Hip hop is grooving in Bengaluru

The city is a great place to start out, say rappers leading the ‘underground’ scene

Rap is gaining acceptance in Bengaluru, partly because of the impetus lent by the Bollywood film ‘Gully Boy.’

Metrolife dialled some of the city’s popular rappers to understand what goes into the making of a catchy rap song.

A.V.P.

Aditya Venkatesh Parashar aka A.V.P. says that a lot of ‘underground’ rapping is about voicing unpopular opinions. “Unlike mainstream rap, the underground hip-hop scene does not follow trends,” explains the content creator, also known for his acting skills.

Underground rap could contain explicit language but A.V.P. keeps his content ‘clean’.

He advises rappers to set the right goal. “It is essential to ask yourself if you want to make music to express yourself or for commercial reasons. When that is clear in your head, it gets a lot easier,” he says.

A.V.P. has been rapping in English and Kannada since 2014. He has also starred in ‘Kyaabre’, the first web series in Kannada to feature the rappers of Bengaluru.

Verse from Aditya’s favourite single, Mic Check (Nas is like remix) - “Shaale kalisada paatada parikshe jeevana/Kuri mande ella kuruba ee kaanchana.” (Life is a lesson school doesn’t teach/People are sheep, and gold the shepherd.)

Smokey the Ghost

Gully Boy has helped the industry gain traction. “Quite a few brands are now interested in investing in rappers,” says Sumukh Mysore, who goes by the stage name of Smokey the Ghost.

Bengaluru is a great place to get started, as the city has produced big names like Brodha V, he observes.

“The way you rap is influenced by the city you live in. Bengaluru has a lo-fi culture and it likes ‘chill music’, so you are free to experiment,” he explains.

He is stoked to see youngsters trying their hand at rapping – some are
serious and some take each day as it comes.

“We have a lot of rappers but not many managers to promote them,” he says, talking of the one change he would like to see sooner.

Besides rapping, Sumukh is also writing songs for films and recording commercials.

Verse from Sumukh’s favourite song, Only my name -

“All I wannabe/Is myself and me/I’m a man/My tear glands need licence to weep/The Lord gives me vision of my identity/As I swallow my pride and be free.

MC BIJJU

MC BIJJU’s original name is Bijjala Nataraj. He has written over 60 songs in eight years and enjoys a following of 63,000 on Instagram.

“Many budding underground hip-hop artistes feel disheartened when they don’t get the kind of response they are hoping for. But they must accept that the content comes without sugarcoating, and so, it may be difficult to sell,” says the rapper, lyricist and music producer. But the trick is to keep trying. “Release songs on audio platforms before making videos. That way, you will learn what your audience likes and you will also save money and time,” he says.

Most importantly, you should try to find your voice and style. “Everyone likes that,” he emphasises. Verse from MC BIJJU’s favourite song, Hrudayada Maatu -

“Gnaada uutava badisuve naanu olavinda/Eshtu chenda yella aadidare manasinda.“ (With love, I serve a meal of knowledge/How wonderful if everyone plays with love.)

Gubbi

The pandemic has spared no industry and rapping is no different. “With no live shows happening, we are all asked to create and sell content from home. It isn’t easy because the algorithm on social media keeps changing. It forces the artists to come up with new content constantly,” Gubbi, who began rapping 12 years ago, says.

Today, he raps in Kannada, English, Hindi and German and makes sure that his content is “clean”. “I have many young listeners,” the rapper-lyricist explains why.

Verse from Gubbi’s favourite song, Naadamaya -

“Ninadallada sandharbada bisi ninage taagadu/Veda sulladaru gaade sullagadu/’ (If it doesn’t affect you, you don’t care/The Vedas may go wrong, but never the adage.)

*Bengaluru’s rappers put out their music on YouTube, Instagram,
Facebook, Spotify and Apple Music.