Voice Of Tha People Recap January in Indian Hip Hop

Naezy. Photo: Courtesy of VOTP

Indian hip hop is on its way to bigger and better things in 2015. This January, we saw some mainstream performers kicking the year off with power moves, but we also saw younger artists vying for attention.

Naezy, who rose to fame in 2014, continued to rise with a Bollywood track for the movie Hey Bro. His distinctive delivery on the two verses in the song, titled “Birju” leave an unforgettable impact on the listeners, blessing the joint with some of the most memorable mic work Bollywood has been treated to.

Watch “Birju” by Naezy

Despite big names like Amitabh Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan featured in the video, Naezy’s star performance hasn’t gone unnoticed. It has earned him shoutouts from mainstream Hindi rappers like Raftaar and Badshah.

Raftaar and Badshah also collaborated with Manj Musik (formerly with bhangra-hip hop group RDB) to drop ”˜”˜Desi Hip Hop’’ – a bangin’ joint with six different MCs on the track. The other artists on the song were Humble The Poet, Roach Killa, Raxstar, Sarb Smooth and Big Dhillon.

Watch ”˜”˜Desi Hip Hop’’ by Manj Musik

Californian producer and rapper, Haji Springer released a new single titled “Meri Bandook” in December 2014. The track also featured Punjabi rap pioneer Bohemia, whose verses reminded fans of his early days. “Meri Bandook’’ is one of the four songs on Springer’s new album Survivor that feature Bohemia. The album is available in digital stores now and has been produced entirely by Haji himself.

Brodha V rapped on the track “Anu Aunty’’ (a parody of Iggy Azalea’s ”˜Fancy’) earning praise especially from the younger hip hop fans across the country. The satirical comedic music video showcases the close-mindedness prevalent in India and went viral as soon as it was released. V further told us on our podcast, “I’m going to be putting out more singles in the next 12 months than I have previously and I can’t wait to share all of this music with everyone out there!”

Watch “Anu Aunty’’ by Brodha V

Artists like Delhi’s Prabh Deep Sagar have remained rooted in their verse and production. The 21-year-old’s name first caught our eye when he rapped and produced “Funk De Vyapaari,” the second track from MC Kaur’s debut album Hip Hop Bahu. Soon after, he released a series of videos titled Old School Cyphers on his YouTube channel where he has collaborated with established underground names like MC Heam and Slyck. Sagar and New Delhi producer Sez are also working on some new material and we can’t wait to hear what the duo is making together.

Watch “Old School Cypher #3’’

Bengaluru’s Indian 777 extended his recent hot streak by dropping a new music video Belly Dancer. He also recruited TC Best and Massa King W to give the single an international appeal.

Watch “Belly Dancer’’ by Indian 777 feat Young Kingz

To wrap up January, Voice of Tha People hosted its first gig at 3 Wise Monkeys in Mumbai and we were not disappointed. The night featured rappers like Naezy and Noxious, Beatboxer Vibe and DJ Proof. Setting up another avenue for artists to work with, we’re hoping we can contribute to making 2015 a catalyst year for the hip-hop culture.