DREAMING BIG
Fledgling rapper and actor Juzzthin aspires to become a versatile artiste.
THE name Mohamad Nazreen Norzali may not ring a bell, especially in the local hiphop scene, but say “Juzzthin” and the crowd will scream and cheer.
The 26-year-old singer-songwriter’s moniker is based on a nickname his schoolmates gave him while at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur (he’s also an actor going by the screen name Nazreen).
“I was one of few students in school who had curly hair. I have always loved singing and occasionally performed hiphop songs with friends during breaks and in school concerts.
“As a result, the students and even some teachers began to refer to me as Justin Timberlake. Although I’m not a big fan of his, I enjoy his music and take it as a compliment,” says Juzzthin in an interview.
An only child, he was especially attracted to the hip-hop genre after his father Norzali Nordin died in 2003.
“My father was an avid moviegoer and he introduced me to Tan Sri P. Ramlee’s films. When he died, I began to get closer to music, as a means to cope with my grief.
“It was during this time that I became acquainted with hip-hop music. Besides enjoying the songs of Western hip-hop stars such as Eminem, I also discovered Malique and Joe Flizzow of Too Phat, as well as Altimet.” Juzzthin names Malique as his favourite local hip-hop star because of his compositional skills in writing Malay hip-hop songs.
“Joe Flizzow and Altimet are charismatic performers like Malique, and they are knowledgeable about social issues which make great material for songs,” he says.
He also admires SonaOne, and describes him as the biggest new star of hip-hop. “SonaOne, to me, is the best new promoter of the musical genre today, and I love his hosting of the documentary programme Hip-Hoppin’ Asia.”
RAPPING AND ACTING
Juzzthin studied film at the National Arts, Culture and Heritage Academy (Aswara) for two years from 2008. But, he did not finish his diploma because of his passion for making music.
Music producer Farzwa De Attaher Emir or DJ Fuzz, who heads Mixology Music, took Juzzthin under his wing, and coached him to become a professional.
“Fuzz also encouraged me to appear in music-themed programmes on TV. I made my small screen debut in Waktu Rehat Disney in 2010 where artistes promote new programmes on the Disney Channel.”
Two years later, Juzzthin came up with his first single Sunset Boulevard, and joined the cast of Astro’s educational comedy series Oh My English!, playing a student named Zack. “I love playing Zack, because he’s a very Malaysian schoolboy with a multi-ethnic group of friends. And while he is mischievous he is never malicious, and is always faithful to his English language teacher, Henry Middleton.”
Juzzthin most recently appeared in an Oh My English! special titled RoadTo Jog jakarta . “I had a great week in the historic city where I entered a food competition. Not only did I get to see its rich heritage, I also had the chance to meet Indonesian actor Randy Pangalila. He’s so down-to-earth and friendly.”
DEBUT ALBUM OUT
Juzzthin launched his debut album Class In Session last March. It contains 12 songs in Malay and English, and they include collaborations with local artistes.
There is Bounce withWaris, Lepaskan with Wani (1.9 million views on YouTube), Serik Dengan Cinta with Maya Karin, Satu Hari Di Rembau withMark Adam, Oh My with Daiyan Trisha and Malunya with Ainan Tasneem.
He also recorded Day One withMuariffah and Bonda with Muyumizzy, both from the pop group Lawa Nie Geng.
“On Fuzz’s encouragement, I’ve also written songs for other artistes — Cukuplah for Winnie K and RJ, and Angkat Tangan for Waris and Iwere. Angkat Tangan contains Dikir Barat, which I learnt in school.”
Juzzthin is currently working on a mix tape which contains seven songs. “I’ve already done one song, titled Empty. It’s about people who are so obsessed with social media to the point they do not care about their loved ones.
“There’s also Alhamdulilah, a spiritual song which is a duet with Wani. It’s my first spiritual song. Syamsul Yusof’s and Mawi’s mastery of spiritual songs with hip-hop beats have inspired me.”
Juzzthin has been co-hosting Muzik Muzik alongside Fara Fauzana and Fizi of Hot FM since early this year. He also performed at the recently concluded Anugerah Melodi, and will play a hacker in the action movie J Revolusi ,outnextyear.
“Although I don’t get to be in the heat of the action, I’m happy to work with the cast comprising Zul Ariffin, Farid Kamil, Fazura Sharifuddin, Izara Aishah and Azad Jazmin.
“I would like to compose my own music, and make my own movies. I am fortunate to have a good mentor like Fuzz, who communicates brilliantly with me.
“I want to be a jack of all trades — a successful singer, songwriter, composer, music producer, entertainment programme host and actor. I would also love to have more serious and diverse roles such as villains. Ultimately, I’d like to write my own movie scripts and direct my own films,” he says.
dchua@nst.com.my