Desi Hip-Hop music has reached places which at one point of time were thought of as unreachable. Our music has been impressing listeners not just in India but all over the world. Our regional rappers have gained multi-national fans because of their authenticity, talent and hard-work. Desi rappers all over the world are giving in their 100 and it is being reflected in the response being achieved.
In my opinion, the following is a list of the 10 of the hottest tracks from the underground as well as mainstream in no specific order that have come out this year thus far. Have a look :
1. MTBK – Bohemia, Lazarus feat. Deep Jandu and Shaxe Oriah
This track was the benchmark for our culture this year. You can only expect mayhem when two titans as big as Lazarus and Bohemia come together on the same track. They paid a tribute to the late Sir Labh Janju through this track. The video also features a painting of the legend by Gaurav Lekhi from Delhi, India.
2. Farak – Divine
Divine has been on quite the roll for the past two years.Farak went trending on social media within a few hours of its release and was shared by a lot of celebrities on the internet. He used this track to show respect and love to his mother and also his friends, brothers and artists that have been in the ups and downs with him.
3. Mili Raahat – RAGA
Raga has become an everyday name in the India Hip-Hop scene and is easily among one of the best rappers from Delhi. The Jamnapaar resident is known to kill the microphone and this track was also victim. The track is accompanied along with a dope video and makes it one of the better things to come out of Delhi.
4. KR$NA – Dekh Kaun Aaya Wapas
This year also marked the comeback of one of New Delhi’s pioneers, KRSNA. DKAW was KRSNA’s first release under the DNH banner. This is a perfect comeback track and perhaps one of the better tracks to come out in Hindi this year. He has been releasing back to back tracks for the past two months and seems like he has plenty in store for us.
5. Mercy – Badshah Feat. Lauren Gottlieb
Badshah has now become a household name and it is impossible to have a Bollywood club-banger without a verse by him. Mercy has got more than 70 million YouTube views and they are still rising. This is one of the best examples for proving that not all commercial music is wack.
6. Baby Marvake Maanegi – Raftaar
Although the title of the track is kind of misleading but the content is opposite to what you are thinking. The video features the gorgeous Nora Fatehi whose presence cannot be missed in the visuals. This is also his first release from the upcoming album, ‘Zero to Infinity’.
7. Purana Wala – Bohemia and J.Hind
This is the second time Bohemia makes an appearance on this list and this time for his track, ‘Purana Wala’. He and his clique are reminiscing their journey in the game thus far and are celebrating their achievements and accolades in the duration. This track was loved by Bohemias fans as they were able to catch glimpses of the 2008 Bohemia.
8. Shuruwat – Ikka
Ikka’s track Shuruwat came out under T-Series and it is as Hip-Hop as Hip-Hop can get. The dude talks about his humble beginning and how he has reached where he is via his efforts and determination. DJ Harpz gave him a banger of an instrumental and Ikka murdered it with his flow, delivery and content.
9. Big Deal – One Kid
If you think English rap cannot make it big in this country, you clearly have not heard Big Deal’s One Kid. One Kid is story telling in it’s purest form. It was shot in 3 places, Puri where he was born, Darjeeling where he studied and Bangalore where he started his rap career. He narrates some interesting stories around each place and tells why each city was important for his growth. Bishmen gave a stunning video for the same.
10. Seedhe Maut (Encore ABJ x Calm) – Seedhe Maut Anthem
This track was straight fire and it made Delhi proud. This Hindi-English duo brings back the emphasis on lyricism and exemplify how to use it properly. They have built up their fans rapidly and are not looking to slow down anytime soon.