Oshin Fernandes gets you the low-down on the surging trend, from legitimate crews to self-made artists
Mumbaikars have recently tasted ‘Asli Hip Hop’ with Gully Boy which was loosely based on the real life of Mumbai rappers Vivian Fernandes aka Divine and Naved Shaikh aka Naezy The Baa. However, rap culture had been prevailing in the maximum city for a very long time. It goes beyond a film and has been existing in the form of lesser known rappers, underground battles and gigs you may not have known of. From legitimate crews to self-made artists, we spoke to the real rap gods.
Know Your Gods
Elsewhere
The Elsewhere Crew is the legit group of authentic rappers hailing in the city, hosting rap fanatics and those who wish to spit out their lyrical paste. The founding members – Achint Marwah aka Noxious D, Lester Cardoz – Kav-E, Anmol Gawand – EMF, Hiten Sangani – HE10, and Deepraj Raorane – Dorian X (some of them have also collaborated with Gully Boy) are responsible for Battle Bars Bombay aka B3 – a one stop destination for executing this culture on a larger podium.
What is Battle Bars Bombay aka B3 India?
B3 India is a hip hop festival that is held twice a year which promotes this underdog talent. The first ever battle hosted under the mantle of B3 was called “Battle Fort” which was hosted at Sion fort back in 2013, however it was interrupted by the Mumbai Police and the artists were made to leave. The crew took it further with an event called ‘Civil War’ which was held at an under construction site.
With a view to expand it further, the christening of their name took place at The Hive in Bandra wherein the event was called ‘B3 – Home Invasion’. Their recent edition was held a couple of months back known as ‘B3 – Art Of War 2’ in Above The Habitat in Khar.
Marwah, who is one of the founders, says, “It takes a lot of skill to deliver good quality rap, otherwise everyone will simply say whatever comes to their head and it is mostly trash.”
Achint Marwah |
Writing rap isn’t an easy job, just like mouthing many syllables in a second. When it comes to freestyle impromptu rapping, the scene in Mumbai wasn’t at its best. So how does B3 help in uplifting this talent? “We make sure that the rap battles are of optimum quality. The contenders are informed in advance who they are going down against so they can prep with good research and then present live,” he adds.
Bombay Lokal
Gaurav Gambhir |
Gaurav Gambhir aka Dcypher, who is a beat boxer for the crew Bombay Lokal also came into the spotlight for his mouthing in ‘Asli Hip Hop’ and ‘Jingostan’. However, he didn’t get the gig initially as he was originally taken in as an extra in Gully Boy. He says, “Originally we weren’t supposed to be a part of this movie. I had received a call from the makers as they were looking out of rappers. For the rap battle scene in the movie, we were taken in as extras. On the second day of shoot, during lunch break we got an opportunity in front of them and they loved it and that’s how we got the part.”
Swadesi Movement
Dharmesh Parmar |
Another crew you can follow is the Swadesi Movement which has also associated with Gully Boy. Dharmesh Parmar aka Todfod is a multilingual rapper who has voiced the Gujarati verse in the song ‘India 91’. The 23-year-old Yash M Mahida aka Maharya, who has also written and sung a verse in the same song, states that rap was a commercial scenario in India because of artists like Badshah, Raftaar. However, with the film, it has elevated the underground rappers and has brought them fame.
Mumbai’s Finest – The original Gully Boys
Abhishek Dhusia aka Ace formed the crew Mumbai’s Finest in the year 2006 with other like-minded individuals. It has been over 13 years and he hasn’t backed down. Ace has also been featured in the film with his song ‘Har gham mein khushi hai’. This original Gully Boy speaks his mind out on the recent boost the genre has received. He says, “We were the first ones to do a song, video or rap battle in the city. We laid the foundation for others to follow. Even Vivian was a part of our crew from 2006 to 2013, after which he decided to go solo.”
Mumbai Meri Jaan – Spitfire aka Nitin Mishra – The 20-year-old behind ‘Asli Hip Hop’ from ‘Gully Boy’
Nitin Mishra |
It wasn’t by fluke but sheer hard work and determination to be better than the best that paved the way for 20-year-old Nitin Mishra from Madhya Pradesh. His visit to Mumbai has been fruitful for his career at a very young age. This self-made artist was a raw talent that simply needed a push which led to his song ‘Asli Hip Hop’, originally a secondary track that was later chosen to introduce ‘Gully Boy’. He says, “Music has no limits, I would love to do something for my state (MP) and wish to create a hip hop community here. I will provide a push to new artists who also wish to explore this culture.”
Deepa Unnikrishnan aka Dee MC- The only female rapper in the city
Deepa Unnikrishnana |
Deepa Unnikrishnan has been on the rapping front as the only female lead in Mumbai. With powerful elements since childhood such as the skill for poetry and conditioned to rhythm with Bharatanatyam, Deepa reveals that rap culture has given her the space to be what she always wanted to be.
She says, “Rap was there in each and every nook and corner of India, but now because of the film, everything has been put on a pedestal as Bollywood reaches to a mass audience. Being a female and being in Mumbai I feel privileged, but going ahead with my interests was a problem. If you wish to pursue your passion or stay out late you need your parents to agree first as everyone doesn’t have that kind of freedom at home. But later I made my own decisions and being in this city, it has given me my own space so I could be what I wanted to be.”
Rapping Back In The Day
Gawand asserts that rap culture existed in the online community called Insignia on Orkut in early 2000s, which further evolved into meeting people, deciphering and performing. He says, “It comprised of rappers from the subcontinent – India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh etc. They had a ranking system where rappers were constantly battling on scraps and they would get the rank according to the win. The lowest tier was called Insignia factory tobacco and it went up to beedis, cigarettes and cigars.”
Vineet Nair |
Vineet Nair aka Trap Poju, also a part of Elsewhere, was titled as ‘cigar’ back in the day. Earlier known as ‘Poetic Justis’ he witnessed the growth of this online platform first hand. He says, “Insignia was a base ground for cultivating not just great poets and lyricists but also future rap artists who are proficient in every aspect of the art form. I was there when Insignia was formed and it was one of the few rap forums where people would be ranked based on their lyrical ability and their number of wins or losses in battle. I saw a lot of artists grow their skill sets and evolve into music artists.”
Rap Battles
Wondering how to witness a rap battle in Mumbai? The next event by Battle Bars Bombay, which will supposedly happen in April, has an entry fee and registration which can be known in detail through their Facebook and Instagram account. However, if you wish to participate, there will be auditions with a judging panel before you go ahead to drop the mic.
Attend a Rap Class
If you wish to brush up your rapping skills, Hemant Dhyani aka MC Heam has been in showbiz for around 12 years. His recent collaboration was with A R Rahman in Beyond the Clouds song Ey Chhote Motor Chala. Dhyani conducts classes at Dharavi under The Dharavi Project where you can enrol for free.
When: Wednesday to Sunday
Timings: 6-7pm
Venue: Ganesh Vidya Mandir
Age: 10-23 years
