Bohemia | |
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Bohemia performing in Houston, Texas in 2009
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Background information | |
Birth name | Roger David |
Also known as | Raja |
Born |
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
October 15, 1979
Occupation(s) | |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Years active | 2001–present |
Labels | |
Associated acts | |
Website | thepunjabirapper |
Roger David better known by his stage name Bohemia (Urdu: بوھمیہ, Punjabi: ਬੋਹੇਮਿਆ) or Raja (Urdu: راجہ, Punjabi: ਰਾਜਾ) is a Pakistani-American rapper, songwriter, poet and record producer regarded as the first ever Punjabi rapper, releasing the first Punjabi rap album in 2002. He's also known as the inventor and pioneer of Desi hip hop and The King of Desi Rap.
Bohemia was born on October 15, 1979 in Karachi, Sindh into an ethnic Punjabi, Christian family. He also has a bible and a Guru Granth Sahib at his home, as one of his forefathers was Sikh at one point. His father was an employee at Pakistan International Airline. The family were transferred to Lahore, where he spent his childhood, followed by seven years in Peshawar.In his early teens, bohemia arrived with his family in America, settling in San Francisco’s Mission District. Within their first month on the block, He witnessed a young man get murdered over five dollars. The killer was the man’s brother in law. This would be his first lesson on trusting others in the streets of Pardes (the foreign land). Although he had strong knowledge and passion for writing music, he made it a second priority, and began hanging on the street corners to run drugs for local hustlers.