Rap in India is synonymous with the lukewarm, and often very mediocre verses slapped together on dubstep beats which we hear in Bollywood songs.
While Badshah, Honey Singh, Raftaar have gained their share of fame, there are many more young, talented, desi hip-hop artists waiting to be applauded because India’s rap culture is much more than the blinding, glitzy world of Bollywood.
Your sons from the slums are fighting it out at underground rap battles, mixing beats and producing raw, organic music you might have never heard before and this is why you need to hear them, recognize them and appreciate them.
So let’s have a look at some of our most brilliant, local, underrated rap talent.
1. Vivian Fernandes aka DIVINE
Born and bred in the slums of Mumbai, DIVINE soon made it to headlines because of his effortless, relatable rap style which resonates with the young, energetic youth of India.
Twenty-five-year-old DIVINE is the first Indian artist to have had Apple Music release his music, and has also produced the theme song, ‘Kaam 25′ for Netflix’ original, ‘Sacred Games’.
2. Naved Sheikh aka Naezy
Just like DIVINE, Naezy grew in slums of Mumbai and made it big when he belted out his insanely popular song ‘Aafat’.
This guy talks about the place he grew up in, issues he faced and the evils that plague the society today in his quintessential storytelling way which keeps his listeners hooked.
3. MC Prabh Deep
This 23-year-old Delhi based rapper is known for his absolutely sick beats and his socially conscious rhymes that are brutally honest.
His debut album ‘Class-Sikh’ will unflinchingly tell you about the real-life accounts of street thuggery, drug addiction, violence and unemployment that exists in middle-class neighbourhoods of Delhi.
4. Vighnesh Shivanand aka Brodha V
This multifaceted hip-hop genius is a performing artist, a composer, programmer, sound engineer, lyricist, and scriptwriter.
His style of fusing hip-hop with Hindustani, Classical and devotional music instantly caught the attention of the Vishal-Shekhar duo when he collaborated with them to produce music for the movie ‘Chennai Express’.
In fact, we even had the pleasure to interview him ourselves and learn exactly what kind of artist he is. Read it here.
5. Svetha Rao aka Raja Kumari
This Los Angeles-bred rapper and singer-songwriter is quickly making waves in the music scene. Her track “City Slums” in collaboration with DIVINE is already ruling the charts.
Raja Kumari is a cross-cultural powerhouse who is a perfect example of the great American dream and her mix of the West Coast swag and Desi beats is catchy, daring and a brilliant representation of proud, independent woman.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: HuffPost, FirstPost, Wikipedia
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