DIVINE’s ‘Walking on Water’ Balances Money Moves and Gully Rap Roots
On his fifth album, the Mumbai rap star’s collaborations shine the brightest but he clearly prefers doing most of the heavy lifting himself, with varying results
Mumbai rap star DIVINE has released his new album 'Walking on Water.' Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Among the rappers in desi hip-hop, if there’s anyone who has full rights to flex, brag, and narrate his journey with total conviction, it’s DIVINE. Along with the likes of Naezy, Mumbai’s Finest aka Ace, Dopeadelicz, D’Evil, Enkore, and others, DIVINE was championing honest and heartfelt hip-hop right from the start.
When his early albums Kohinoor and Punya Paap came out in quick succession in 2019 and 2020, respectively, DIVINE was consolidating his place as an alpha. There were a few tracks like “Mirchi” and “Chal Bombay” which showcased a commercial, club-friendly sound, but the ones that hit the hardest were tracks like “3:59 AM.” 2022’s Gunehgar came a couple of years later but quickly became a smash thanks to songs like “Baazigar” with beatsmith Karan Kanchan sampling an iconic Nineties Bollywood hit and DIVINE tapping Punjabi star Karan Aujla as his upward rise was well underway to create Street Dreams together in 2024.
So where does the gully rap great go when he has to drop his fifth album? The answer, as heard on the 16-track Walking on Water, is a tightrope balancing act between keeping his early fans happy, feeding his own growth as an artist and proving he can be a mainstream rapper (if he wanted).
There is only one rapper who can claim to have brought down Mass Appeal to India, only one rapper who took an entrepreneurial approach to desi hip-hop after the Bollywood movie Gully Boy made the style mainstream and only one rapper who could pull in the likes of Pusha T and Nas to perform in Mumbai. It’s all on the opening title track, “Walking on Water,” and all anyone can do is just listen to a master of the pen game keeping it real, backed by ad-libs and dreamy, classical-informed vocals.
That’s just the intro for DIVINE, and he’s aimed to show evolution and reflection on the rest of the album, but it’s come up with mixed results at best. By leaning on a mix of longtime and new producers on Walking on Water, the sonic quality of the album doesn’t miss at all.
The previously released “Triple OG” sees Phenom turn up percussive and orchestral hits that are refreshing. “Boom – Bonus Version” with Esna samples A.R. Rahman’s “Kehna Hi Kya” while “You & I” with Zzorawar samples R.D. Burman’s “Mehbooba Mehbooba.” Stunnah Beatz samples a Konkani song for fanfare on “Jungle Juice” that allows DIVINE to flow like Kendrick Lamar. “ABCD.” with producer Late Night Ricky’s synth line drops you straight to a late night on the streets.
Singer-songwriter Anami (who is heard in the intro) lends her vocal flair to the wistful “Rain,” produced by Stunnah Beatz that ably interpolates “Give Me Some Sunshine” from the 2009 movie 3 Idiots. “Tequila Dance” with Adil and Hanumankind is an instant bop with its groovy but fast-paced rhythms, and “Dada” with its heavy-footed piano produced by Mercy is resolute.
When DIVINE tries to turn on the charm on “You & I”, it works for a while, until it really doesn’t. Unlike “Chal Bombay” or other previous material that’s in this romantic space, the rapper should realize he might just be trying too hard. It’s not that he can’t fit in (he’s done that well in the past), but this one might be a misfire. Even the preceding track “Doordarshan” borders on forgettable in terms of not offering anything new sonically or lyrically.
With help from artists like Gurinder Gill on “Late Knights” and Riar Saab on “Saucy,” DIVINE gets to tap into Punjabi elements with some of the best in the business. In terms of collaborations, “ABCD.” with MC Altaf and Sammohit is yet another addition how the Gully Gang vibe is still going strong, with each rapper’s verse complimenting the other.
“Tequila Dance” is one of the strongest moments on Walking on Water, along with the heart-baring “Drama.” They’re on different ends of the thematic spectrum — one is a celebratory team-up, while the other is a note to oneself about the beauty of dreaming out loud. “Homicide” sees the rapper call on Phenom once again, but the danger and menace is so much more palpable here compared to “Doordarshan.” Cutthroat in its storytelling, DIVINE keeps listeners on the edge with this thriller of a track.
Five albums in, any sane punter would say DIVINE doesn’t have to prove his place in Indian hip-hop. But he’s out there still putting the word out and pushing in different directions. Some work, some don’t — but at the end of it, we can see the rapper is not doing this for relevancy (if he was, you’d see a lot more apparent gimmicks that we’ve seen from other rappers trying to grab the spotlight) but more in a continual search for authenticity. As long as that’s in sight, albums like Walking on Water will seem less like miracles and more like a milestone.
