Our second release of SOUND-WAVES is a playlist curated by Zainab Hasnain aka Zeemuffin. She's a DJ, a social media wiz at The Verge and a photographer.

Listen to the exclusive playlist with sounds of strong women, old-school hits, and some current BLM anthems.

Learn about about her goal of this playlist below.

Can you describe your process of how you made the playlist?

I thought back on the protests that I've been to and the artists who have inserted themselves into the political conversation today without fear through their music. People like Solange and Vince Staples immediately came to mind for present day. From there I was able to see who influenced these artists and studied the revolutions from as early as the protests against the Vietnam war up to the civil rights movement. Each revolution has its rallying cries, the songs that define them. I looked and searched for those. 

Why the title Resist?

To me resist is a stronger word than "fight". Resist the urge for violence, resist with peace, resist with knowledge, resist with the right strategies. Resist to me encompasses our generations sentiment to the hate, inequality and injustices of our time. 

What was your intention behind this playlist?

To take listeners on a journey of the songs that define the resistance: and that resistance isn't just one movement. It's women's rights, it's BLM, it's the right to be accepted as a refugee, as a minority. I tried to hit all of those touch points: it's almost like a music history lesson on our country's continued resistance against our societies mishaps. 

Who did you want to inspire?

Anyone and everyone who has ever felt marginalized. 

What's your HYFN?

Pakistani-American-Explorer-Social Media Wiz-Writer-Creative

Follow Zainab on Instagram to see what she's up to.

We've been visiting Arizona quite often and after we started HYFN last year we met Negine. I'm always thinking about culture and our community, so on my recent trip to Phoenix I decided I wanted to take some photos of Negine in the beautiful landscape of the Southwest, where she lives. So we drove into the Superstition Mountains and came out with these.

I love taking portraits and experimenting with my camera. I want to meet more people within the community and if I can find a way to tell our story using photos I will.

Watch the Vlog that covers this in the previous post.

We've been traveling all over meeting incredible people and the best way we can think of sharing these experiences is through a Vlog. For our first episode we went to the middle of the Arizona desert where Humai shot a photo story with our friend Negine frolicking around the beautiful southwestern landscape. 

It's important to continually be working on your craft. Just as athletes train all year around we creatives need to constantly train our eye, go hard when we practice and push ourselves to take creative risks. The purpose of the shoot Humai is doing with Nagine is to tell a story and catch a vibe but more importantly it's to practice photography. To be in a completely unfamiliar landscape creating images that evoke emotion and feel purposeful. To get better with each shoot and walk away having learned something. This is important. 

And for myself this was an exercise in telling a story about a person and their day and also a chance for me to practice shooting with a drone (which is something we just added to our kit and fu*king love it). I'm constantly trying be better at storytelling and figuring out ways to create beautiful content that is engaging and fun to watch. 

Hopefully we will continue to do this with some constancy and as always welcome your feedback and thoughts. 

A look into the sold out Swet Shop Boys and Anik Khan show at Webster Hall in NYC. 

Video by Ali Ateeq, Edit By Amna Ateeq.
Photos by Alyzeh Ashraff and Ali Ateeq. 

On her birthday last year, Abir dropped a song called Girls and we loved it. This past week she released the video and it's just as fire as the track.

She held an advance screening of the video and a Q&A that we caught at the Apple Store in Williamsburg, and announced it by bringing together a #BunchaGirls to create a fun little GIF campaign that celebrates immigrant roots.

AND her week got even more dope because Apple named her New Artist of the Week. Keep killin' it Abir.

Bianca Kurian's, aka Maieli, new mix carries her distinctively warm and carefree attitude that compels her to dismiss the idea that there is any deliberate intent to provoke an emotion through her music choices. But whether consciously or not, Maieli‘s music pays homage to the fundamental ethos of her brand, BRWN HIVE. A brand that focuses on inclusivity regardless of gender or ethnicity.

Maieli’s music features a wide range of cultural references, spanning from a reference to the classic 1995 hip hop film Friday, to the more modern day Hindi movie Sanam Teri Kasam. It's beyond party music--it is an argument for embracing new attitudes and viewpoints -- being open-minded and breaking from the taboo of talking about sex or other topics Desi culture typically shies away from. But as Maieli says, "It was never my intention to evoke a certain sensation, I just wanted everyone to dance."

Listen to the exclusive mix and learn more about Bianca from our interview below:

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I was born in East Los Angeles. My mother was born in Colombia and my father was born in India. Having a multi-cultural background and growing up in such a diverse city played a huge role in who I am today, the way I see the world, and the music I listen to. I’ve always been involved in music, I was forced into piano lessons as a kid which I am grateful for now because that really provided the base for all my other music endeavors. Right now my goal is just to spread positivity through music because it truly is a means of communicating that connects everyone regardless of age, background, religion, sexuality, or gender. 

2. Agreed! 2017 is really shaping up to be an interesting time to live in, what are you most excited about this year?

I’m most excited to see how we shift in 2017 and start coming together in the music scene to create a positive change. I’m excited to see more people of color on best of lists, more women headlining festivals, more events that fundraise for a cause, more collaboration and less elitism, and safer inclusive spaces. My girl and I started BRWN HIVE as a means to share music and throw events and promote artists to encourage these things and we’re hoping to expand to a full label so I’m excited to see how BRWN HIVE evolves this year.

3. What are you listening for when you put together a mix? Share a little bit of your process.

I usually put a playlist together based on songs I’m currently listening to and then try to figure out how to make them flow together. That’s the tough part because I’m always mixing genres and I never stick to just one BPM which is a lot more challenging but interesting in my opinion. I could never just play one type of music, that’s the fun part about dj’ing is getting to experiment with mixing different sounds and tempos and trying to get it to sound like a cohesive journey

4. Who are some artists that you think are going to pop off this year?

Definitely Horsepowar, I’ve been working with her for a minute now and I’ve been witnessing her growth. She’s definitely got what it takes to go far so I’m excited to see what she does this year. Other artists that have been killing it in my opinion and will continue to do so this year are Anik Khan, Audri Nix, Jarreau Vandal, aywy, the Club Chai crew, Late Night Laggers crew, and of course our first two BRWN HIVE featured artists Phool and Talia Knight.

5. How does your culture and identity play into your current pursuits?

My culture and identity are constantly playing a role in my life whether I realize it or not. In music it definitely plays a more deliberate role. I usually try to incorporate Latin and Desi inspired music into my mixes and tracks in a way that appeals to everyone. I’m tired of any music with ethnic elements being thrown into this “world music” category (what kind of genre is world music really)… I love how favela trap and baile funk have made their way into more accessible outlets such as Soulection radio. I want to do the same for Latin and Desi music and other types of music that people might not ordinarily listen to and combine with other more familiar music and make it more accessible for all. 

6. And finally, what's your HYFN?

Hmm this is a hard one, I could go on forever but let's keep it simple and go with American-Desi-Latina.

See more about Bianca at biancamaieli.com and brwnhive.com

And follow her on SoundCloud/Snapchat: @maieli + Instagram/Twitter: @yunghoneychild

Culture doesn’t change without pioneers. These 6 South Asian Instagrammers are each altering what it means to be Desi, what it means to be first and second generation, what it means to be a millennial and what those things look like together - adjusting stereotypes everyday and broadening the scope of the spaces we exist in.

@Kohinoorgasm An artist, activist, and a person who is herself in all the right ways, Kohinoorgasm is changing the game for brown girls everywhere. Her self-described pop music preaches radical self-love and speaks to the various facets of her identity. She bridges East and West in the best way - rarely do we see a hand covered in a black-lace glove in a mudra, just inches away from a belt choker necklace. In changing the game with her art, her boldness, and her often unshaven armpits, she conducts activist acts both in big ways, and in the way she lives every day. Expect photos of her beautiful friends, links to her rad music, and everything in between.

@_salvinc  For the optimist and poet in you, Salvin Chalal needs to be on your feed. Speaking out against mass incarceration, xenophobia, and hate crimes he writes groundbreaking poems. He also organizes and creates poetry workshops for young individuals and writers. Involved with some of the sickest communities of spoken word artists and people of color, Chalal regularly shares poetry by other dope artists. His feed is perfect for binging, and you could spend hours reading the fantastic work he posts.

@fariha_roisin Fariha Róisín, writer and self-described  "Zayn Malik scholar",  has a feed that is a break from the normal IG. She features many thought provoking and sometimes satirical quotes from movies, pop culture, poems and more, working to explore what it's like to be a modern Muslim woman. Her honesty about the challenges of this, and her relationship with faith, race, and art is refreshing. When so many feeds feel fake-curated and over-filtered, her feed remains candid, often asking the hard questions we sometimes like to omit from our thinking. 

@alvinabokhari A South Asian model among other things, Alvina Bokhari has been featured in campaigns for brands like Carhartt Whipp. Her style is clean-cut, her skin is fresh and glossy and she tends to rock straight long black locks. She adorns herself in chain chokers, berets, and street wear T-shirts. Catch yourself in a moment of jealousy on her feed - she’s often at cool NYC parties, in sick fits, and with henna on her long fingers.

@dothead_divinity Khusboo Gulati is an artist in various regards, but creates kick-ass illustrations on IG in working to redefine what it means to be a POC woman. In one of her works, which shows hands covered in henna controlling thunder in the sky as if they were God, she makes the claim in her art that brown women are some of the most powerful, divine individuals to exist. She preaches South Asians for BLM, and is most known for her “Brown and Lovely” poster aka her kitschy take on the infamous ‘Fair & Lovely’. Her selfies include  a yellow bhindi, septum piercing and purple lipstick - mixing identity in the best way.

@vivekshraya Vivek Shraya is everything the world doesn’t want her to be - and proud of it. As a writer, among other things, she stands up for trans & POC rights and has now started in other mediums - like music - to continue to be an active organizer. Her children’s book, The Boy & The Bindi, brings up issues of gender and race identity for kids; she is pioneering engagement in and discussion around topics traditionally seen as taboo in South Asian communities. Her catchphrase, “even this ___ is white,” tries to point out how much whiteness occupies our world. She serves looks all over her feed in fulls red lips and is definitely another influencer changing the game.

These 6 Instagrammers smash barriers and make bridges in so many ways – working for change in big and little ways. In 2016, being yourself and standing up for that, if you are POC, queer, a woman, or marginalized is activism and real power. All of these individuals occupy social media in their own way, working to create positive spaces (online and IRL), build community, or just publish really cool pictures online. What's so dope is that regardless of what their content is about, it goes beyond the likes and hash tags – which is where their voices become so salient to real change.

Earlier this month Anik Khan threw an event to thank all his collaborators and supporters. It was a really great evening with a lot of positive vibes as everyone chatted over hookah and tea. He screened the documentary Vice produced on him and gave a first listen to two new songs off his new project.

What is Bad Beti? It's the idea that by being audacious and embracing yourself can sometimes lead to being judged and labeled. We often see this happen to our brown female youth when they don't fit into what's expected of them or when they push boundaries. Let's embrace our individualities and create a movement of positivity.

Our perspective on what makes a Bad Beti is simply that we support those who decide to own their decisions and live their lives how it feels right to them. This is unique to each person. A bad beti is a good beti is a beti. 

The short film came to life after we heard that BabbuThePainter and Hatecopy (Babneet Lakhesar and Maria Qamar, respectively) were working on an exhibit called Bad Beti. We vibed with the message so we contacted them to collaborate with us on creating visuals for the project. After discussing the concept and visual treatment, we filmed over two days in a bathroom, on a rooftop and throughout the streets of NYC. The duo came through strong with a lot of energy and Babbu absolutely killed it on camera.

In addition, a few other key players were integral to making this happen. Working with Amaad Bhatti for the sound design was a no-brainer. He has a talented ear for heightening emotions throughs sound, which he did brilliantly through this score. Priyanka Babariya's makeup work is impeccable. Richa Kalra was on the Bad Beti support team contributing to the overall vibes.

Bringing together such a talented team resulted in some pretty fascinating imagery in the form of a short concept film, which we're thrilled to share with you today.

We've got your first look at Horsepowar's new music video for OUT2LUNCH here on HYFN! It's playful, fun and full of energy just like she is. 

The track is produced by her good friend and radio co-host, Homeboy Jules, and Horsepowar says she didn’t realize how much she rapped about food until writing this song. The song is about

“being ‘out2lunch’ in a daze, a day dreamer, a Pisces living stuck in my own fairy tale believing anything is possible and obtainable. I always catch myself saying the wrong shit at the wrong time, which I always feel to be the right time. This song explains that. I reference Monty Python, Street Fighter, bhindi (okra), squirrels, Rick james, and my mom always going to Costco to buy bulk (shout out Kirkland products).“

There's a line mera naam joker about which Horsepowar says “I certainly feel like I’m a clown and I love being a clown and goofin’ around.”

This video hails a ton of strong female power. It was shot and edited by Baljit Singh aka Bsingh. It’s co-directed with Kay Ray who also stars in it. Hatecopy and Babbuthepainter appear in the video as well, and you can see Babbu’s denim jacket piece and Hatecopy’s artwork in many of the shots.

“It was such a fun day of shooting because it was just us hanging out. This video is a depiction of girl power aka girlPOWAR. I’ve realized my biggest support system in the music industry has been the sisterhood, especially within women of color. They've shown me so much light and love and helped deepen my inspiration for my work.”

Find Jasleen aka Horsepowar on Facebook and Instagram.

Went to see The Kominas and Swet Shop Boys at their SOLD OUT show in Brooklyn at Rough Trade. One of the most endearing parts was that the audience was filled with all kinds of people. The Kominas killed it, they always knew what they were doing on stage but it keeps getting better. And Swet Shop Boys had the whole place lit, moving and rapping along.

Listen to their new album, Cashmere, here.

It's a great time to live. Being able to connect with someone, develop a relationship and eventually meet IRL is truly beautiful. Shout out to the internet! 

Someone we recently had the pleasure of meeting from computer to person is Jasleen Powar, known as Horsepowar. When we heard she was going to be in NYC we knew we wanted to link up with her and tell this story. After spending some time with her we quickly realized that what you see is what you get, and what you get is a lot of enthusiasm & confidence.

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DJ Rekha hosted Horsepowar and DJ Ayes Cold at her Basement Bhangra party that served as the official afterparty to Red Baraat's Brooklyn Mela. The evening was lit with lots of positive, fun vibes. If you haven't seen Horsepowar perform, you should. 

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Keep killin' it Horsepowar and, in your own words, don't change for nobody!

Stay Connected with Horsepowar : Soundcloud  |  Instagram  |  Facebook

We talked to co-founder of illMuslims, Rummi Khan, about what illMuslims is and why they took the first step in creating a new type of social experience for millennial Muslims. 

Catch the next Be Social event in your city. More info here : www.illMuslims.com 

Farah Billah, an artist and writer of Bengali descent, explores brown America's "unnecessary commentary" on young women and their pre-marital life choices through a photo essay titled 'Coriander Cats'. We found her story on Tumblr and immediately vibed with the message. 

We wanted to learn more about it and asked her if she'd be down to answer a few questions via text...

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Follow Farah's story on her website : www.farahbillah.com

Toronto based artist Babneet Lakhesar, also known as her alter ego Babbu The Painter, has been a strong female voice whimsically exploring the triumphs and struggles of first generation brown youth through her work. She's primarily a painter and fashion designer and pulls influence from mughal era art, bollywood films and her immediate social circle. She often blends traditional aesthetics with contemporary thought and culture and the results are dope.

Her most recent project, pictured above, is a hand painted denim jacket titled Bakwaas, meaning 'bullshit' in Hindi and Urdu. Accompanying the jacket is a small collection of 'Bakwaas" pins and "Aunty Next Door" iron on patches. Babbu's goal was to blend her love for fashion and painting into one form creating a new experience of people wearing her art. 

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With this project Babbu also offers the option of customizing a piece from your own wardrobe. She explains :

"Pick a piece of clothing from your closet. Pick out a design. Send it over to Babbu and catch up on your beauty sleep while she works her jadoo (magic)."

That sounds like a fun way to commission a piece of art. I have a leather jacket in my closet I wouldn't mind Babbu doing her thing on.

Check out Babbus Dukaan to purchase the Bakwaas Jacket or commission a custom piece. 

Stay connected with Babbu : Instagram  |  Facebook 

With only 2 songs on her Soundcloud, our Moroccan homie Abir has been making some major waves. She invited us out to MILK Studios where she performed some of her original work mixed in with renditions of Kanye's The Life Of Pablo. We knew she was good but watching her perform and turn a room full of strangers into fans was pretty incredible. 

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Stay connected with ABIR : Soundcloud  -  Twitter  -  Instagram

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Arizonian with Afghan roots, Qais Essar meshes his love for his heritage with a vision of the future. There is incredible beauty in keeping the traditions of your heritage alive through growth and evolution. Music is his magic.

Qais plays with soul. It's impossible to watch him on stage and not feel like you wished you played the Rabab too. The first time I saw him perform he played a classical set at a small showcase; the next week I saw him perform a more western-influenced set with his band, Qais and the Qosmonauts, that they had played at SXSW a week earlier. I've now heard my favorite rendition of Drake's Hotline Bling.

I met up with him for coffee a few days later to hear more about his story. He's an eccentric dude, with passion and a message. He seeks to show that there is more to his culture than the negative stereotypes most often associated with Afghanistan. 

So, who are you?

Who is Qais Essar? I have answered this question a hundred times, giving a hundred different interviews and I now realize that I really didn’t know then.

Is Qais the habitual body that resides currently in Phoenix, Arizona, and was born to Afghan freedom fighters Najia and Akhtar, or a surge of energy that travels through my wiry appendage- a surge of energy that finds liberation in creating music? Is one more real than the other?

I am focused on re-definition: re-definition of a culture’s music and art, re-definition of the stereotypes that are designated to those of Eastern origin in the West.

How do you describe your music/sound?

It has taken so many years of learning, performing, writing music, writing HORRIBLE music, experimenting, failures- all an alchemical process that has led to the culmination of this new body of work and what my “sound” may be described as. Semantics however, are limiting, and if I do try to put it in words, it would resemble a pearl necklace of adjectives and niche subgenres.

“eastern-experimental-modern-creepy-classical-chamber music”… has an ebb and flow, what say you? I am marrying new traditions in new ways not heard before- we are creating the genre.

How did playing the Rabab become your thing?

Prior to the Rabab, I had begun training in both Eastern and Western forms of music on various instruments, and though I excelled and showed promise, the sound of the Rabab ensnared my heart. It was then, that I chose the Rabab to be the voice to express myself.

Is there a greater goal to your music?

Aside from my efforts in Art, I have my own socio-political agenda- namely to confront racism and xenophobia. In many places I perform, people have not even met an actual Afghan in real life, let alone know what a Rabab is. Their only insight on Afghanistan maybe what can be collected from popular media outlets, which often portray Afghanistan in a negative light. I want to show people that for every bad bit of news they read regarding Afghanistan, there are 100 other beautiful things about where I’m from that outweigh it. I really want to work towards the day that Afghanistan is firstly affiliated with beautiful music, art, and people- not war and violence.

What does being HYFNated mean to you?

Our HYFNs allows us to have a more diverse perspective. Growing up immersed in two different cultures, we have a vantage point, bridging cultures together. Knowing the best (and worst) of both worlds we can weave traditions together in harmonious ways, and given how the world keeps getting smaller, this becomes a bigger job. How long can borders separate people? Being HYFNated is the inevitable future.

What’s one challenge you’ve had with your culture growing up and how did you overcome it?

We often voice our frustration when the Man generalizes minority groups and assigns bogus stereotypes, but what was most frustrating was when I saw that these very generalizations and stereotypes were being perpetuated by the very same minority group being profiled. The aforementioned vantage point from the previous question that lets to have insight on two different worlds, doesn’t mean necessarily that you’ll fit in in either of them. I stopped letting imaginary expectations that existed only in the minds of others dictate my path in life, I make my own reality.

And how has your culture played a positive role in your life?

The beauty in my culture has, and will forever continue to inspire me and my work. It has also given me a purpose- to work towards the preservation and positive advancement of my culture. It’s there in every note.

What’s something you’ve learned that you found most valuable?

If there is one thing I have learned in my career thus far that I would scream to the heavens and anyone else that would hear, is that there is no room for ego in music. We are but mere vessels trying to channel something far greater than ourselves- music. I believe that those gifted with musical talents are like satellites, that they are gifted with something that can intercept and relay these interstellar messages. If anything gets in the way of this transmission, the message is altered. Stay humble, and remember our roles as cosmic mediums.

How does your family feel about your path?

Albeit it was a tough sell in the beginning, my choice equating to blowing my nose with my college degree, my parents have become some of my fiercest supporters. Most of my Youtube views are my mom.

What’s next for you?

I am preparing for my second LP release, Tavern of Ruin, which I may have previously mentioned being the apex of my creative endeavors. In the past I would hashtag any reference to the new work with #magnumopus, magnum opus- the great work. It’s my greatest work, I am very invested. Rabab has never sounded like this, never in this context, and I am beyond excited and humbled that I can share this with others.

If someone only listened to one of your songs, which would you want it to be?

I love all my music babies equally, so I would invite whoever to listen to the entire new record. But if I REALLY had to pick one, it would be what will be the first release for the new record, which will be debuted very soon.

We'll be following Qais' journey and sharing his new work with you on HYFN as soon as we can.

You can learn more and listen to Qais here:
www.therabab.com
Facebook
Instagram: @q_essar

Pakistani artists, Adil Omar and Talal Qureshi (also known as SNKM), played their first NYC show this weekend along side The Kominas, DJ Rekha and DJ Haram.

Hip hop/electronic music artists from Islamabad play a show with a Pakistani-American punk band in Williamsburg. What a time to be brown.

We were there to catch this show and we think you should get to know these boys. 

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If you aren't familiar with Himanshu, you need to Google him or read his wikipedia page and get caught up. He's had quite an interesting career and has really influenced the brown creative scene in New York. He has been in India for the past 5 months participating in an artist residency and has just come back to NYC for a quick trip to perform at a showcase he curated at Baby's All Right.

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The night started out with Humeysha, a band I wasn't familiar with but really enjoyed watching. It's hard for me to describe this type of music because I haven't heard this genre in the brown scene. I'll give it a shot: vibey south asian sounds mixed with psychedelic western pop? They're different and have character, and I appreciate what they're doing. This is a big part of why we started HYFN: to discover people doing unique things, to learn about their story and share it with you.

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Next up was Anik Khan who killed it as usual. Check out the video. The energy he brought on stage during this show was on another level. Afterwards, Heems closed out the night performing with Rafiq Bhatia and Kassa Overall. 

What great energy.

The room was buzzing and the audience was caught up in the performances. Heems continues to raise the bar, bringing brown kids together to watch brown kids perform songs influenced by brown sounds. We didn't have this until recently and it's important that we continue to create spaces like this.

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