Feature

Legendary Indian Hip-Hop Artists: 5 Pioneers of Desi Rap

A Lucknow pop-rapper, a California-raised Punjabi rap originator, two Mumbai street poets and a Delhi crossover star. These five artists turned desi hip-hop from novelty into a mainstream genre.

1. 01

   Baba Sehgal

   Hip-hop / pop-rap · Lucknow

   

   Baba Sehgal (Harjeet Singh Sehgal) is a Lucknow-born rapper widely credited as the first successful rapper in India. His 1992 album Thanda Thanda Pani turned Hindi rap into a pop hit, and Main Bhi Madonna followed in 1993 with the same playful, Hinglish style.

   His music was light and comic rather than hard-edged, but it proved a Hindi-language rap record could sell outside film music. He later moved into Telugu and other film soundtracks, including "Jalsa Jalsa" (2008) with Devi Sri Prasad, and was still landing film songs such as "Hook Step" in 2026.

   Essential tracks

   • Thanda Thanda Paani
   • Rukmani Rukmani
   • Jalsa Jalsa

2. 02

   Bohemia

   Punjabi hip-hop · California

   

   Bohemia (Roger David) is a Pakistani-American rapper and producer based in California, regarded as one of the pioneers of desi hip-hop and the main architect of Punjabi rap. His debut Vich Pardesan De was followed by Pesa Nasha Pyar (2006), described in his official bio as the first Punjabi rap album released by a major label.

   He crossed into Bollywood with the title track of Chandni Chowk to China and went on to work with a new generation of Punjabi artists. "Same Beef" (2019) with Sidhu Moose Wala is his most-streamed track on Spotify, and "Kali Denali" remains a fan favourite from the Pesa Nasha Pyar era.

   Essential tracks

   • Kali Denali
   • Same Beef (with Sidhu Moose Wala)
   • Ek Tera Pyar

3. 03

   Naezy

   Hip-hop · Mumbai

   

   Naezy (Naved Shaikh) is a Mumbai rapper who broke into the mainstream with "Mere Gully Mein", his 2015 collaboration with Divine. His raw Bambaiya Hindi verses about life in the city's working-class neighbourhoods became the template for what is now called gully rap.

   Zoya Akhtar's 2019 film Gully Boy drew on his story, with Ranveer Singh playing a fictional version of him. He has kept releasing independently since, with tracks such as "Aafat Waapas" (2019) and "Napaak" (2024).

   Essential tracks

   • Mere Gully Mein (DIVINE feat. Naezy)
   • Aafat Waapas
   • Aane De

4. 04

   Divine

   Hip-hop · Mumbai

   

   Divine (Vivian Fernandes) is a Mumbai rapper credited as one of the pioneers who brought Indian hip-hop to mainstream attention. His lyrics draw on growing up in the chawls of Andheri, and "Mere Gully Mein" with Naezy helped inspire the film Gully Boy.

   His debut album Kohinoor (2019) included "Kohinoor" and "Chal Bombay", and he wrote "Kaam 25" for the Netflix series Sacred Games in 2018. In 2024 he released a joint project with Karan Aujla featuring "100 Million", one of his biggest streaming hits.

   Essential tracks

   • Kaam 25 (Sacred Games)
   • Kohinoor
   • 100 Million (with Karan Aujla)

5. 05

   Raftaar

   Hip-hop · Delhi

   

   Raftaar (Dilin Nair) is a Delhi-raised rapper, lyricist and producer with Malayali roots, working mainly in Hindi, Punjabi and Haryanvi. He broke through in the mid-2010s with "Swag Mera Desi" (2014) and "All Black" (2015), and became one of the first Indian rappers to cross over fully into Bollywood.

   His film work includes "Dhaakad" (Dangal) and "Bandook Meri Laila", while independent singles such as "Ghana Kasoota" (2021) kept him on the charts. He is also a familiar TV face as a judge on rap reality shows.

   Essential tracks

   • Swag Mera Desi
   • All Black
   • Ghana Kasoota