Shia: ‘If We See Women Making Any Sort of Progress, it’s Usually Credited to Their Gender and Not Their Skill’

When we talk to Mumbai singer-rapper Shia about the hip-hop community in India, she is full of praise for it and calls it warm and welcoming. However, the only drawback she has with it is that at times artists are competitive in nature and are quick to pass judgements, especially toward women. Shia says, “The biggest barrier is that if we see women making any sort of progress, it’s usually credited to their gender and not their skill, which is something I find problematic.” She adds, “Nonetheless, the amount of support artists give each other and the mere awareness everyone has of each other can be due to how small the hip-hop circle is.” 

Although Shia is fairly fresh to the hip-hop scene, she tells us that she’s learned that music is subjective. “What matters is putting your music out there as opposed to trying to sound better and more skilled than other artists.” With a fanbase growing rapidly within the hip-hop scene, the artist adds, “It has grown into a culture as a whole.” 

Last month, Shia performed at the Rolling Stone India presents Hennessy Freestyle Concert, a showcase of India’s incredible hip-hop movement. “It’s so important to recognize how the whole community moves symbiotically, hand in hand,” she says.  

At the moment, Shia is working on a number of singles and collaborations that she plans on releasing within the next couple of months. She says, “I love India and I am glad to be putting my music out from here. I really hope that the Indian hip-hop scene takes over the global platform soon.”