Desi Hip Hop culture is spreading like wildfire taking over the international soundscape. South Asian artists are representing the region overseas whereas in their own countries they are making major moves in the entertainment industry. Let’s take a look at this month’s top 5 Desi Hip Hop moments.
Gully Boy Wrap Up
The much awaited hip hop Bollywood flick “Gully Boy” completed its shoot this month. Directed by Zoya Akhtar, the movie stars Ranveer Singh in lead role. The film commenced shoot in January and after a series of back to back shoots, the wrap up was an extravagant affair. It is for the first time India will see real life rappers star in the movie for cyphers and battles. “Gully Boy” wrapped up beautifully with exclusive Adidas goodies being distributed to the rappers! The film releases on February 14th, 2019.
Divine Bags Outlook Award
Hip Hop’s rising star Divine bagged the award for Musician of the Year at the recent Outlook Social Media Awards. This is an addition to the string of awards and nominations the artist has received in the past couple of years. Divine’s success graph is on the up and up and soon the whole nation will see his story in the form of “Gully Boy”. As the movie is loosely based on the come up story of him and Naezy.
Asifa Rape Backlash
In a shocking headline the whole nation came to find out the story of 8 year old Asifa. The innocent girl was raped and brutally murdered inside a temple.Recently, due to the details of this case being unraveled, Desi hip hop artists took to the streets to protest against the injustices committed in our society. Divine, MC Shaikhspeare, Emiway, Big Deal, Spitfire among other artists spoke up condemning the rape culture prevalent in India. Many other artists expressed their views through the medium of music.
Read More Here – Asifa Rape Incident Sparks Protest Among Desi Hip Hop Artists
Indian Graffiti Artists Takeover Brazil
It is certainly a proud moment to see so many hip hop artists crossing boundaries to represent the country internationally. Recent addition to that list are three highly skilled graffiti writers from Mumbai. Graffiti artists Zake, Mooz and NME from Mumbai got the opportunity to fly down to Brazil, sharing their gift with the world.
From the looks of the photos they have published one thing is clear, they are representing their roots to the fullest. Flashing the walls of Brazil with their designs, Zake, Mooz & NME have left a Desi touch internationally. Check their full designs here.
Honorary Mention – Kendrick Lamar Wins Pulitzer Prize
Although this is not ‘Desi’ hip hop, Kendrick Lamar’s recent Pulitzer win has set a new benchmark in the hip hop culture. It is for the first time ever that a hip hop artist has been bestowed with the prestigious award. For the previous seventy plus years, mostly Jazz and Classical musicians have been the recipients.
Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly” as well as “DAMN.” derives numerous elements from Jazz music. He is no less than a voice for the entire African-American community as his lyrics explore the depth of their culture. As a matter of fact, after his Pulitzer win, sales for his album “DAMN.” shot up to more than 200%. It’s a great time to be a hip-hop head!