Desi hip hop
| Desi Hip Hop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | India, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Pakistan, Bangladesh |
| Typical instruments | |
| Derivative forms | Urban |
| Subgenres | |
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. Creation of the term "desi hip hop" is credited to Bohemia
Baba Sehgal introduced Hindi rap in the nineties with albums including Thanda Thanda Pani, Dilruba, Main bhi Madonna, Manjula and Dil Dhadke. His album Thanda Thanda Pani (1992) sold 100,000 copies in three and a half months and brought rap music to the Indian club scene. Apache Indian, another artist of Indian origin was the earliest UK artist to make an impact on the UK charts with a series of hits during the nineties.Fakhar-e-Alam is popular for introducing the bhangra/rap genre of music in Pakistan with his debut album Rap Up in 1994. Alam was met with amusement in 1993 when he launched an unusual single Bhangra Rap, but the single was broadcast on MTV and he is still considered a pioneer of bhangra/rap culture in Pakistan. Bohemia introduced Punjabi rap with his debut album Vich Pardesan De (2002) which was recognized internationally.
With the advent of MTV in India, early 2000s saw a surge in Indian rappers who rapped mostly in English, following the suit of American rappers. Hip-hop culture, including graffiti and b-boying started seeping into the club scene and street culture of big cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Following the launch of Bohemia's second album Pesa Nasha Pyar (2006), whose tracks like Kali Denali, Kurti and Sahara became massive hits, there was a new-found interest in Desi languages during the late 2000s. Female rapper Hard Kaur made many popular tracks for Bollywood including Move Your Body (2007) and Talli (2008) which incorporated rap music in Bollywood. Even though there were several occasional hits during this period, the desi hop scene remained limited largely to the underground, with a very niche loyal audience.
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