. But Vivian too got his break. His track ‘Yeh Mera Bombay’ got recognition from Rolling Stones India in 2014 and from then on, he found steps to climb the ladder of success. He attracted Sony Music India during a festival and it went smooth. He has collaborated with several big players, Nucleya being one of them and his tracks are only hits. His Bollywood debut was in December 2017 with Paintra from Mukkabaaz which was a hit too.

Divine's Gully Gane with Ranveer Singh

He has a story to be showcased and the film Gully Boy does base itself loosely on his life. With Ranveer Singh playing the character of a rapper, we know Vivian’s got the best! The director Zoya Akhtar even planned to include the track Mere Gully Mein in the film. From growing in the slums to now having his own song being shot and showcased in a commercial Bollywood film, Rapper Divine has no less than divine blessings of his own hard work.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 16, 2018 11:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).