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Naezy (Rapper) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 6, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth10 August 1993

Age31 Years

BirthplaceMumbai, Maharashtra, India

ProfessionRapper, Song Composer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Shahid Raza; Mother - Farhin Raza

Naezy (Rapper) Biography

Naved Shaikh, known professionally as Naezy, is a Mumbai-born rapper and songwriter who helped bring Indian street rap into the mainstream. Rising from the

Early life and background

Naved Shaikh was born on 10 August 1993 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, and grew up in the chawls of Kurla. Raised in a lower-middle-class, orthodox Muslim family that has lived in the area since the 1930s, he attended a convent school in Mumbai and later studied at Guru Nanak Khalsa College, where he completed a Bachelor of Science degree.

His early years included a mix of restless behaviour and an exposure to current affairs and Urdu journalism: his paternal grandfather encouraged him to read newspapers, which helped shape an early interest in politics and social issues. Music entered his life through popular reggae and rap; the first rap song that caught his ear was Sean Paul’s "Temperature," and he began performing and practising rap in his teenage years.

Career

Taking the stage name Naezy, a shortened form of his given name with the added descriptor "the Baa" in some early use, he recorded and released his first single, "Aafat," on YouTube on 7 January 2014 using an iPad his father had sent from Dubai. The track gained significant attention online and amassed millions of views, leading to a management deal with Only Much Louder.

Naezy’s early work included the Bollywood track "Birju" for the film Hey Bro (2015). A key moment in his ascent was the 2015 collaboration with Divine (Vivian Fernandes). Their song "Mere Gully Mein" became widely regarded as an anthem of the Mumbai rap scene and helped popularise desi hip hop across the city and beyond. He performed at major events, including an appearance in front of over 18,000 people at the NH7 Weekender in Pune, and continued to play live shows regularly.

He released the album Maghreb in 2020, and his presence in mainstream Indian cinema was cemented when director Zoya Akhtar drew inspiration from Naezy’s music and story—along with Divine’s—to shape the 2019 film Gully Boy. Ranveer Singh portrayed a character inspired by Naezy in that film, which broadened public awareness of Mumbai’s street rappers. Naezy has said the film brought career benefits but also portrayed some personal events inaccurately, which affected him.

Naezy has taken breaks from music during his career. At one point he worked in Dubai with his father before returning to India and resuming his rap career around 2019. His musical focus favors underground and socially conscious themes prevalent in the desi hip hop movement rather than commercial tropes.

Public profile

Naezy is multilingual, fluent in Urdu, Hindi, English, Marathi, and Arabic. His musical influences include Tupac Shakur, Lil Wayne, and Sean Paul, and he has described a preference for rapping about social issues. He has faced opposition from some relatives who felt rap conflicted with their religious beliefs, and he has spoken openly about how the reaction of people in his neighbourhood affected his choices.

Awards and recognition tied to projects he was associated with include a Best Music award for Gully Boy at the Screen Awards in 2020, and IIFA nominations that year for Best Male Playback Singer and Best Lyrics. He has also attracted attention through reality television; in June 2024 he appeared as a contestant on Bigg Boss OTT Season 3, which aired on Jio Cinema.

Personal and other details

Naezy is unmarried. His parents are Shahid Raza, who has worked in Dubai, and Farhin Raza. He lists travelling and cricket among his hobbies. He has referenced drinking beer and smoking cigarettes at social events. Naezy is known to have owned vehicles including a Mercedes-Benz GLA and motorcycles such as a Triumph Street Triple R and a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.

He once said in interviews that his early performances were aimed at entertaining peers and that he began writing rap by imitating established artists. In college he helped form a hip-hop group called The Schizophrenics. He continues to be associated with the desi hip hop movement and the underground rap scene in India.

Latest updates

In March 2024 Naezy commented that while the film Gully Boy had positively impacted his career, some on-screen plot elements about his personal life were inaccurate and had a negative effect on him. In June 2024 he joined Bigg Boss OTT Season 3 as a participant, marking a recent television appearance.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Naezy (Rapper), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Maghreb

Album released in 2020

2020
Bigg Boss OTT Season 3

Contestant on the Jio Cinema reality series

2024
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Career Highlights

  1. Released debut single "Aafat" (2014), which gained millions of YouTube views
  2. Collaborated with Divine on "Mere Gully Mein" (2015), a landmark Mumbai rap anthem
  3. Inspired elements of the film Gully Boy (2019); character portrayed by Ranveer Singh
  4. Performed at NH7 Weekender in front of over 18,000 people
  5. Album Maghreb released in 2020; associated with Screen Award and IIFA recognition in 2020
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Naezy (Rapper) born?

Naezy (Rapper) was born on 10 August 1993.

What is Naezy (Rapper) known for?

Naezy (Rapper) is known for rapper, Song Composer.

What is Naezy (Rapper)’s marital status?

Naezy (Rapper)'s marital status is listed as Unmarried.