Indian-origin hip-hop musicians who grew up in the USA & Canada on Bollywood songs are winning hearts globally with fusion desi hip-hop. Twenty-five-year-old Canadian-born artist Tesher gained popularity with mashups like “Young Shahrukh,” “Ramta Jogi,” and “Jalebi Baby,” which flooded Instagram Reels and Tik Tok.
New York-born Akash Ahuja, who had overnight hits like “Come Closer” that charted in top iTunes charts, infuses elements of Indian music in his songs.
The solid Indian influences are most prominently featured in his track, “Ishq.” Akash also played the instrument tabla in “Ishq,” which was encouraged by his parents, who introduced him to the native Indian instrument when he was just three years old.
Both journeys are similar to Grammy-nominated artist Raja Kumari. Born in California, Kumari’s parents played an important part in developing the Indian character. Starting from helping her participate in Bharatnatyam dance competitions in India to supporting her through the highs and lows of a career in the music industry.
Suffice to say that with the rise of hip-hop in India since Baba Sehgal and the recent gully music phenomenon, Indian hip-hop has now seen steady global popularity over the last few decades. With millions of listeners in India and abroad, desi hip-hop has given a new rise to many Indian-origin musicians who have already established a separate niche and now can cater to a larger audience.
The songs feature English lyrics, which has allowed exposure to a broader audience when there is less of a linguistic barrier. In addition, these songs often incorporate Hindi words like Bindi, Jalebi, Soniye, etc., which work as spice blends in the music.
Although not yet considered a cohesive movement or a separate genre, desi hip-hop is regarded as a part of the Asian Underground music scene. More recently, desi hip-hop has become widely accepted as a highly respected type of hip-hop across millions of people. The artists creating music in this new sub-genre have occupied a unique and tangible space that promises growth in popularity while reaching more contemporary audiences in India and South Asia.