Bollywood star Raftaar is undoubtedly one of the front-runners in the commercial hip-hop scene right now. Coming from a humble background, Raftaar soared to fame through sheer dedication. He is also probably the only famous hip-hop artist who extends support to the aspiring underground rappers.

Unlike any other mainstream rapper, Raftaar has always showed interested in the whereabouts of underground scene. From sharing artist tracks to his page to making cameo appearances in their videos, he has done it all. At this day and age it is of utmost need that commercial artists try to bridge the gap between mainstream and underground.

If any of us truly desire for hip-hop to sustain long term in India, it is crucial for us to spread knowledge about its existence. With Bollywood as a medium at disposal, Raftaar and other commercial rappers can do the same with lot of ease. Their reach on social media alone could uplift the hip-hop scene. We wonder what is stopping them, afraid of some competition?

Meanwhile, let’s take a look at 5 such instances where Raftaar took an initiative for underground artists –

Donation to Bhaari Scene Jam

Mumbai based rapper Poetik Justis and his crew SlumGods organized the Bhaari Scene Jam recently. A crowdfund was set up to collect money in order to buy shoes for kids learning bboying in Dharavi. Raftaar donated a handsome amount of money, enabling the team to achieve the desired goal well before deadline.

Chill Raamix

Raftaar recently collaborated with a bunch of really talented rap artists from the underground. Being born and raised in Delhi, Raa has a soft spot for his state. The track features rappers Puneet Kohli, Saurabh Acharya and Marshall The Third.

Various Tracks Shared By Him

Apart from making appearances and collaborating with artists, Raa also shares lot of underground tracks on his page. From new comers to frontrunners of underground scene, lots of artists have received props from him. One share on his page is likely to get you a boost of minimum 5000 views, no kidding

Surprise Cameo For Khatarnaak Crew’s Video

Recently Raftaar made a visit to the shoot of Khatarnaak crew’s upcoming music video. Team DHH got the opportunity to meet and greet with the artist. When requested to make a small appearance in the video, the Dhaakad rapper did not hesitate one bit.

Word Of Mouth For Common Man

For the common man of India, Raftaar is one of the only faces of hip-hop in our country. Majority population is totally unaware of the existence of underground hip-hop scene. Our first fight is to literally spread the word about it in order to increase our audience base. Raa has successfully managed to spread the word through his social media handles.

Above things aside, I personally would like to add that with great power comes responsibility. After lending so much support to underground artists especially female rappers like myself, it is disheartening to see Raftaar sometimes croon to crass lyrics of mainstream rap. Instead of going with the usual flow of ‘it is what it is’, it would be great to see mainstream rappers take a stand against bullshit expectations of Bollywood to dumb down lyricism in rap.

Raftaar still holds a special place of respect because no one else is even trying to do what he does. We don’t see many commercial rappers trying to bridge the gap between mainstream and underground. It is definitely the need of the hour.