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Gully rap
Genre of hip-hop music From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Gully rap is an emerging genre of hip-hop music that originated from Mumbai.[1] It has since spread across India.[2] Inspired by American rappers like Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G. and Nas, the music discusses the street life in distinct Hindu-Urdu rhythm and cadence.[1][3] Gully means "narrow lane" in Hindi.[1][4] DIVINE and Naezy are artists that are considered at the forefront of the genre.[1] It stands in contrast to mainstream desi rap or Bollywood which focus on more superficial aspects of life (e.g. partying, alcohol).[1][3] By contrast, gully rap has a socio-political emphasis.[5]
Gully rap has been an outlet for underprivileged youth and has been used as a tool for activism.[5] Incorporating the fundamentals of US hip-hop, the rappers were able to express their emotions regarding their daily lives and frustrations.[5] They were able to do so with minimal costs.[5] No formal training is required.[5] Chinese smartphones, cheap data packages, and free online platforms like YouTube have been used.[3][5] This represents the Indian philosophy of jugaad.[6] Although some artists are signed to music labels, the majority are independent.[3] They are primary promoted through word of mouth.[3] Rappers set up a microphone and speakers on the street and rap for free to audiences.[3]
Hip-hop culture had been present in Mumbai for over decade before gully rap became popular.[2] The rap started off as a derivative of American rap, but within a few years became original and become mainstream.[2] Rappers would post rap battles on a social media networking site called Orkut, which is now defunct.[2] Originally, the language was English, but then a turning point occurred when the rappers used local Bambaiyya slang as well other languages (e.g. Hindi, Marathi, Tamil or Konkani).[2] In 2015, "Mere Gully Mein" performed by DIVINE featuring Naezy was released, and its success marked the first time the genre hit the mainstream.[2]
The 2019 Bollywood film Gully Boy tracks the story of an aspiring rapper from the slums of Mumbai.[7] VICE made a documentary called Kya Bolta Bantai discussing the emergence of the genre.[2][8] Another documentary called Gully Life follows the rags-to-riches story of DIVINE.[5]
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