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Hub AI
Indian hip-hop AI simulator
(@Indian hip-hop_simulator)
Hub AI
Indian hip-hop AI simulator
(@Indian hip-hop_simulator)
Indian hip-hop
Indian hip hop is a genre of popular music developed in India. Desi hip hop is a term given by Bohemia for music and culture which combines the influences of hip hop and the Indian subcontinent; the term desi referring to the South Asian diaspora. The term has also come to be used as an alternative for rap music and even pop music which involves rappers of South Asian origins. It is widely known today as Desi Hip Hop or DHH.
Indian hip hop emerged in the mid-1980s, driven by American breakdancing films such as Wild Style (1982) and Beat Street (1984), gaining popularity in urban youth culture in major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, and Kolkata. By the late 1980s, Kolkata became a centre for hip hop dance workshops, while Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Chennai prioritised rap, leading to emergence of distinct regional hip hop scenes in local languages by the late 1990s.
Apache Indian, a UK artist of Indian origin, was the earliest to make an impact on the UK charts with a series of hits during the 90s. This also paralleled the rise of Asian Underground in the UK. The inflow of hip hop into India is also attributed to certain clubs and DJs in New Delhi in the 90s.
Baba Sehgal introduced a caricaturist version of Hindi rap in the 1990s with his albums. In 1992, his album Thanda Thanda Pani sold 100,000 copies in three and a half months and brought rap music to the Indian club scene, his cadence and flow particularly drawing inspiration from rapper Vanilla Ice.
Hip hop in India developed slowly in the early 2000s, as earlier efforts by artists such as Baba Sehgal and Apache Indian failed to create substantial buzz, due to their styles being more rap–oriented than representative of the larger hip-hop scene. It was initially confined to urban areas with niche and expatriate audiences, but it gained prominence through MTV and the increasing worldwide impact of American rappers like Eminem, 50 Cent, and Jay-Z. The release and popularity of Bohemia's second album Paisa Nasha Pyar in 2006, which also featured veteran American rapper Snoop Dogg, is considered as a turning point for Desi hip-hop, accompanying the growing role of NRIs and cultural intermediaries bringing fundamental hip hop elements like DJing, graffiti, and breakdancing into Indian masses. Around the same time, rapper Young Prozpekt (now KR$NA), started gaining traction with his conscious hip-hop songs, "Kaisa Mera Desh" and the "Lokpal Freestyle" on YouTube.
Meanwhile, Yo Yo Honey Singh transformed, popularized hip-hop and rap into the mainstream Indian audience, beginning with the release of the track Glassy in 2006 with Ashok Masti which featured Singh rapping in English and the music being produced by himself as well. The track was the first time Singh was featured as a main artist and a rapper, as he was primarily a music producer before with tracks such as "Jhanjhar Kehndi" from his debut underground music album showcasing a blend of Punjabi language with hip-hop coupled with music composed by Singh. Singh is one of the most well known and renowned artist in India due to his popularity amongst the Millennial youth, as his songs, according to them, had a unique ambience. The release of Singh's debut studio album International Villager in 2011, eight years after his debut underground album Desi By Nature in 2003, helped the genre skyrocket to the mainstream.
There's been an ongoing debate among the hip-hop community about the contribution of Yo Yo Honey Singh to the genre. Singh was one of the most renowned rap artists in India and thus, was largely credited for introducing rap and hip-hop to the relatively ingenuous mainstream audience in India. Singh's appearances on tracks and his mark on the music scene with the release of his chartbuster debut studio album International Villager in 2011, further popularized the genre of hip-hop and rap in India into the mainstream, even though he has been frequently accused of using ghostwriters, and not giving due credit.
While some artists including Badshah, Ikka, Manj Musik and Bohemia have acknowledged his contribution to the industry, others such as Raftaar who has had a long-standing beef with Singh, has alternatively denied and acknowledged it at times. There is also a negative sentiment among some followers of hip-hop culture in India regarding the recent commercialization of the genre, which is attributed to the influence of Singh's music.
Indian hip-hop
Indian hip hop is a genre of popular music developed in India. Desi hip hop is a term given by Bohemia for music and culture which combines the influences of hip hop and the Indian subcontinent; the term desi referring to the South Asian diaspora. The term has also come to be used as an alternative for rap music and even pop music which involves rappers of South Asian origins. It is widely known today as Desi Hip Hop or DHH.
Indian hip hop emerged in the mid-1980s, driven by American breakdancing films such as Wild Style (1982) and Beat Street (1984), gaining popularity in urban youth culture in major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, and Kolkata. By the late 1980s, Kolkata became a centre for hip hop dance workshops, while Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Chennai prioritised rap, leading to emergence of distinct regional hip hop scenes in local languages by the late 1990s.
Apache Indian, a UK artist of Indian origin, was the earliest to make an impact on the UK charts with a series of hits during the 90s. This also paralleled the rise of Asian Underground in the UK. The inflow of hip hop into India is also attributed to certain clubs and DJs in New Delhi in the 90s.
Baba Sehgal introduced a caricaturist version of Hindi rap in the 1990s with his albums. In 1992, his album Thanda Thanda Pani sold 100,000 copies in three and a half months and brought rap music to the Indian club scene, his cadence and flow particularly drawing inspiration from rapper Vanilla Ice.
Hip hop in India developed slowly in the early 2000s, as earlier efforts by artists such as Baba Sehgal and Apache Indian failed to create substantial buzz, due to their styles being more rap–oriented than representative of the larger hip-hop scene. It was initially confined to urban areas with niche and expatriate audiences, but it gained prominence through MTV and the increasing worldwide impact of American rappers like Eminem, 50 Cent, and Jay-Z. The release and popularity of Bohemia's second album Paisa Nasha Pyar in 2006, which also featured veteran American rapper Snoop Dogg, is considered as a turning point for Desi hip-hop, accompanying the growing role of NRIs and cultural intermediaries bringing fundamental hip hop elements like DJing, graffiti, and breakdancing into Indian masses. Around the same time, rapper Young Prozpekt (now KR$NA), started gaining traction with his conscious hip-hop songs, "Kaisa Mera Desh" and the "Lokpal Freestyle" on YouTube.
Meanwhile, Yo Yo Honey Singh transformed, popularized hip-hop and rap into the mainstream Indian audience, beginning with the release of the track Glassy in 2006 with Ashok Masti which featured Singh rapping in English and the music being produced by himself as well. The track was the first time Singh was featured as a main artist and a rapper, as he was primarily a music producer before with tracks such as "Jhanjhar Kehndi" from his debut underground music album showcasing a blend of Punjabi language with hip-hop coupled with music composed by Singh. Singh is one of the most well known and renowned artist in India due to his popularity amongst the Millennial youth, as his songs, according to them, had a unique ambience. The release of Singh's debut studio album International Villager in 2011, eight years after his debut underground album Desi By Nature in 2003, helped the genre skyrocket to the mainstream.
There's been an ongoing debate among the hip-hop community about the contribution of Yo Yo Honey Singh to the genre. Singh was one of the most renowned rap artists in India and thus, was largely credited for introducing rap and hip-hop to the relatively ingenuous mainstream audience in India. Singh's appearances on tracks and his mark on the music scene with the release of his chartbuster debut studio album International Villager in 2011, further popularized the genre of hip-hop and rap in India into the mainstream, even though he has been frequently accused of using ghostwriters, and not giving due credit.
While some artists including Badshah, Ikka, Manj Musik and Bohemia have acknowledged his contribution to the industry, others such as Raftaar who has had a long-standing beef with Singh, has alternatively denied and acknowledged it at times. There is also a negative sentiment among some followers of hip-hop culture in India regarding the recent commercialization of the genre, which is attributed to the influence of Singh's music.