#HennessyFreestyle: Know Your Artists

Dino James

If Indian hip-hop ever needed an honest and openhearted storytelling rap star, we found it in Dino James. Propelled into fame in 2016 when he released his song “Loser,” James built his following on YouTube over the years with introspective and vulnerable tunes like “Yaadein” and “Dooriyan.” Millions of views later, the rapper got signed got signed by Def Jam India and released his debut full-length album D, which pushes the rap game to a different level.

Calling card: A raspy, visceral flow in Hindi that often addresses personal shortcomings in a relatable way across age, class and gender brackets.

Spin this: “Pyaar Pyaar,” the lead cut from the album D, which sees James get into loverboy mode over a buoyant club-friendly beat.

Ikka

Equally wooed by Bollywood, commercial and hip-hop artists alike, Ikka aka Ankit Singh Patyal is among the most grounded personalities in Indian rap and it comes through loud and clear in his music. Often acerbic but also laidback, Ikka debited his Hindi and Punjabi rap style as Young Amli, before he went on to become a part of famed crew Mafia Mundeer alongside the likes of Badshah, Yo Yo Honey Singh and Raftaar. Since then, he came into his own with Bollywood features as well as two of his own albums, I in 2020 and Nishu released earlier this year.

Calling card: An icy, sneering kind of delivery that also oozes confidence in every bar.

Spin this: “Half Window Down,” produced by Dr Zeus and released in 2016, stands testament to Ikka’s ability to write in full charmer mode, while his newer songs like “Angaar” with Raftaar takes aim at haters.

Fotty Seven

If anyone knows New Delhi and Gurugram from a young person’s perspective, it’s got to be rapper and singer-producer Fotty Seven aka Ankit Gudwani. When he began releasing songs like “Pagal Hai Kya,” “Chal Nikal” and “Haan Bhai” between 2018 and 2019, the attitude was just oozing out of him. Mentored by Badshah (the two worked together on “Boht Tej” in 2020), Fotty Seven eventually put out his debut record Asli Independent in 2020 and has only been leveling up since then, thanks largely to his unfettered, fun-loving style on the mic.

Calling card: Fotty Seven always speaks to his audience as a friend and that’s abundantly evident on songs like “Kya Haal Hai Bro?”

Spin this: “Baap Se” featuring fellow Delhi rap slugger KR$NA sees the duo team up for a takedown like no other.

Dee MC

Mumbai rapper and songwriter Dee MC aka Deepa Unnikrishnan broke down a lot of walls in Indian hip-hop and the best part is, she’s never stopped in her endeavor to make desi rap as inclusive as possible. Dodging any traditional routes of working in chartered accountancy, Dee MC began covering Nicki Minaj and taking apart Bollywood songs to arrive at her own style.

Calling card: Slick and powerfully fist-tight in her intentions, it’s fair to say nearly every Dee MC song has its share of hard-won battles and forging ahead.

Spin this: “Piece of Mind” from her album Dee=MC² encapsulates the take-no-prisoners attitude that would make anyone sit up and take notice.

Rashmeet Kaur

Among the few singer-songwriters who stands shoulder to shoulder with a lot of hip-hop artists in India, Rashmeet Kaur developed a vocal sense – most often in Punjabi – which sits powerfully alongside artists ranging from Raftaar to Nucleya and Deep Kalsi. “Bajre Da Sitta” remains one of her most popular songs ever since it came out in 2021, because it retains a flavor of pastoral Punjabi folk with rap elements. Since then, she’s also balanced things out with work for screen, singing for series Mirzapur and Four More Shots Please.

Calling card: An earthy, sublime croon and a way with melodies which turns a regular song into an earworm.

Spin this: “Bajre Da Sitta,” her collaboration with Deep Kalsi and Ikka which transports the listener straight to a field in Punjab.

Dopeadelicz

Tony Sebastian aka Stony Psyko, Rajesh Radhakrishnan aka Dope Daddy and Agnel Avinash aka Ben Z comprise one of Mumbai’s most inimitable, name-taking, ass-kicking multilingual rap groups – Dopeadelicz. Emerging as one of the earliest crews to sling what eventually became touted as gully rap, there’s a sense of camaraderie, resilience and resolve in their songs. Born out of fame in Dharavi, Matunga and the underground hip-hop circuit in Mumbai, Dopeadelicz went on to bag big projects including working on the song “Semma Weightu,” composed by Santosh Narayanan for the Rajnikanth starrer Kaala.

Calling card: Stony Psyko and Dope Daddy often have a banter between them that makes the audience feel like they’re sitting in on a jam session between friends and that affinity remains strong.

Spin this: “Aai Shapath Saheb Me Navtho” is the instant classic about getting busted by cops and wriggling your way out in style.

MC Altaf

Also hailing from Dharavi like Dopeadelicz, MC Altaf represents a new generation of storytelling from Mumbai. He’s a rapper who wants the fame and flexes about how far he’s come, but never forgets where he comes from. Staying rooted is what makes MC Altaf a formidable name, plus his affiliation with DIVINE’s Gully Gang.

Calling card: An inimitable rap voice that can sound menacing and merry, based on which song he’s picked out.

Spin this: “Soch” remains an honest summation of life and times in a world of hustle, without mincing words.

D’Evil

Mumbai rapper D’Evil aka Dhaval Parab has an affable, cheeky and gruff kind of voice singing in Hindi and a smattering of Marathi that’s made him one to watch. The journey has by no means been one of trend-hopping for D’Evil, who popped up on the airwaves working with Enkore aka Ankur Johar and his project Dreamteam. Since then, D’Evil got on Gully Gang and contributed a hilarious yet banger verse on DIVINE’s song “Disco Rap.”

Calling card: A seemingly avuncular and big brotherly tone that never fails to crack a smile, whether he’s taking about being on easy street or wooing a beloved.

Spin this: “Kaancheck” takes aim at everyone from errant lawmakers to corrupt cogs in the wheel of India’s social fabric.

7Bantai’Z

Among the younger and newer rap groups to emerge out of the gully rap explosion in Mumbai, 7Bantai’Z stay true to diversity given that they’re a multilingual crew. A common misnomer is that the group has seven members – it actually has six – Mr Scam (David Klyton), Crackpot (Aditya Vhatkar), Beat Slayer (Abhishek Kurme), Yoku BIG (Yogesh Kurme), Lil Damn (Siddesh Jammi) and Bonz n Ribz (Nishant Mohite). That said, there’s tons packed into their songs, ranging from “Zindagi Na Bhai” to “Meter Down,” all of which distill quintessential life experiences into rap wisdom.

Calling card: The multilingual power of 7Bantai’Z covers English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu.

Spin this: “Hands Up,” produced by DRJ Sohail, takes the EDM banger route with a difference, thanks to the crew’s socially conscious verses.

Shia

Mumbai singer-rapper Shia’s tryst with music began when she was in the sixth grade playing the guitar. The artist has been writing songs and singing since the age of nine and was even part of her school band. However, it was only after she began attending gigs and cyphers in college that Shia felt the need to release her own music. With two singles already to her name – “Jah Blessings” (2020) and her collaboration with fellow artist Nahra on “Metamorphosis” (2021) – Shia is now out with her latest track, the fierce “Boon,” released via New Delhi rapper Prabh Deep’s label Purple Wav.  

Calling card: A genre-defying sense of vocal melodies and rhythms, one that traverses reggae, pop, grime and hip-hop.

Spin this: “Boon,” produced by Zero Chill, is all about deflecting any ideas of self-pity and projecting a powerful sense of self.