Raftaar’s Birthday Surprise Drop ‘Hard Drive Vol. 1’ Knocks It Out of the Park

Nothing says flex like surprise-releasing an album on your birthday. While the rest of the world was (perhaps) occupied with the Grammy nominations this year, hip-hop star Raftaar had plans of his own. He dropped his new album Hard Drive Vol. 1 with almost no warning, although there were a few whispers going around about an upcoming release.

Two years after the release of his album Mr. Nair, this new seven-track record marks Raftaar’s 34th birthday and his strong-as-ever hip-hop sensibilities. There are dancefloor bangers, there are swerving rap songs ready to be weaponized and powerful songs carrying an aspirational value that many turn to Raftaar for.

While the title might be a reference to the possibility that these were songs on a hard drive that Raftaar has waited to put out, it’s likely also a play on the cricket shot drive. Raftaar goes it alone on “ICE,” an appropriate trap beat serving as the rapper’s template for raps (in Hindi but also in English) about how he’s in it to not just be on top but also elevate others around him. Prolific rapper-producer Sikander Kahlon joins on “F16,” bearing bombastic beats and Raftaar’s strongest rap yet. He lays down everything from his Delhi roots to South Indian lineage, referencing Austin Myers as well as Eminem’s character B-Rabbit from 8 Mile.

With Kalamkaar signee Deep Kalsi, Raftaar starts a party on “Gangnum,” digging into a hook the way any hip-hop banger would these days. The rapper’s low snarl is as distinct as ever and he’s not one to mince words on the explicit track. But then, Raftaar completely changes up his flow, bringing in a sing-song cadence on “No China” with KR$NA as they trade bars about all the fakeness and superficiality they’ve seen around them and why they keep it real.

Straight out of an American hip-hop setting, “36” starts like it belongs on a wholly different album. Raftaar is joined by Karma for a sparkling collaboration about being chasing material wealth and fame but also facing the consequences and complicated situations that come with it. Raftaar adjusts his rap voice all over again on “36” as well, keeping listeners hooked.

An unmissable banger on Hard Drive Vol. 1, even on paper alone, is “Raashah” because it brings together Raftaar and his former Mafia Mundeer mate Badshah. Heavyweights in their own right, this combo gets on the mic over a grandiose beat. Raftaar talks about his being a one-stop shop between hip-hop and pop, while Badshah keeps flipping up his approach as he talks about his work ethic and journey so far.

Hard Drive Vol. 1 closes with “Jashan-E-Hip-Hop,” a high-octane Indo-Pak collaboration featuring Faris Shafi, a whirlwind Bollywood song sample leading to a headbang-worthy beat by producer Umair. Recorded as though Raftaar and Shafi were conversing in the same booth (we don’t know for sure if they were), the song digs into drill, trap and mosh-ready energy.

We’re just halfway through November and we’ve already seen some of hip-hop’s finest emerge – DIVINE released his third album Gunehgar, while Prabh Deep has taken fans to a whole other zone with his record Bhram and the likes of D₹V aka Dhruv Rajpal emerged with a journeying album Nakshatra. With Hard Drive Vol. 1, we’re seeing Indian hip-hop have one of its finest months so far.