INDIA'S HIP HOP MOVEMENT GAINS MOMENTUM

SPOTIFY IS PUTTING INDIA'S DIVERSE HIP-HOP VOICES AND REAL STORIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

- PEONY HIRWANI

India’s rap and hip-hop scene has come a long way, growing from an underground movement to a major cultural force. The genre’s roots can be traced back to the 1990s, with pioneers like Baba Sehgal, who first introduced Indian audiences to rap music by blending Hindi lyrics and Western hiphop beats. Next, Bohemia, known as the “Pioneer of Desi Hip-Hop,” further shaped the scene with Punjabi rap in the early 2000s. His collaborations, particularly with artists like Panjabi MC, helped elevate Indian hip-hop on the global stage, marking the beginning of international collaborations that mixed Indian sounds with international influences. By the 2010s, Desi Hip Hop truly found its identity with the emergence of “gully rap,” a subgenre that focused on the raw, reallife struggles of urban India. Rappers like Divine and Naezy from Mumbai, who used tracks like “Mere Gully Mein” to share stories from the streets, propelled the country’s underground rap scene into the mainstream. This wave inspired a new generation of artists across India, culminating in the release of Zoya Akhtar’s 2019 film Gully Boy, which showcased the genre’s ability to narrate authentic local stories to a mass audience. The film’s success marked a significant cultural moment, solidifying Indian rap as a potent force for storytelling and artistic expression.