The last decade in India has seen a huge rise in the popularity of hip-hop music, with many talented artists making their mark. From peppy songs to catchy beats, Indian rappers are making waves in the country and internationally. However, the question remains who is the best rapper in India?
In this article, we will delve deep into the Indian hip-hop scene and examine the top performers in the game. We take a closer look at the most talented and influential artists in the industry, and finally reveal who deserves the crown of the King of Indian Hip-Hop. So, get ready to find out who has earned the title of Best Rapper in India!
Emiway Bantai
Emiway Bantai or Machayenge Guy Bilal Sheikh, better known as Emiway Bantai, is possibly one of the greatest names in the underground hip-hop rap scene. He debuted with the track ‘Glint Lock’ in the year 2013 and shot to fame with ‘Aur Bantai’ in 2014. He is currently India’s biggest independent artist and his official YouTube channel has crossed the milestone of 10 million which will prove this statement. He became a viral sensation after his diss track ‘Samjh Mein Aaya Kya’, which is based on famous rapper Raftaar.
Raftaar
When it comes to Indian rap, Raftaar is a name that stands out in both the mainstream and underground scenes. The artist, whose real name is Dilin Nair, hails from Kerala and started his career with the Punjabi band RDB. Raftaar’s discography includes a wide range of songs ranging from commercial dance numbers to socially conscious rap to adult-themed tracks.
His talent has been recognized with several awards, including Best Urban Song of the Year at the Brit Asia Awards in 2016 for his hit “Swag Mera Desi”. Raftaar has also made his mark in Bollywood by working on many popular songs. Becoming the preferred choice of top music producers in India.
Divine
Gully Boy fame Divine is not an unknown face for rap enthusiasts. Starting from a young age, his story is no different from today’s rappers, except for the fact that his style of music matches that of colorful rappers in the West, that is, writing lyrics on his past.
The “Voice of the Street”, Devine was the gifted child of a mother who worked overseas and a father who was an alcoholic. In one of his songs, he has told how he always wanted to bring his mother back from abroad and did not want her to work much, as he always wanted to be with her and spend time with her. His past was once linked to selling drugs, which he openly admits was the worst phase of his life.
Dino James
Dino James stands out among rap artists with his unique rap flow and musical style. He is known for his extraordinary way of presenting emotions and relationships in his songs which appeal to his listeners. Dino James has gained immense popularity among rap lovers on the internet. He is praised for his realistic portrayal of emotions in his songs. One of his popular tracks, ‘Girlfriend’, with funny lyrics about various relationships, went viral on the internet.
King
King or King Rocco (real name Arpan Kumar Chandel), is one of the famous Indian singers, rappers and hip-hop artists. He started his musical journey at a very young age and has emerged as one of the most successful rappers in the country at the moment. King Rocco’s popularity started in 2019 from the TV show MTV Hustle. In which he got the opportunity to perform in front of some of the biggest stars like Raftaar, Nucleya, Raja Kumari and others.
A few years later, the song ‘Tu Aake Dekhle’ from his album Carnival went viral on various social media platforms. In this way, he gradually reached the top of the charts.
MC Stan
MC Stan, also known as Altaf Tadavi, has been taking the Indian rap scene by storm for quite some time now. Although he started out as a qawwali singer at the age of 12, he later turned to hip-hop and has since written and produced a large amount of rap music. His skills were recognized when he won the reality TV show Bigg Boss 16 and became the most voted contestant in the history of the show. Apart from this, he has also received messages of support from other popular rappers like Badshah and Straight Death. With his exceptional talent and hard work, MC Stan is certainly one of the top Indian rappers to watch out for in 2023. He also toured India this year and performed in front of millions of people.
Badshah
Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia aka Badshah is a famous Indian rapper, film producer, singer and businessman. He sang his first Bollywood song “Saturday Saturday” in 2014 with Indeep Bakshi and Aakriti Kakkar. Some of the songs that have crossed millions of views are Proper Patola, Wakhra Swag, Bandook, Saturday Saturday, Razor Mera Swag, Pop The Bottle and Heartless.
This top Indian rapper has received several awards like Breakthrough Artist of the Year 2016 and GIMA Award for Best Punjabi Music Director.
Yo Yo Honey Singh
Hirdesh Singh, better known as Yo Yo Honey Singh, was born in Hoshiarpur, India. He was born on 15 March 1983. He is considered to be the most influential person in the field of Indian hip hop. Bohemia said of him that his style was not real hip hop, which Yo-Yo himself admitted. Nevertheless, he is one of the pioneers of the Indian hip-hop genre of music. He started making music in 2003.
After being successful in his music, he started composing music for Bollywood films. He has gained a huge fan following over the years. For some, he stopped making music but he made his comeback in 2020 with his song “Loka”. He will surely continue to top the list this year as well.
Ikka
The Delhi-based legend is a father figure in hip-hop and serves as a major influence for many rappers across India. While Ace – real name Ankit Singh Patial – created a lasting legacy in Indian cinema and was instrumental in turning hip-hop into the most popular genre in India, he brought together some of the best young artists including Raga, Straight Death, Rawal And brought , Hip-Hop legends Raftaar and Badshah come with their debut LP ‘Nishu’. But. Ace lives at the center of hip-hop in India. Last year, the iconic MC delivered one of the best sounding hooks in Indian rap music on Dino James and Badshah’s ‘Wo’.
Kr$na
Krishna Kaul, alternatively known as Kr$na, is considered one of the pioneers of the Indian underground rapping scene. Kaul released his original versions on his MySpace account in the mid-2000s and thus gained a small fan base mainly from New Delhi.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the No 1 rapper in India?
KR$NA is now the top-tier or the No. 1 rapper in India after his beef with Emiway. He is super technical with his craft and is respected by everyone in the Rap music scene.
Who is the highest-paid rapper in India?
Yo-Yo Honey Singh is the highest-paid rapper in india
Who is India’s No 1 rapper in 2023?
KR$NA or Krishna Kaul is the no. 1 rapper in India in 2023. He is one of the finest rappers in India who is respected by everyone and his songs hit millions in a couple of days after release.
Who is the first Indian Rapper?
Baba Sehgal (Harjeet Singh Sehgal) is the first indian rapper
Who is the No 1 Mumble rapper in India?
MC Stan or Stan is the pioneer of Mumble Rap in India. He brought the mumble rap culture to India and sticks to his own style.
