Desi Rap Scene

If you think Indian hip-hop is just about guys rapping in hoodies about life in the streets—think again.

What started as a niche movement in a few pockets of the country has exploded into one of the most exciting and diverse music scenes in India. Indian hip-hop today is way more than just one sound or one style. It’s a mosaic of cultures, languages, beats, and stories—and that’s what makes it so powerful.

Let’s break it down. Here are the major subgenres of Indian hip-hop you should know about.

Regional and Language-Based Hip-Hop

This is where Indian hip-hop truly shines. Artists from every corner of the country are using their mother tongues and cultural flavours to make music that’s real, raw, and deeply rooted.

Hindi/Urdu Gully Rap

Made famous by artists like DIVINE and Naezy, this subgenre brings you straight to the gullies (streets) of Mumbai. It’s gritty, powerful, and full of honest stories about poverty, hustle, inequality, and survival. The movie Gully Boy helped take this scene mainstream, but its roots go way deeper.

Punjabi Hip-Hop

Loud, proud, and full of swagger—Punjabi hip-hop is where traditional folk rhythms meet booming 808s. Artists like Sidhu Moosewala, AP Dhillon, and Badshah have turned this into a global movement. It’s not just about partying; it’s about pride, identity, and representing the homeland.

Tamil Hip-Hop

This one’s for the experimental heads. Artists like Rak dive deep into themes like horror, psychology, and abstract emotion—sometimes blending in horrorcore and cinematic storytelling. The sound is dark, poetic, and boundary-pushing.

Telugu Hip-Hop

Pioneered by names like Noel Sean, this subgenre takes influence from Tollywood and mixes it with trap, old-school flows, and local storytelling. It’s steadily gaining recognition beyond Andhra and Telangana.

Malayalam Hip-Hop

Kerala’s hip-hop scene has been bubbling up fast. The flow is slick, the beats are polished, and the themes often touch on politics, society, and introspection. It’s still underground for the most part—but not for long.

Haryanvi Hip-Hop

Rustic, rugged, and rising fast—Haryanvi rap has grown by over 500% recently. Artists are embracing their local accent and style, rapping about village life, youth issues, and power dynamics. It’s authentic and unapologetic. The crew, made by MC Square, called Ferozi and Dhandha Nyoliwala, has a big hand in growing Haryanvi rap. 

Khasi Hip-Hop (Northeast India)

If you haven’t checked out Khasi Bloodz, you’re missing out. Rapping in the Khasi language, these artists bring in Northeast India’s unique culture, struggles, and stories. It’s more than music—it’s representation.

Commercial / Pop Rap

This is the glitzy, high-octane face of Indian hip-hop—the kind that lights up stadiums, dominates airwaves and crosses over into mainstream pop culture with ease. Commercial rap in India merges the rhythmic intensity of hip-hop with the feel-good energy of pop, EDM, and Bollywood. It’s catchy, polished, and crafted for mass appeal.

At the forefront of this subgenre are artists like Honey Singh, who revolutionized Indian party music in the early 2010s by fusing Punjabi beats with auto-tuned rap and flashy visuals. His tracks like Brown Rang and Lungi Dance became anthems across clubs and college campuses.

Badshah followed suit with a smoother, more radio-friendly sound—balancing swagger with sing-along hooks. Hits like DJ Waley Babu, Garmi, and Paagal not only topped charts in India but racked up hundreds of millions of views globally.

Raftaar, with his fast-paced flow and versatility, bridges the gap between underground credibility and pop success. He’s equally at home on a diss track or a dance floor banger like Dilli Waali Baatcheet or Main Wahi Hoon.

And then there’s King, who brings a melodic twist to the mix—blending emotional vulnerability with pop-rap charm. His viral hit Tu Aake Dekhle turned him into a streaming powerhouse, especially among Gen Z audiences. 

From movie soundtracks to gym playlists, Instagram reels to wedding sangeets—commercial rap is everywhere. It’s the gateway drug to Indian hip-hop for many new listeners, and love it or hate it, it’s helped bring rap into the cultural mainstream.

In a nutshell? It’s less “fight the system” and more “own the spotlight”—but it’s still hip-hop. Just dressed for the party.

Diss Tracks & Battle Rap

Diss tracks and battle rap have become a culture of their own, adding fuel to rivalries, sharpening lyrical skills, and turning underground artists into viral sensations overnight. It’s not just about the drama (though there’s plenty of that). 

The Emiway Bantai vs KR$NA beef is one of the most iconic examples. What started as a few slick one-liners escalated into a full-blown lyrical battle that had fans picking sides and dissecting verses line by line. KR$NA’s Seedha Makeover and Emiway’s Freeverse Feast were both praised for their intense delivery and lyrical jabs—each pushing the other to bring their best.

Beyond these headline clashes, there’s a thriving underground scene of battle rap and cyphers growing across cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. Platforms like 6FU, BARS, and Spit Dope Inc. are organizing live rap battles where artists go head-to-head, exchanging verses in real-time, often in front of cheering crowds. These face-offs are the training grounds where emerging MCs earn respect and sharpen their lyrical instincts.

Unlike mainstream commercial rap, diss tracks and battles are stripped of polish. They’re raw, aggressive, and often deeply personal. But when done with respect and skill, they elevate the entire culture. The competition forces artists to dig deeper, write tighter, and deliver with more conviction—and that creative pressure is exactly what keeps the scene alive and exciting.

Experimental / Alternative Hip-Hop

This is for the heads who love the weird, the unconventional, and the deeply personal. Experimental hip-hop in India is a smaller niche, but it’s where some of the most innovative sounds are brewing.

Ambient / Abstract

Artists like Rak play with silence, surreal imagery, and unconventional beats. Their music doesn’t always follow a traditional verse-chorus structure—it’s more like a sonic art piece. Think of it as rap turned into dream sequences or emotional landscapes.

Jazz-Infused

A quiet but soulful corner of the scene. Here, jazz instruments like trumpets, saxophones, and mellow piano riffs blend with poetic rap verses. It’s meditative, sometimes spoken-word in feel, and often introspective. It won’t hit the clubs, but it’ll hit your soul. One good example of this is ‘Mumbai’ by Sarathy Korwar ft—MC Mawali — A psychedelic jazz-rap fusion blending undulating percussion, baritone sax, and Carnatic rhythms. 

Socially Conscious/Protest Hip-Hop

This is where Indian hip-hop feels raw, real, and unapologetically bold. It’s the heartbeat of protest, using lyrics to challenge systems that fail the people.

Inspired by the roots of hip-hop as a voice of resistance, Indian artists are speaking out about caste discrimination, gender inequality, political corruption, and environmental collapse. Think of KR$NA’s Kaisa Mera Desh—a fiery take on political disillusionment. Or Swadesi Crew, who raps in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, and Bengali about everything from climate change to Indigenous rights.

You’ve also got voices like Ahmer Javed, representing conflict-torn Kashmir with poetic fire, and Harish Kamble, whose track Jaati shines a light on Dalit oppression with haunting honesty. These aren’t just songs—they’re survival stories, battle cries, and calls for change wrapped in rhythm and rhyme.

Trap

Trap music has taken Indian hip-hop by storm. From heavy 808s to aggressive flows, this subgenre is all about high energy and hard truths. The themes? Street life, hustle, ambition, and survival.

Artists across India—whether it’s Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, or Shillong—are using trap as a vehicle to express both their struggles and their swagger. It’s dark, flashy, and magnetic. And with platforms like YouTube and Instagram helping trap go viral, it’s becoming the dominant sound for India’s Gen Z rap heads. I think it’s the best subgenre of desi hip-hop. You can listen to Qaab and DRV to get an idea of how they’re leading the Indian rap trap movement currently. 

Folk Fusion Hip-Hop

Here’s where desi culture meets global rhythm. Folk fusion hip-hop is one of the most exciting subgenres emerging today. Artists are blending local traditions with global sounds—rapping over dhol beats, layering folk chants over the trap, or flipping devotional melodies into hip-hop hooks.

MTV Hustle has been a launchpad for many of these genre-benders. Whether it’s bhangra-infused verses from Punjab or tribal-inspired flows from Chhattisgarh, these fusions create something deeply rooted yet refreshingly new. One example of Folk Fusion is ‘Peep The Tareeka’ by Dhanji & unfuckman use a sample of the Punjabi folk wedding song “Jeeja Kalra Kyu Aaya”, blending Gujarati rap with traditional Punjabi melodies.

It’s hip-hop with history—and it hits differently.

Final Bars

Indian hip-hop is a thousand languages, moods, and stories running side by side. From protest poetry in Kashmiri to battle bars in Hindi, from jazz-infused philosophy to folk-rap fire, the genre is constantly breaking the rules and building new lanes. And we’re lucky to be watching it grow in real-time. So whether you vibe with conscious lyrics, trap bangers, or regional flows—trust that desi hip-hop has space for you.

We’re creating trends and it’s visible worldwide.