Music can be an incredible vehicle for spreading ideas and emotions, as evidenced by Hindi hip hop artists rapping about social issues and encouraging their listeners to take action.
Divine and Naezy have come up with an inspiring song to make us believe in ourselves and our dreams, while providing an excellent example of desi rap music.
Apna Time Ayega
Ranveer Singh’s film Gully Boy has created quite the stir online with its powerful song Apna Time Ayega. The lyrics encapsulate entrepreneurship while inspiring listeners to follow their dreams. Additionally, this anthem of resilience and self-belief should serve as an encouraging mantra. “My time will come” should serve as an affirmation for those struggling to meet their goals.
This song features rappers Divine, Naezy and Raftaar as part of an homage to Indian hip hop’s rapid development over recent years. Before, many considered hip hop in India a mere imitation of American rappers; now however it has expanded into various styles and sub genres.
Rappers such as Yo Yo Honey Singh, Badshah, and Raftaar have elevated the music of Bollywood. Meanwhile underground rap is on an exponential upward curve due to films like Gully Boy highlighting hip hop culture in India; Gully Boy follows a young man from slums who becomes a rapper.
Mere Gully Mein
Desi hip hop has been flourishing with indie rappers and Bollywood singers joining its ranks, most notably Raftaar who made waves with his song from Dangal, produced by Pritam. Raftaar’s rap was an instantaneous hit that took the industry by storm while making people forget international rap music altogether.
Mere Gully Mein is the second track from Ranveer Singh’s forthcoming film Gully Boy and features DIVINE and Naezy rapping to Mumbai’s narrow alleys and slums. The soundtrack will be released by Zoya Akhtar on 14 February.
This track offers an intimate glimpse into Mumbai’s youth, their daily struggles, and how their music contributes to this life-affirming narrative. Featuring work from DIVINE, Naezy, Sez on the Beat, Rishi Rich, Dub Sharma, Ishq Bector Jasleen Royal and Ace this song makes an excellent addition to your playlist as it includes authentic underground rappers from around Mumbai.
Teesri Manzil
Teesri Manzil was a runaway hit upon its release in 1966, garnering rave reviews as both an enjoyable thriller and musical film. Additionally, this marks Vijay “Goldie” Anand’s directorial debut from an unwritten script he did not pen himself.
This story chronicles the murder of a young girl at a hotel where her sister lives, leading to an intense search for revenge against Rocky – a drummer from their nightclub who played there.
Notable for its gripping whodunit plot and stunning set pieces, as well as Shammi Kapoor’s riveting acting performance, and groundbreaking composer RD Burman who at the time was unknown but became a huge success thanks to his jazzy compositions for this movie and Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi songs featured within.
These songs marked a departure from the classical elegance of his time and marked the introduction of more modern, western-influenced tunes and styles such as O Haseena Zulfon Wali and Aaja Aaja, testaments to his brilliance within this genre.
DJ Waale Babu
After conquering music charts with his party songs like Proper Patola, Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai and Chull, rapper Badshah has collaborated once more with singer Aastha Gill on DJ Waale Babu for DJ Waale Babu. The song features Natasa Stankovic of Bigg Boss fame and its entertaining lyrics are set against catchy beats.
The film follows a village boy as he moves to the city and finds love of his life. Circumstances lead him to work as a DJ before later becoming involved with politics as an agent for one politician or another. Full of action, romance, and politics- this film promises entertainment of its highest level; Gulzaar Chhaniwala makes an excellent comeback performance as Haryanvi actor Gulzaar Chhaniwala introduces regional cinema audiences to new hope – definitely watch!
Tum Bin 2
Taran (Neha Sharma), who finds her world devastated when her fiance falls into a coma due to a skiing accident. Aditya Seal’s Shekhar Malhotra soon enters her life and slowly begins gaining her trust before guilt prevents them from truly connecting romantically.
Jagjit Singh’s heartbreakingly emotive version of Koi Fariyad by Jagjit Singh stands out as a particular highlight, while the lack of character development hinders this film significantly. Boldness from Sandali Sinha’s Pia and maturity from Shekhar (Navneet Nishan) were evident in Tum Bin, while neither Mili (Amrita) or Priyanshu (Shekhar) show any such characteristics here.
Director Anubhav Sinha endeavors hard to make this sequel work but fails. If you prefer old-fashioned romance films and are an avid follower of Jagjit Singh, however, then this movie may disappoint. There is too much sentimentality involved and its second half drags relentlessly; although the performances by Neha and Aditya were decent.
Raftaar
Raftaar (Dilin Nair), born and based out of Delhi, has earned immense renown as an award-winning rapper with hip hop songs and videos that have taken off online. His 2013 mixtape WTF (Witness the Future) quickly established him, while 2014 song Swag Mera Desi featuring Manj Musik (formerly of RDB Group) garnered him his first Brit Asia TV Music Award as best urban single. Additionally he appeared as a winning gang leader for two consecutive seasons on MTV Roadies before appearing as judge on Dance India Dance and MTV Hustle reality shows.
Raftaar is best known for his agility and unmatched skills, bringing movies’ thrilling action scenes vividly to life through captivating performances. Additionally, he made his acting debut with Bajao series.
Emiway
Emiway Bantai’s rapping shines with this stripped-back track featuring only minimalist instrumentation – including an intermittent synthesizer melody and drum track that provides rhythm – giving a raw, gritty sound as his Mumbai-based bars hit hard.
Emiway, an independent rapper who quickly achieved virality on TikTok and YouTube thanks to hits like Machayenge and Firse Machayenge, became widely recognized thanks to his music being easily relatable by listeners who can connect to his journey and emotions through it all.
But his success hasn’t come without controversy. Early this year, Emiway became embroiled in a feud with another popular Indian rapper Divine; both engaged in heated exchanges over their respective careers. Yet it should be noted that both share similar goals: pushing forward hip-hop culture in India while using music to foster unity and bring about positive social change.
Ikka Singh
Ikka Singh, an esteemed rapper and lyricist in Bollywood and independent music scenes, will leave your audience spellbound with his infectious beats and charismatic stage presence. Book/ hire Ikka for your event to add another level of entertainment and keep the crowd enthralled throughout its performance.
Ikka Singh first rose to prominence with the song In Da Club from Tamanchey (2014). Additionally, he formed Mafia Mundeer rap group and is well known for collaborating with Bollywood stars.
Recently, comedian Atul Khatri teamed up with singer Rashmeet Kaur to give traditional Punjabi folk song Bajre Da Sitta an innovative new twist. Their collaboration featured powerful trap beats mixed with contemplative lyrics for an emotionally charged rendition. In its accompanying video, comedian Atul Khatri plays the father nudging Rashmeet Kaur as Rashmeet Kaur to settle down and relax.
Recent releases from Ravinder include Laadla, an ode to Bholenath that celebrates love and hard work. You can stream it via T-Series YouTube channel.