Malayalam hip hop is a genre of popular music developed in Kerala starting in around 2004. [1] 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. [2]
Street Academics were the first ever hip hop band to be established in 2009, in Malayalam hip hop. They started with freestyling. [3]
Malayalam hip hop was initially introduced widespread by FEJO and ThirumaLi during the 2018 to 2019 period, they played significant role in introducing the genre among the Malayali community. FEJO's first debut release in 2018 "Vere Level" and ThirumaLi's first debut hit "Malayali Da," in 2019, marked the onset of Malayalam rap. [4] [5] [6]
In 2023, Mass Appeal India initiated a scouting program in the South Indian market to sign Malayalam hip-hop artists. Later, Spotify officially announced that Malayalam music consumption has increased, with a significant portion attributed to Malayalam hip-hop. [7] During the period, The Spotify has noticed several releases by Malayalam hip hop artists featured in the Global and Hip hop Charts. [8]
A hip-hop music festival called "Ocha Music Festival", was introduced in 2023. It is currently one of the leading hip-hop music festivals in Kerala. It is usually held in the Bolgatty Palace Arena in Kochi. [9] [10]
In 2024, The hip hop artist Dabzee significantly gained fame, producing and singing for Malayalam movies. [11] He is the first ever artist from Kerala to perform at Earth Soul in Coco-Cola Arena [12]
List of established artists in Malayalam hip hop genre .
Christian hip hop is a cross-genre of contemporary Christian music and hip hop music. It emerged from urban contemporary music and Christian media in the United States during the 1980s.
Malayalam cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Malayalam language, which is widely spoken in the state of Kerala. Malayalam cinema includes the commercial film industry, popularly known as Mollywood, as well as independent cinema made in Malayalam.
The Malayali people are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala & Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They form the majority of the population in Kerala and Lakshadweep. They are predominantly native speakers of the Malayalam language, one of the six classical languages of India. The state of Kerala was created in 1956 through the States Reorganisation Act. Prior to that, since the 1800s existed the Kingdom of Travancore, the Kingdom of Cochin, Malabar District, and South Canara of the British India. The Malabar District was annexed by the British through the Third Mysore War (1790–92) from Tipu Sultan. Before that, the Malabar District was under various kingdoms including the Zamorins of Calicut, Kingdom of Tanur, Arakkal kingdom, Kolathunadu, Valluvanad, and Palakkad Rajas.
Indian hip hop is a genre of popular music developed in India. Desi hip hop is a term given by Bohemia 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.
Egyptian hip hop is a form of hip hop music in Egypt that draws its inspiration from local, regional and global events. Since the early 2000s, Egyptian Hip Hop has gained significant popularity and is listened to by a global audience prompted by the internet as the latest medium of technology and music streaming services such as Spotify and Anghami.
Pop rap is a genre of music fusing the rhythm-based lyricism of hip-hop music with pop music's preference for melodious vocals and catchy tunes emphasizing on pop like productions and structure. The lyrics are often positive, with choruses similar to those heard in pop music. This genre gained mainstream popularity during the 1990s, though the influences and roots of pop rap can trace back to late-1980s hip-hop artists such as Run-DMC, LL Cool J, and Beastie Boys.
Hip hop is one of the most popular music styles in Bulgaria, especially among young people.
Harish Uthaman is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada films. He made his début portraying the lead role in Tha (2010), before playing villains in Gouravam, Pandiya Naadu, Meagamann, Power and Srimanthudu.
Sanju Jaison, better known by his stage name San Jaimt, is an Indian rapper, songwriter and a music producer. He has worked in Malayalam cinema projects and is one of the early rappers to come out of Kerala. He is known for his independent singles "We're Sorry" (2013),"Thee" (2018),"Win" (2017), "These Wings" (2017) and "Walk Alone(2017)"
Shane Nigam is an Indian actor who appears in Malayalam films. Having made his debut in a credited role with the 2013 road film Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi (2013), he went to receive wider attention for his performances in various successful drama films Kismath (2016), Parava (2017), Kumbalangi Nights (2019), Ishq (2019), Bhoothakaalam (2022), and RDX: Robert Dony Xavier (2023).
Street Academics is an Indian alternative hip-hop group from Kerala, known for their songs blending malayalam, english and tamil lyrics. The collective of rappers based out of various districts from their home state are noted for emphasizing on contemporary and philosophical themes ranging from social realism to dystopian fantasy. They collaborate with projects like Mappila Lahala and Palakkadan Dystopia, to release songs that focus on having cultural discussions set in avant-garde backdrops.
Febin Joseph better known by his stage name Fejo, is an Indian rapper, singer and songwriter from Kerala who started his solo career professionally in 2009. Rapping in Malayalam, Fejo has worked with music composers including Raftaar, Sushin Shyam, Jakes Bejoy, Rahul Raj, Girish Nakod. He is considered one of the pioneers of Malayalam Rap, noted for his socio political themes & commercially performing tracks.
Thallumaala is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film directed by Khalid Rahman, produced by Ashiq Usman and written by Muhsin Parari and Ashraf Hamza. The film stars Tovino Thomas, Kalyani Priyadarshan and Shine Tom Chacko. The music was composed by Vishnu Vijay, while the editing and cinematography were done by Nishadh Yusuf and Jimshi Khalid.
Seedhe Maut is a hip hop duo from New Delhi, India, consisting of Siddhant Sharma and Abhijay Negi. The two met at Spit Dope Inc., a Delhi underground battle rap league organised by MC Kode and Encore ABJ. They released their first track, Seedhe Maut Anthem in May 2017, followed by their debut mixtape 2 Ka Pahada. In 2017, they signed to the independent music label Azadi Records. In 2024, they founded their own label, DL91.
Vishnu M S,, better known by his stage name ThirumaLi, is Indian rapper, singer and songwriter from Kerala who started making music in 2013, and rose to a professional solo career in 2018 pioneering the Malayalam Rap genre. He is best known for his singles, "Naadan Vibe", "Malayali Da", "Sambar", "Avastha" and "Naade Naattaare ". He is widely recognized for his Malayalam rap songs that showcase profound lyrics and narratives behind each track.
Hirandas Murali, better known by his stage name Vedan, is an Indian rapper and songwriter from Kerala.
Mohammed Fasil,, known professionally as Dabzee, is an Indian rapper, singer and songwriter from Kerala. He is well known for his film debut as a rapper with the song "Manavaalan Thug" from the movie Thallumaala.
Mass Appeal India is an Indian record label. It is a subsidiary hip hop label of the parent American Mass Appeal Records. The label had partnered with The Orchard for music distribution.
Sooraj Cherukat, known professionally as Hanumankind, is an Indian rapper based in Bengaluru. He released his first single "Daily Dose" from his debut EP Kalari in 2019. He received mainstream popularity in India and internationally with his track "Big Dawgs", which features the Hyderabad-based artist and producer Kalmi.
"Big Dawgs" is a song recorded by Indian rapper Hanumankind featuring producer Kalmi. It was released on July 9, 2024, under the label Universal Music India. The music video, in which Hanumankind performs within a classic carnival attraction known as the well of death, was released on the same day.
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