GAJENDRA PURI GOSWAMI
Has The Desi Hip Hop
Scene Already Gone Awry?
A lot has been said about the Indian Hip Hop Movement in
the last few months. 2017 was deemed the most phenomenal
year for the scene so far. Critics and followers believe
desi hip-hop has finally broken into the mainstream after
quelled existence in the underground for years. Many
are even drawing parallels of the desi scene with the
American Hip Hop movement of the 70s. Undoubtedly, the
scene bears an uncanny resemblance with its American
counterpart. But, while the moguls of American Hip Hop
successfully transformed a local music movement into a
juggernaut phenomenon, forerunners of the Desi Hip Hop
movement are already being accused of disingenuousness
and unoriginality. Even as the homegrown hip-hop
scene gets more organised, many emcees in the scene are
cloaking their amateurish abilities under the garb of an
underdog imagery. This subterfuge is preventing the scene
to grow at a faster pace than it is currently growing.
The contribution of early hip-hop pioneers like
Grandmaster Clash, Russel Simmons, Marley Marl
and others were seminal in shaping the sound of their
genre. Their astute vision was indispensable to the
growth and popularity of hip-hop. But, the flagbearers
of Indian hip-hop have lacked the ingenuity of their
western counterparts so far. Adapting local parlance and
vernacular expression in their rhymes has been their only
contribution to the genre. Yet, this alone has empowered
young emcees with a unique expression and given hip-
hop a cutting edge over other genres in the country.
Albeit the local hip-hop scene is growing profusely, it is
not nearly commensurate with the growth of American
Hip-Hop in the 70s and 80s. If the scene has to be compared
with the west in any degree of measure, it will have to gain
commercial success at a much faster pace without losing
its rawness and grittiness. It is also imperative that big
commercial brands realise the power of branding in hip-
hop and actively invest their resources in the scene. These
changes have already begun to take place. Last year, not
only did big brands like Puma and Bira 91 expressed their
commercial interest in the movement, but the scene also
inspired a mainstream Bollywood film. This hopefully
will educate the masses about desi hip hop and garner
more support for the genre outside its usual fan base.
This brings us back to the main critique of the scene.
Are the artists virtuosic enough to constantly push the
boundaries of the genre and deliver an inspiring, inventive,
and unapologetic hip-hop music without sounding wacky?
The answer to the question is an inextricable yes and no.
In the last three years, homegrown MCs have been able
to produce some phenomenal records. Each artist in the
scene, from MC Kash in Kashmir to Madurai Souljours
in Tamil Nadu & Divine in Mumbai to Khaasi Bloodz in
Shillong, has added versatility to the scene by staying
true to their cultural identity and artistic consciousness.
Yet, most of the artists have only relied on periodic single
hits for their success. Barring MC Kash, Prabh Deep and
Bombay Bassment none of the over 40 artists in the scene
have released even a single album even though many of
them claims to have been in the scene for over a decade.
It is high time that braggadocios Indian rappers realise
that single hits bring Coruscant flashes of popularity but
a respectable body of work brings long careers. Hip Hop in
India needs artists with careers because we’ve had flashes
of glittering fame before as well. If India wants to establish
itself as the homeland of hip-hop music