Producer Maneesh is basking in aftermath of Drake shouting him out on “Shabang,” and it helped him overcome insecurities about his name.
The Indian-Canadian beatmaker, real name Maneesh Bidaye, spoke to Billboard about his placement on the Iceman standout where Drizzy opens the track with, “Maneesh on the beat, shabang.” With a viral TikTok challenge also boosting the song’s popularity, “Shabang” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 2 weeks.
In the interview, Maneesh shared the thrill of being named on “Shabang” after being on the receiving end of cruel, racist jokes as a child.
“The first thing that came to mind is culture and race. My family has been through a lot of racism since we were kids. Teachers couldn’t pronounce my name,” he shared. “Even just chopping [it up] with girls back in the day at the bar and having to say, “My name is Maneesh,” and they’re like, ‘What?’”
Maneesh said that the microaggressions about his name has been “over” for some time, before explaining how proud his late mother would have been that he embraced his identity. “I feel like my mom in heaven would be smiling at this moment. ‘Yeah, your name’s dope, and you should be proud that you didn’t go on with an alias,’” Maneesh said.
Maneesh has produced for Drake for over a decade, first contributing to the 2015 Meek Mill diss track "Charged Up.” Along with co-producing on Drake albums Views, Certified Lover Boy and For All the Dogs, Maneesh has also produced for the likes of J. Cole and Giveon.
Maneesh spoke to Complex earlier this month, where he recalled his first producer alias being M-Rock, and explained that he extended the “Shabang” beat to Drake in 2025 after briefly losing touch.
"When the album dropped and I saw the 'Shabang' video with the explosion, I thought I was dreaming," he said. "It just blew my mind.”
