Mass Appeal, a label spearheaded by the legendary emcee Nas, kicked off their Indian journey in 2020. Hip Hop has undoubtedly become the number one genre in the globe and the rise of Indian hip hop has been inevitable. Since 2016 the South Asian rap scenario totally changed, letting go of its underground ways to let the entertainment industry in. Chiming in on this revolution is Mass Appeal India – a label focused on bringing forth the best the scene has to offer.
2020 may have hindered everyone’s plans but winners adapt and go with the flow. That is exactly what this label’s brand new branch has done in India. After signing major hip hop artists like DIVINE and Raja Kumari to their roster, the label also is in collaboration with emcees like Kidshot. The recent entry in the Mass Appeal roster is none other than IKKA from the North scene. Without any further ado, check out our pick of the top 10 music videos released by Mass Appeal India thus far.
Kohinoor – DIVINE
The first release on Mass Appeal India’s channel was none other than the highly anticipated music video of DIVINE’s debut album ‘Kohinoor’. The title track’s music video has already garnered upwards of 50 million views and continues to set a benchmark for the upcoming albums from the Desi rap scene. Set against the rustic backgrounds of Bombay city, ‘Kohinoor’ sees DIVINE spit bars on bars with his usual fiery angst. Although this is an Indian release, it is being empowered by the powerhouse Mass Appeal in the US. Above all, this goes to prove that the world is indeed ready for Desi hip hop!
Check out ‘Kohinoor’ by DIVINE here and share your views with us –
Level Up – Ikka, DIVINE
IKKA has teamed up with DIVINE for the first time, on their high-octane celebratory track ‘Level Up’. The track serves as an anthem portraying their struggles, how they have evolved in hip-hop and have made it big. The hook of the song is written and performed by Kaater, one of IKKA’s mentees and the beat is produced by DJ MissyK. IKKA is the latest artist to be signed to the Mass Appeal India roster. He is currently gearing up for his debut album “I”.
Check out the stellar visuals for ‘Level Up’ by IKKA ft. DIVINE here –
N.R.I. – Raja Kumari
Mass Appeal India’s leading lady is one of Indian hip-hop’s frontrunners, none other than Raja Kumari. Her first release with the label was ‘N.R.I.’ – a music video that has been shot in the streets of LA and Mumbai – the two cities Kumari has been repping proudly. As the title suggests, the track stems close from her own experience of being treated differently back in America or in her own motherland. “Sorry that my sari ain’t Indian enough, and America don’t love me cause I’m Indian as f*ck!” That pretty much sums up the bold stance Kumari takes in this anthem. We’re loving this bold artwork made by Babu the Painter as well!
Watch the music video of ‘N.r.i.’ by Raja Kumari here –
BRINKS – D’Evil, MC Altaf, Elvis Brown
One of the highlights of 2020 has been the much anticipated EP ‘Shutdown’ by Gully Gang. Aimed to bring authentic sounds of Indian hip hop, ‘Shutdown’ has a track list of 8 songs featuring some guest emcees along with the roster of Gully Gang. An Indo-US multilingual collaboration, “BRINKS” forges a connect between the streets of Los Angeles and the gullies of Mumbai with street hustle serving as inspiration. The music video is a chill one featuring MC Altaf, D’Evil and California based emcee Elvis. Like the chorus says, its a whole lotta gang sh*t in India!
Watch the music video of ‘Brinks’ by D’Evil, MC Altaf and Elvis Brown here –
BHOT KUCH (EP) – KIDSHOT
Rapper Kidshot has achieved an amazing feat with the release of his EP Bhot Kuch. He announced on social media saying, “A parcel arrived in the morning and it was “India Book of Records” saying that you’ve made a record of maximum words used in a rap song and 335 words in a minute. My Name will be written in their next edition book as the first one to ever do it here in India.” Certainly a proud moment for the emcee who has already released two music videos for tracks from the EP. Go check it out!
Watch the title track music video of Kidshot’s EP ‘BHOT KUCH’ here –
Gully Gang – Vibe Hai
Mass Appeal India dropped the video for the track, ‘Vibe Hai’ from Kohinoor which features the Jungli Sher himself and his entire GULLY GANG posse – consisting of Aavrutti, D’Evil, MC Altaf and Shah Rule among others. After seeing the entire crew together once again post the ‘Gully Gang Cypher’, you got to give props to DIVINE for putting his entire squad on the album. As a matter of fact, Vibe Hai became the talk of the town upon its release and stands at 12 million views currently.
Check out ‘Vibe Hai’ by DIVINE and the Gully Gang here –
Bhartiya Rail – MassQline, Jatin
Firstly, ‘Bhartiya Rail’ is a song like you have never heard before. MassQline & Jatin’s debut Hindi hip hop and rap song sheds light on the unity within our diverse country – India, through the railways. The song was initially written on a metronome and stitched together with a simple desi Indian melody created with a mandolin. Moreover, out of all the music released by Mass Appeal India yet, this one stands closest to the raw underground feels song wise.
Watch ‘Bhartiya Rail’ a song by MassQline and Jatin here. Don’t forget share your views with us –
Peace – Raja Kumari
Raja Kumari has been on the rise since she came back to her motherland India. The rapper and singer songwriter is out with a brand new joint titled ‘Peace’. She signed with Mass Appeal India recently and this is her second release with her new label. Although its not a hip hop joint per se, we’re still loving the breezy new tune penned by this talented artist. Furthermore, Raja Kumari recently released the Hindi version for the same song, titled ‘SHANTI’.
Check out ‘Peace’ by Raja Kumari here and share your views with us!
Error 404 – Aavrutti
Error 404 is a story as old as the time of adolescents trying to find their way into this world making mistakes, making errors at each step – however always figuring out a way out, a ‘Jugaad’ and that’s what Aavrutti (The young rap quartet from Mumbai) encapsulate in this song. In fact, the track was a part of the Gully Gang EP ‘Shutdown’ that released earlier this year. Produced by Phenom, the music video has been directed and edited by JD.
Watch ‘error 404’ by aavrutti from gully gang here –
Gully Gang – Nahi Pata
Frenzzy, Sammohit and Shah Rule along with Divine have delivered a message that goes straight to the heart. Indeed in a world where nobody seems to have time for anyone else, change begins within oneself. The music video is a beautiful culmination of human emotions, making you feel sad but hopeful for a new day. JD and his team have done an excellent job in capturing the essence of the city as well as the emotions of the words by Frenzzy and Sammohit.