If you know anything about the South Asian hip-hop community, you know the names DJ Sharad and DJ Juicy. Two OGs of our community, they’ve created numerous avenues over their decades-long careers for desi culture to permeate mainstream hip-hop, while still staying true to their South Asian identities. DJUSA, their multimillion-dollar entertainment company, is one of the most highly respected music companies not only in the South Asian community but also in the music industry at large.
Recently, the duo teamed up to create a new medium, “Butter Chicken Podcast.” As DJs, Sharad and Juicy say music greatly impacts their worldviews. In the podcast, they highlight their experiences working in the music business and use it as a vehicle to stimulate thought-provoking conversation about South Asian culture, especially in the diaspora.
“We touch upon our positions as South Asian DJs and talk about music a lot in our podcast. Music is such a big part of our South Asian culture…it greatly influences us, and it’s very important that we bring that aspect of us to the conversation when we are talking to our guests,” says Juicy.
While this podcast has thus far highlighted desi individuals, the duo is open to bringing guests from other backgrounds as well.
“The initial goal was to put our own people on a platform and let them tell their story, but long-term it’s to tell the immigrant story, period,” adds Sharad.
“Right now, we are focusing on South Asians doing impactful things in culture and society, but there might be a season where we say, ‘Hey, let’s talk to non-South Asians.’ We want to create a platform where South Asians can stay true to their culture but not alienate ourselves from the outside community.”
In their first few months, the DJs have had fascinating conversations with prominent South Asian figures like singer-songwriter Jaz Dhami, rapper Heems from the rap group Swet Shop Boys, the notable DJ Rekha, fashion designer Megha Rao of Holi Chic, and—most recently—BGM’s own boss lady, Trisha Sakhuja-Walia, the guest on this week’s episode of “Butter Chicken Podcast.” We at BG know how caring, driven and passionate she is, and it’s great to see that Sharad and Juicy feel the same way.
“We say this word impactful a lot, but there’s no other word I can use to describe [our conversation with Trisha]. Hearing her story, hearing her struggles, where she came from, what the expectations of her family were, was very inspiring to me and I’m sure it will inspire our listeners as well,” says Juicy. “Not many people are able to eloquently represent their standings on issues related to social issues and human rights, and that she was able to have such an open conversation with us on all these issues speaks volumes to her and what she’s trying to do in her career.”
“As South Asian men, we were trained to have a hierarchy where men and women were at different levels. The movement that’s being created by Brown Girl is of greatness, and that’s something we firmly believe in. I think it’s phenomenal what she is doing,” Sharad adds.
We at Brown Girl fully support DJ Sharad and DJ Juicy’s endeavor, and we look forward to listening to more great conversations in the future!
Lisen to this week’s “Butter Chicken Podcast” with Brown Girl Magazine CEO Trisha Sakhuja-Walia here, and follow the podcast, DJ Juicy and DJ Sharad on Instagram for weekly updates.
