New Data Shows Hip-Hop Is Fourth Most Listened To Genre In India on Spotify

Rap 91 might be Spotify India’s flagship playlist for desi hip-hop, but they’ve been moving into different language and region-focused editorial playlists in recent times. To that, new data from Spotify India shows that the country’s linguistic diversity when it comes to rap is growing.

On the whole, hip-hop is the fourth most listened-to genre in India on the platform, while their Hip-Hop Haryanvi playlist featuring the likes of DG Immortals’ song “Bawli” with YouTube-famous creator Elvish Yadav, MC Square and Badal has seen a 500 percent surge in popularity. Hip-Hop Malayalam too has reported a jump of 600 percent in popularity and the playlist currently features songs by Baby Jean, ThirumaLi, Parimal Shais, Fejo, Dabzee and more.

On the language front, there are playlists for Telugu hip-hop as well as Bhojpuri Rap Ba. Some of the newer names garnering big streams through editorial playlists include Tamil Indie: Hip Hop featured artists like Paal Dabba, Asal Kolaar, Vallinan, MC Devesh and more. The playlist interestingly also includes hip-hop heavyweight Brodha V’s Tamil-informed cuts like “Moodu” and “Bujjima.”

Spotify India’s head of music Rahul Balyan says in a statement, “At Spotify, we already curate hip-hop music across six languages in India, and currently see the biggest growth coming from Haryanvi and Punjabi hip-hop, among others. The genre reflects the aspirations and energy of the Indian youth, and this is showcased in the fact that over 70 percent of hip hop fans on Spotify are Gen Z, which is amongst the highest in the world.”

While the likes of desi hip-hop and Punjabi hip-hop remain in the top five most streamed and followed genres on Spotify India, there’s more diversity that the music-tech company is showcasing with the second edition of their on-ground event Rap 91 Live. The free event previously hosted the likes of KING, Emiway Bantai, Raja Kumari and Sez on the Beat in 2022.

This time around, they’re setting up on October 28th at Mehboob Studios in Mumbai, hosting artists like Dino James, Raftaar, Dee MC, Raga, MC Altaf and D’Evil, plus regional stars like Kannada rapper Rahul Dit-O, Marathi rapper Sambata, DG Immortals from Haryana, Punjabi artist Riar Saab, Nagaland’s Moko Koza and Goa’s Tsumyoki, among others. The DJ-producers slated to take the decks include Karan Kanchan, OG Shez, DJ Proof and more, with female rappers such as Agsy, Pho, Pratika, Krantinaari and Irfana on the bill.

With that kind of weight thrown behind their playlist, data also shows that Rap 91, Spotify’s flagship hip-hop playlist in India, saw a growth of 118% in 2023 in terms of listenership. Balyan adds about the event, “Last year, we hosted Rap 91 Live for the first time, which brought the playlist alive through an immersive on-ground experience featuring some of the biggest names in Indian hip-hop. We’re bringing it back for its second edition this Saturday, with a focus on putting the spotlight on artists and hip-hop music from across the country and languages.”

RSVP to attend Rap 91 Live on October 28th, 2023 here.