To study Hip-Hop Music & it’s impact on Indian Culture

ABSTRACT:

With its primarily young, rapidly growing population — currently at 1.3 billion — many
music professionals are now looking to India as the music industry’s next great frontier. The
revenues of the Indian music industry are on a rapid rise for the last few years — primarily
driven by the country's growing online population. Numerous genres such as Folk music,
Carnatic music, Dance music, Rock and Metal music, Pop music, Hip-Hop music and Jazz
music are popular throughout the nation. This study indicates the growth of Hip Hop music in
India and its impact on Indian culture.

KEYWORDS:

Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop music, Indian music, Indian culture & music, Impact on Indian culture.

INTRODUCTION:

Hip hop music or hip-hop music, also known as rap music, is a genre of popular music that
originated in New York City in the 1970s. It consists of stylized rhythmic music (usually
built around drum beats) that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming
speech that is chanted. It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four
key stylistic elements: MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching with turntables, break dancing, and
graffiti writing. Other elements include sampling beats or bass lines from records (or
synthesized beats and sounds), and rhythmic beatboxing. While often used to refer solely to
rapping, "hip hop" more properly denotes the practice of the entire subculture. The term hip
hop music is sometimes used synonymously with the term rap music, though rapping is not a
required component of hip hop music; the genre may also incorporate other elements of hip
hop culture, including DJing, turntablism, scratching, beatboxing, and instrumental tracks.

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OBJECTIVES:

 To study the growth of Hip-Hop music in India.

 To understand the impact of Hip-Hop music on Indian culture.

RESEARCH METHODOLGY:

The study entitled "A study on Hip-Hop music in India & it’s impact on Indian culture " used
secondary data. Secondary data was collected from newspaper and magazine articles, blogs
and other websites on the internet.

LITERATURE REVIEW:

(Charry, 2012)

The proliferation of hip hop music outside America and especially in the third world

is a clear indication of international cultural flow and potency of globalization which is

almost

making the local music practices less fashionable. There has been an incubation period for
rap

music in Africa in the 1980s being projected by gross imitation of its American source.

(Priyam Chandra, 2021):

Hip-Hop is now a crucial part of the music industry and there has been a significant rise in
rappers in India. People love listening to things they relate to, and that is why people love rap.
They relate to what rappers talk about and the lyrics hit the right notes in the listeners. It
makes people think that beautiful things come out of struggle, and that is what rap has always
been about.

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(Aditi Jain, 2022):

There are a lot of upcoming artists that try their best to deliver the best music they can. The
upcoming artists struggle a lot due to lack of good audience and listeners that really
appreciate and support bidding rappers/dancers/beatboxers/artists. It takes a lot to write,
compose and produce your own music and is really heart-breaking when not appreciated or
goes unseen. An artist makes the same amount of effort that he/she makes in a track with the
maximum views or the minimum.

(Anubha Sardana, 2020):

A new wave of artists has emerged in India talking about important issues that were never
usually addressed in rap music. A new generation of musicians is creating India’s own
homegrown rap scene labelled by some as “gully rap”, slang for gutter or from the streets.
One of the most important factors that identify with gully rap is the lingo, the street talk and
regional languages and culture blended together to make the perfect rap. Most gully rappers
use their music to bring attention to social issues in the country.

(Souvik Chakraborty, 2018):

Hip hop is turning out to be a powerful form of protest music in the country amongst the
youth leading to its immense popularity today. The internet has played an important role in
the evolution of hip hop as aspiring rappers got more access to the pioneers of the genre and
even sharing their work to the world became much easier as audiences warmed up to
consuming global music styles thanks to the world wide web.

DATA ANALYSIS:

Origin of Hip-Hop Music:

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Hip hop as both a musical genre and a culture was formed during the 1970s when block
parties became increasingly popular in New York City, particularly among African American
youth residing in the Bronx. At block parties, DJs played percussive breaks of popular songs
using two turntables and a DJ mixer to be able to play breaks from two copies of the same
record, alternating from one to the other and extending the "break". Hip hop's early evolution
occurred as sampling technology and drum machines became widely available and
affordable. Turntablist techniques such as scratching and beatmatching developed along with
the breaks. Rapping developed as a vocal style in which the artist speaks or chants along
rhythmically with an instrumental or synthesized beat.

Hip hop music was not officially recorded for play on radio or television until 1979, largely
due to poverty during the genre's birth and lack of acceptance outside ghetto neighbourhoods.
Old school hip hop was the first mainstream wave of the genre, marked by its disco influence
and party-oriented lyrics. The 1980s marked the diversification of hip hop as the genre
developed more complex styles and spread around the world. New school hip hop was the
genre's second wave, marked by its electro sound, and led into golden age hip hop, an
innovative period between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s that also developed hip hop's own
album era. The gangsta rap subgenre, focused on the violent lifestyles and impoverished
conditions of inner-city African-American youth, gained popularity at this time. West Coast
hip hop was dominated by G-funk in the early-mid 1990s, while East Coast hip hop was
dominated by jazz rap, alternative hip hop, and hardcore rap. Hip hop continued to diversify
at this time with other regional styles emerging, such as Southern rap and Atlanta hip hop.
Hip hop became a best-selling genre in the mid-1990s and the top-selling music genre by
1999.

The popularity of hip hop music continued through the late 1990s to early-2000s "bling era"
with hip hop influences increasingly finding their way into other genres of popular music,
such as neo soul, nu metal, and R&B. The United States also saw the success of regional
styles such as crunk, a Southern genre that emphasized the beats and music more than the
lyrics, and alternative hip hop began to secure a place in the mainstream, due in part to the
crossover success of its artists. During the late 2000s and early 2010s "blog era", rappers
were able to build up a following through online methods of music distribution, such as social
media and blogs, and mainstream hip hop took on a more melodic, sensitive direction

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following the commercial decline of gangsta rap. The trap and mumble rap subgenres have
become the most popular form of hip hop during the mid-late 2010s and early 2020s. In 2017,
rock music was usurped by hip hop as the most popular genre in the United States.

The words "hip" and "hop" have a long history behind the two words being used together. In
the 1950s, older folks referred to teen house parties as "hippity hops". The creation of the
term hip hop is often credited to Keef Cowboy, rapper with Grandmaster Flash and the
Furious Five. However, Lovebug Starski, Keef Cowboy, and DJ Hollywood used the term
when the music was still known as disco rap. It is believed that Cowboy created the term
while teasing a friend who had just joined the U.S. Army, by scat singing the words
"hip/hop/hip/hop" in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of soldiers marching.
Cowboy later worked the "hip hop" cadence into a part of his stage performance. For
example, he would say something along the lines of "I said a hip-hop, a hibbit, hibby-dibby,
hip-hip-hop and you don't stop." which was quickly used by other artists such as The
Sugarhill Gang in "Rapper's Delight". Universal Zulu Nation founder Afrika Bambaataa, also
known as "the Godfather", is credited with first using the term to describe the subculture in
which the music belonged; although it is also suggested that it was a derogatory term to
describe the type of music. The term was first used in print to refer to the music by reporter
Robert Flipping, Jr. in a February 1979 article in the New Pittsburgh Courier, and to refer to
the culture in a January 1982 interview of Afrika Bambaataa by Michael Holman in the East
Village Eye. The term gained further currency in September of that year in another
Bambaataa interview in The Village Voice, by Steven Hager, later author of a 1984 history of
hip hop.

There are disagreements about whether or not the terms "hip hop" and "rap" can be used
interchangeably. This even happens amongst hip-hop's most knowledgeable writers,
performers, and listeners. The most common view that is seen, is that hip-hop is a cultural
movement that emerged in the South Bronx in New York City during the 1970s, with MCing
(or rapping) being one of the primary four elements. Hip hop's other three essential elements
are graffiti art (or aerosol art), break dancing, and DJing. Rap music has become by far the
most celebrated expression of hip hop culture, largely as a result of its being the easiest to
market to a mass audience.

Elements of Hip-Hop:
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Deejaying, turntabling, rapping also known as MCing(emceeing): Master of
Ceremonies(MCing), got its name from Jamaica, which was the first place to give rappers the
title of MC. It is the most individual role in the culture. The work of an MC is to keep the
audience entertained. they usually presents performers, interacts with the audience and makes
sure that an event is smoothly in motion. An MC uses pre-written or freestyled rhyming
verses to introduce the people (DJ) they are working with or to keep the audience entertained
or to praise someone.

B-boying: B-boying also known as breaking or break dance is an athletic style of street dance
originating from the African American and Puerto Rican community in the United States.
After becoming popular in US, b-boying are spread to other countries, and then continues to
be danced worldwide. Breakdancing can also be classified into four different categories of
dance moves toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes. And the practitioner of this dance
is called b-boy, b-girl, breakdancer or breaker.

Graffiti: Graffiti is an artform, a means of cultural expression like the other elements of hip
hop. It is painted on walls and other public places on a topic which represents something or
just a normal representation through spray paint. It can be made with any kind of paint or
material. It is more common in urban areas. One can argue that without graffiti cities would
be just grey and boring, a little colour does no harm. However, it is usually linked to
antisocial behaviour or gang culture.

Beatboxing: Beatboxing also referred as vocal percussion is the practice of using one’s
mouth, lips, tongue, voice, etc. as a percussive instrument to create beats, rhythms and
melodies for music.

Music in India:

Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in
multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk music, Bollywood, Hip-Hop,
rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed over several geo-
locations spanning the sub-continent. Music in India began as an integral part of socio-

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religious life. Bollywood has been a significant form of soft power for India, increasing its
influence and changing overseas perceptions of India.

The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the oldest Hindu scriptures, the Vedas.
The Samaveda is said to have laid the foundation for Indian music, and consists mainly of
hymns of Rigveda, set to melodies that would be sung using three to seven musical notes
during Vedic sacrifices. Indian classical music was regarded as a means of self-realization
and salvation, rather than simply a means of self-expression. The two main traditions of
Indian classical music, Carnatic, found predominantly in the peninsular regions of India, and
Hindustani, found in the northern and central parts, began to diverge the two traditions began
to diverge from a common musical root around the thirteenth century, with the establishment
of the Islamic Delhi Sultanate in the north. Hindustani music is considered to have absorbed
Persian and Turkic features, introduced by musicians from Persia and Central Asia.

Hip-Hop Music in India:

Indian hip hop is a part of the South Asian hip hop culture, is a genre of popular music
developed in India. Desi hip hop is a term for music and culture which combines the
influences of hip hop and the Indian subcontinent; the term desi referring to the South Asian
diaspora. The term has also come to be used as an alternative for rap music and even pop
music which involves rappers of South Asian origins.

Apache Indian, UK artist of Indian origin, was the earliest to make an impact on the UK
charts with a series of hits during the nineties.

Baba Sehgal introduced Hindi rap in the nineties with his albums. In 1992, his album Thanda
Thanda Pani sold 100,000 copies in three and a half months and brought rap music to the
Indian club scene. In the 2000s the desi hop scene remained limited largely to the
underground, with a very niche loyal audience. Hip-hop culture, including graffiti and b-
boying started seeping into the club scene and street culture of big cities like Delhi and
Mumbai.

Ashok Kumar’s recitation of Harindranath Chattopadhyay’s poem Rail Gaadi is considered to

be one of the first rap songs in Bollywood. It was featured in the film Aashirwad (1968). In

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the 1990s rap started getting popular following the success of Baba Sehgal’s album Thanda
Thanda Paani.

One of the early moments of Indian hip hop was the Bengali-language underground film
Gandu which narrated a story of a rapper and had a soundtrack which mixed rap with
alternative rock. Besides Bollywood and commercial rap music, the underground hip-hop
scene started shaping. Many emerging rappers, crews started to create a buzz in the
underground hip-hop scene. Groups such as Roll Rida, Noel Sean, Machas With Attitude,
Hiphop Tamizha, and Street Academics, Illicit cash mob pioneered respective vernacular rap
music scenes.

There was increased interest in the rap genre in India after 2011, with many rappers emerging
from across the country. This is largely credited to the success of Yo Yo Honey Singh in
India and Bollywood, India's Hindi film industry. Following huge success of his album
International Villager, Singh went on to release several hits songs both in independently and
in Bollywood. In the wake of success of Honey Singh, a new trend was formed in Bollywood
with many producers roping in rap artists for their songs. Bollywood actors like Ranveer
Singh, Akshay Kumar and have also tried their hands at rapping.

Indian hip hop has become increasingly popular in India's biggest cities with big names like
'KR$NA' who has been picked up by talent management agencies like OML who now have
music videos with millions of views on YouTube.

In 2018, Raftaar and Emiway Bantai, two well-known names went at each other in a series of
diss tracks that got a lot of attention that led to the exponential rise of Hip-hop scene in India.

Director Zoya Akhtar was very impressed and fascinated after listening to "Aafat!” and
“Mere Gully Mein”. She wanted to portray the stories of both these young rappers and
consequently approached DIVINE & Naezy. Akhtar pitched the idea of making a Bollywood
movie based on their lives. Both DIVINE and Naezy agreed.

The movie was released by the name “Gully Boy” starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt on
14 February 2019. This was the turning point for the low-key gully rap culture. The movie
was a box office hit with 8.4/10 IMDb rating and an astonishing 100% rating on Rotten
Tomatoes. The movie was loved by everyone who saw it and there has been a sudden boom
in the hip hop scene and the songs linger on every tongue of the country. the cast even
involved other talented underground rappers from Mumbai like Emiway Bantai (Sharukh
Shaikh), MC Altaf, Spitfire and Kaambhari (Kunal Pandagale).

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Impact of Hip-Hop on Indian Culture:

The success of “Gully Boy” proved to be beneficial for all the young underground rappers
who possess exceptional talent and skills, each of them hustling to become one of the best
rappers in India. The movie had a music album filled with brilliant lyrics and regional music.

The underground rappers from Mumbai have gained a considerable amount of exposure after
the release of “Gully Boy” and are looking forward towards the growth of the culture in
India.

Due to the exposure through Bollywood, rap became a household term and an increased
production of rap music was observed, especially in the Punjabi music industry. There is an
ongoing debate among the hip-hop community about the contribution of Honey Singh to the
genre. While some artists including Badshah, Ikka, Manj Musik and Bohemia have
acknowledged his contribution to the industry, others such as Raftaar and Imran Khan have
openly denied it. There is also a negative sentiment among some followers of hip-hop culture
in India regarding the recent commercialization of the genre. However, this
commercialisation has also led to expansion of the underground scene, with independent
artists building a name in Indian hip hop. Because of this, the future of hip-hop in India is
generally perceived to be positive. There are many rappers in India, rapping in different
languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali,
Odia, Bhojpuri, Khasi etc.

Telugu hip hop became notable since the early 2000s when artists such as Smita started hip
hop culture in the Telugu language. "Hai Rabba" and "Masaka Masaka" are her best-selling
albums which received wide acclaim, especially in the Indian sub-continent. Artists such as
Raja Kumari, Roll Rida, Noel Sean and Manisha Eerabathini started the trend in the new-age
Telugu hip hop by including rap. With the rise of its popularity, these artists started working
in Tollywood since the late 2010s.

Tamil hip hop is gaining popularity in India. Many other languages like Kannada and Marathi
are also becoming popular among the masses in India. Rappers from across the country are

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rapping not only in English but even in their vernacular languages. The commercial hip-hop
numbers by the likes of Badshah, Hard Kaur and Honey Singh are popular courtesy
Bollywood but socially conscious songs addressing everything from poverty to gender rights
are also gaining momentum thanks to the new age rappers who credit being influenced by the
likes of Tupac and Akala.

Hip-Hop music in India that came in to light in the 1990s was highly misunderstood by a lot
of people. In India, rap music grew splendidly just a decade ago. Since some rappers have
talked about topics that are taboo in their songs, people misinterpret it as a medium to
promote these.

However, it is not what people who have seen it from afar think. It is an act of opening up
about the difficulties one has faced, in the form of music.

A lot of individuals have been positively impacted through rap. It has been a ray of hope for
some communities and an accumulation of raw emotions to entertain for others.

Young people are highly influenced by rappers because they look up to them as people who
have been through a lot. Hence, they can learn from them. That is where rap plays an
important role in spreading awareness.

FINDINGS:

 Hip hop is turning out to be a powerful form of protest music in the country amongst
the youth leading to its immense popularity today.

 The internet has played an important role in the evolution of hip hop as aspiring
rappers got more access to the pioneers of the genre and even sharing their work to
the world became much easier as audiences warmed up to consuming global music
styles thanks to the world wide web.

 The future of Indian Hip-Hop is as bright as the sun for the artists as well as the fans.

 Hip hop is truly multicultural with rappers from all over the country taking the hip
hop scene by storm.

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CONCLUSION:

Because of the evolution of the Hip-Hop scene in India, the voices of the streets got
noticed and became popular. From India’s hip-hop culture being so limited and having
only a few artists, it has now grown to become a whole community. The streets cyphers
have become a common platform for the youth to express their strong opinions. Even
College fests have started hosting rap battles, in which many young people participate.
Slowly, rap culture is becoming one of the most prominent part of youth culture and is
growing at a rapid speed.

Hip Hop is a culture of voice and a vision. It’s not just about the words that a rapper spits,
about the moves an artist shows or the lyrics one writes, it’s about a whole vision and the
thinking behind everything that Hip Hop has to offer. It is so much more than just fast music
with rapid fired lyrics. It’s a process and innovation of different ideas, thousands of
perspectives, a truckload of stories and experiences and so much hidden talent among the
people around us.

FUTURE SCOPE OF STUDY:

Anyone can use this report for their reference or someone who has an interest in this study
can use this report for their reference. This report is based on information found in
newspapers, magazines, blogs and other websites on the internet.

BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES:

 https://newsfasto.com/editoral-note/hip-hop-culture-in/
 https://medium.com/@anubhasardana100/the-rise-of-rap-culture-in-india-
5bb6a5698867
 https://highonscore.com/hip-hop-movement-india/

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  https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/global-cypher-india-hip-hop/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_hip_hop
 https://frontrow.co.in/guides/impact-of-rap-in-india/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_music
 https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Music_of_India

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