Meet The Rap's New Generation

Four new artists from the city's bustling hip-hop scene talk about tapping into the sound of the streets to make music that stands apart

- Anand Singh

"It's all about that one moment when your track comes on and you hear people say 'Aree, yeh ladka kaun hai?' (Who's that boy?). These words from Gully Gang rapper Altaf Shaikh aka MC Altaf, echo the philosophy of an entirely new generation of Bombay hip-hop. What this post-Gully Boy class of rappers believes in is simple - using beats that stand out to tell stories that are as personal as they are universal. To these artists, music is a mere medium, a vehicle for their masterfully crafted stories.

"Sure it should sound good, but that doesn't mean you make songs you don't want to make. What does well and what doesn't is beyond your control; it's 'I love Dino James' today and 'f*ck Dino James' tomorrow. All you can do is confidently place your head on the guillotine and look them in the eye as they pull the string," says rapper Dino James.

MC ALTAF

IN THE HOOD

In his formative years, Shaikh's now-famous neighbourhood, Dharavi, had already been bitten by the hip-hop bug. The kids in his vicinity had caught wind of the breakthrough phenomenon that was B-boying. Amidst all their day-to-day problems, the slums fostered a thriving hip-hop culture that gave young kids a chance to dream of a world better than theirs. "It's like the Tupac (Shakur) poem," says Shaikh. "It was the rose that grew from concrete." Shaikh started saving up for new, funkier clothes to fit in. "I want to be as 'fresh' as these kids I saw. Their Tupac and Biggie T-shirts and baggy pants were more than just clothes for me. It was a way of standing out."