Meet Rapper Maddy: The Indian expat living two lives – and nailing a Dubai-it mindset in both

Dubai: Anshit Sharma had a feeling when he switched from aeronautical engineering to journalism in New Delhi, India. He knew it when he became Rapper Maddy, performing in clubs, and starring in interviews on radio and TV channels. And in 2024, he believed it to be true when he moved his whole life from India to Dubai. Sharma had figured out the recipe for success: a little courage and a whole lot of faith. The Indian national said he approaches life without any agenda, other than hard work and determination. Enter Rapper Maddy Sharma currently works as the head of a global marketing firm in Dubai. But he has an alter ego: Rapper Maddy. Sharma fell in love with rap during his university days, where he built up a reputation as a musician and poet. He said: “A Tibetan friend of mine showed me how to combine poetry with music – he introduced me to rap. And that’s when I turned to this form of music.” He began performing in clubs and events all over India. In 2009, he appeared on All India Radio (known today as Akashvani) and his rapping career took off. As he performed, Sharma also learned to promote himself, and became fluent in the inner workings of marketing. He said: “I wanted to reach people who didn’t like rap, or who didn’t listen to that kind of music. I understood how to network and knew some marketing tips and hacks that helped me meet everyone in the music industry.” Even as he rubbed shoulders with artistes and managers, performing at shows, singing at weddings and building his brand, Sharma made a life-changing pivot. In his professional life, he established his own public relations firm in New Delhi in 2022, and became a marketing professional, gaining international clients from all over the country and abroad – even the Middle East. Sharma said he has had to learn to separate his two personalities in his head – Rapper Maddy and marketing professional Anshit. He said: “Maddy is the free-spirited extrovert who goes with the flow, while Anshit is like his employee, who keeps him anchored, and is steady and reliable.” It’s Anshit whose marketing connections brought Rapper Maddy to Dubai in 2024. Sharma, who speaks five languages, and even a little Arabic, is finding that he’s able to reach diverse audiences, thanks to Dubai's multicultural community. Picture credit: Supplied Starting over in Dubai For years, Sharma made frequent visits to Dubai, both for his public relations work, and to perform as Rapper Maddy at events. In 2024, he decided to move here full time. Initially, he found it challenging to go from knowing everyone in India, to having just a few connections in a new city. He said: “In India, if you know somebody, they are connected to someone else. You are introduced to them, and then go on to know everyone. When I first came to Dubai, I thought, ‘How do I start from scratch?’” But networking is a natural part of Sharma’s communication style. He said: “I realised how important networking is, after coming here.” Gradually, he managed to get noticed, appear on radio interviews, perform in shows, and establish Rapper Maddy in Dubai. He credits Dubai’s culture of hospitality and lifting each other up, for his success: “I received so much love from everyone I met in Dubai. Money is not money – people are money, and if they are with you, you can do anything.” Sharma, who speaks five languages – English, Hindi, Punjabi, Portuguese and Spanish – and even a little Arabic, is finding that he’s able to reach diverse audiences, thanks to the city’s multicultural community. He said: “Who knew that the Portuguese that I learned in India, and never got the opportunity to speak there, is helping me connect with people in Dubai?” Just two years into his life in the city, Sharma has learned to Dubai-it with gusto – he’s following the city’s philosophy of achieving excellence in record time. He currently works as the head of a global marketing firm, and he has shows regularly lined up for Rapper Maddy. He said: “I feel like I’m meeting the right people. My dual life – Anshit and Rapper Maddy – are both gaining full exposure, which I believe is just not possible in any other country.” Going with life’s flow He knows this from experience. From a very early age, life has been opening up different paths for Sharma. He was raised in New Delhi, but went to school in Dehradun, India. His childhood was a great time: “I participated in every extracurricular activity, won competitions, and loved to dance.” At university, he enrolled in 2006 for an aeronautical engineering degree and worked in aircraft maintenance for a while, but the career didn’t stick. For Sharma, the demands of the job clashed with his laidback personality: “It was a very high stress job, and there was always a big ‘if’ – if something were to go wrong, it would have been a major responsibility.” So, he pivoted. He enrolled in another Bachelor’s degree in 2009, this time in mass communications and journalism. While studying, he found a passion for