A Tribute To The Women In Desi Hip-Hop Culture

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Few and far between the lines, through the years, Indian Hip-Hop has given rise to only a handful of female artists. In this predominantly patriarchal society, these women have been breaking barriers for the Hip-Hop scene to create their vision and inspire millions of other women towards Hip-Hop culture.

They are the trail-blazers, and today, we take a time out to appreciate and understand what these women have set out to accomplish. This is more than music, it’s a statement. This is Hip-Hop. These are Desi Hip Hop’s finest talents.

Women Of Desi Hip-Hop

Hard Kaur

One of the first Desi female artists to get known to a Global audience, Hard Kaur’s rise came through the UK Urban Music scene and she became an almost instant hit with tracks like “Talli” and “Move Your Body” back in 2007. Since then, she’s made strides in her career and motivated the next crop of artists in the Desi Hip Hop scene.

Raja Kumari

As an Indian-American artist, Raja Kumari brought the 2 ends of the world together right from the start. She kicked off her career with the best in the game and wrote songs for global artists like Iggy Azalea, Gwen Stefani, Fall Out Boy, T.I., and others. Soon after, she dropped her first EP titled “The Come Up”, which broke barriers and gained her a strong fan base around the world.  Raja Kumari kicked off 2019 with the release of her latest EP – Bloodline

Dee MC

Hailing from Mumbai, Dee MC is one of the most successful female voices in India. She has already worked alongside industry greats such as Daler Mehendi (for the movie URI), represented the female Hip-Hop community in Gully Boy, toured the UK and Belgium, and has her debut album ready to launch! There is a certain level of excellence that comes with her music, and she represents the empowerment of women every step of the way. Breaking barriers, paving new ways forward, this is an emcee you don’t wanna miss!

MC Kaur

One of India’s first generation emcees, MC Kaur has been a pioneer not just for the women in Desi Hip-Hop, but in the Mumbai Rap Scene itself. She has remained true to her artform since day one and is a woman who lives to her musical ideals to this day. Never bending or folding to the industry’s whim, she has kept the “old-school” Hip-Hop vibes alive and continues to do so. Check out her latest EP – Neophilia down below!

https://mcmanmeetkaur.bandcamp.com/album/neophilia

BGirl AmB

India’s first thoroughbred BGirl. She was making waves in a scene dominated by men – Breaking. The roots go deep, the style is still fresh as ever. BGirl AmB is already a legend. Representing one of India’s forefront breaking crews – Roc Fresh Crew. AmB has kept her vision high and raised the bar beyond expectations. Her story is as inspiring as her ongoing journey through Hip-Hop culture. She has captivated crowds for years and never slowed down. Bow down to the queen:

Horsepowar

Canadian-Desi artist, Horsepowar has been mixing hip-hop beats, provocative statements, and Bollywood samples to create her works of art that is relevant to a global audience. She has been on a mission to empower women all over the world since day 1. With tracks like “Bold Woman” & “Unbelievable”, she definitely made her mark in the scene.

DJ Ishani

The Mumbai Hip-Hop scene is blessed to have one of the few female Hip-Hop DJ’s in the country. DJ Ishani is Bombay’s very own – a fierce DJ who never settles, and neither lets the crowd settle. A master selector, a gem of a DJ. She has represented Indian Hip-Hop internationally and at various milestones of the Hip-Hop movement. All for the culture, she is a party starter and has been hosting weekly Hip-Hop nights at various clubs around the city for years alongside DJ Bobkat (Bombay Bassment). She has a power-packed month already ahead of her – infact you can catch her TONIGHT at Levis 501, Todi Mill Social!

Speed Ice

Speed Ice a.k.a. Aditi Angiras is the co-founder of Insignia Rap Combats. Representing Delhi, she was and is one of the finest lyricists to ever grace Indian Hip-Hop Culture. Her contributions both in writing and by nurturing the community alone account for a lot of the success and advancements in the Desi Hip-Hop scene. A true poet, she has also recently endeavoured into promoting the Delhi poetry scenes.

Siri

Representing Bangalore – Siri is the voice of the female urban youth. A step above the rest, she is a proficient femcee in both the English and Kannada languages. There is a breath of fresh air that she breathes into the mic when she creates songs. She has already collaborated with Divine for the Breezer Vivid Shuffle 2017, and performed at various venues and festivals around the country. After signing with Azadi Records, she is breaking new grounds every step of the way.

BGirl FlowRaw

A product of the generations before her, BGirl FlowRaw is a fierce rising star in the breaking scene today. She was selected to represent the country internationally at Queen 16 Festival, Germany last year. The tickets to this journey was purely crowdfunded by the Hip-Hop familia. A pure fighter, she is breaking the chains for women in the country to pursue their passions. Representing Smokin Skillz Crew, she is a one-girl army who never sweats the technique. Check the method below!

Dizy (Kajal Singh)

One of India’s pioneer female graffiti artistes – Kajal Singh has taken Delhi and put it on a high pedestal on the global Hip-Hop map.  A Bgirl, painter, beauty and fitness blogger, Kajal Singh has exuded the ideals of Hip-Hop for a long while now. She represents the art of Graffiti and keeps shuffling between Europe and India. Her tags for “Dizy” (her moniker) can be seen alongside walls of both the countries. Check out her page below!

https://www.instagram.com/dizyone/