Rappers have evolved beyond being simply musicians to being social reformers who use music to increase awareness about socioeconomic issues such as poverty and racism.
India boasts an expansive hip hop scene, led by artists like Badshah, Naezy, MC Altaf and Dino James who are making waves commercially as well as undergroundly. These rappers are shifting the desi hip-hop vocabulary away from objectifying women toward positive messaging and constructive storytelling.
Shreyas
Indian hip hop music combines elements of hip-hop with Indian languages and culture. Commonly referred to as Desi Hip Hop, this form has become immensely popular across India’s diaspora. Due to this genre’s rise in popularity has resulted in numerous hip hop communities and events being organized throughout India that promote local language/themes within hip-hop lyrics – becoming more culturally specific with each performance. Bollywood films have even started including elements of Indian hip hop into film soundtracks or music videos due to this influence.
Indian hip-hop’s increasing popularity has inspired an explosion of both aspiring and professional rappers onto the scene, many of whom work alongside international artists to share the culture of India to international audiences. Additionally, these rappers have helped define India’s musical landscape while also inspiring Western artists to produce their own forms of Indian hip-hop.
While some of India’s best-known rappers hail from Mumbai, others can be found all across India. Each rapper brings their own distinct style to hip hop culture in India and hopes to share more of their music worldwide.
As well as rapping in Hindi, some of these artists also sing. Their voices often create an intimate connection with their audience as they speak of hardships they’ve been through; their songs serve as an important reminder that people in all walks of life should come together regardless of their differences.
Hip-hop stars from across the board have used Indian songs as samples in their tracks, creating new waves of music for fans all around the globe to enjoy. Samples have even been utilized across EDM and pop genres!
Shreyas Talpade is an accomplished Indian actor known for appearing in several critically and commercially successful movies, most notably as Shah Rukh Khan’s friend Pappu Master in Om Shanti Om (2007), though he has also featured prominently in comedies including Welcome to Sajjanpur (2008) and Golmaal Returns (2010).
MC Altaf
MC Altaf has quickly established himself as one of India’s premier hip hop musicians, drawing fans both locally and abroad with his distinctive blend of Bollywood and Western hip hop sounds, creating thought-provoking lyrics. His music often draws from personal experience as it showcases his cultural background; his debut single “Ranjha” quickly went viral online and solidified him within this emerging scene.
Zoya Akhtar’s film Gully Boy gave rap and hip-hop in India the respect it deserved, yet this success does not signal its end for MC Altaf; rather, he intends to continue his journey and expand his reach further still. Additionally, he wants more artists document their hip-hop journeys on digital platforms which will encourage them as well as increase awareness for this genre.
India’s underground hip-hop scene is rapidly expanding, with new rappers and crews emerging daily. Many take inspiration from street life for their music; many draw upon struggles encountered there to craft stories that resonate with listeners.
However, independent rappers have been on an incredible rise within Indian hip-hop. Many young artists can now make a living off of their music due to streaming services like Gaana. Furthermore, independent artists have developed unique styles and voices.
As the Indian hip-hop scene has expanded, it has come into contact with Western culture more frequently, particularly through musician collaborations between both sides. American rappers such as Bohemia have worked alongside Indian artists DIVINE and Naezy to produce music together; similarly many rappers born and raised in America such as Queens rapper Anik Khan are infusing desi influences into their songs from Queens culture with Bengali influences; Riz MC and Heems of Swet Shop Boys bring in both cultures into their songs from Queens culture alongside Punjabi traditions to produce music that blends cultures together into an original creation.
Naezy
Hip hop music in India is an emerging genre that draws from both Western and local influences, drawing its inspiration from diverse cultural communities in India as well as Western music influences like Snoop Dogg. Many leading artists of this subgenre rap in their mother tongues to broach topics commercially successful Bollywood biggies such as Yo Yo Honey Singh or Badshah often avoid, such as systemic corruption, secularism or women’s rights issues. Indian rappers have even collaborated with American artists like Snoop Dogg to make music that truly indigenous to India!
2016 marked a watershed moment for Indian hip-hop. Rolling Stone magazine published a five-artist spread on their India edition, profiling four emerging stars – Divine, Naezy Ace and Bobkat – known as Indian Rappers Who Are Making Hip-Hop Move. Within weeks after this article ran, artist collective Swadesi released their protest rap song The Warli Revolt while Mumbai-based Dopeadelicz unleashed their hard-hitting Kitaab track by Dopeadelicz Dopeadelicz joined by Delhi-based urban culture firm Azadi Records signing artists like Prabh Deep and Seedhe Maut while several talent agencies signed several artists such as Prabh Deep and Seedhe Maut into their rosters; along with many talent agencies signing MCs and producers into their rosters as well.
2019 was an important year for Indian rappers; artists made tremendous strides forward, whether through social media marketing or song quality or stage showmanship. A more organized scene began to form; Divine left Sony Music for Gully Gang Entertainment while Azadi Records and Third Culture Entertainment expanded their rosters.
Rappers across the nation continued to unleash powerful bars with authentic and grounding styles of rapping that resonated with audiences. DIVINE and Naezy’s music even caught Zoya Akhtar’s eye for her 2019 rags-to-riches film Gully Boy, as Zoya sought their advice when writing her script for it.
Indian rappers have enjoyed tremendous popularity internationally. They’ve toured extensively and collaborated with notable artistes from various fields – American singer Lil Pump and J Balvin collaborated, along with Detroit-based rapper Lazarus; while their music even inspired popular musical styles like Punjabi pop and Bhangra. As a result, India’s hip-hop scene continues to develop steadily over time.
DIVINE
DIVINE is an Indian rapper whose rough upbringing inspired him to develop a personal, street-centric style of hip hop music. Credited with popularizing this genre in India, his work can be heard in the Oscar-nominated 2019 film Gully Boy where its protagonist (played by Ranveer Singh) partially follows DIVINE’s journey. DIVINE has collaborated with numerous artists including American rapper Snoop Dogg as well as RDB group.
Indian hip hop emerged in its full glory during the 2010s, shaking its novelty pop associations to become a flourishing industry. From gully rap to experimental works in regional languages, Indian MCs made an impressionful mark through authentic yet creative music that highlighted community struggles.
Indian hip hop has received global acclaim, becoming an internationally celebrated cultural movement that includes rappers from all backgrounds. Additionally, its practitioners have established musical bridges between cultures by working collaboratively as musical ambassadors of Indian and Western hip hop scenes.
The genre’s surge has coincided with India’s rapid urbanization and infrastructure development, while cheap data access online has allowed budding rappers to share their music and connect with wider audiences online. Furthermore, this has inspired local rappers who now can compete with Western acts.
Though many Indian rappers possess an urban sound, they still retain their Indian identity. Their songs may draw influence from Bollywood cinematic tradition or other sources like Punjabi music or folk songs.
These rappers produce not only Bollywood-influenced bhangra beats but also trap music – an American genre characterized by heavy bass, fast percussion and drumbeats that has found widespread acceptance within American culture and Bollywood films alike.
Sidhu Moosewala, another well-known Indian rapper who has taken to hip hop beats and lyrics style, has collaborated with various artists like Nucleya. His single “Jimmy” also reached number one on iTunes India charts. Sidhu stands out among other artists with his unique blend of Hindi and English that sets him apart.