The advent and ultimate rise of DHH in the Indian music scene flipped it on its head. For an industry so used to only having hits and songs from films and TV shows in one genre, the arrival of independent artists and homegrown hip hop has changed it forever and whether you like it or not, it is here to stay. Marketing gurus at the helm of the big brands realised this very soon, and quickly came up with ways and means to collaborate with these artists. Most of these collabs happen with either the artists making songs about a product or a brand, or just simply releasing a song under the brand’s name. This is a three way victory for all people involved. The companies get their product promoted to a much larger group of people, and also catch a lot of eyeballs for the unconventional way of promotion. The artists get paid for the collaboration ,and also get a whole new huge group of people who will be put on to their music and the fans of course, get new music from the artist. We decided to check out a few examples of when artists and brands have come together to make something fire.
1. Seedhe Maut x Knorr India for the ‘K-POT’
SM manage to pull off the essence of the product (with fun,catchy ad libs like “slurp slurp” and “Kpot”), while also not diluting their bars for the product. They sprinkle in some of their signature flows, rhymes and bars, all while seamlessly working in details about the K-POT, because after all, that is what makes the song a true collab between the two. Calm nails the beat, with the ancient string sounds along with a smooth 808 pattern and a banging drum groove. The song is barely 2 minutes long, but Calm and Encore manage to cover a world of topics within their verses, making the song seem way longer than it is (in the best way possible). Exhibit-A of how DHH artists strike that perfect yin and yang when collaborating with a brand, making a song about their product.
2. Chaar Diwaari x Yashraj x Dumb Biryani
Dumb Biryani took a unique approach to a collaboration and dedicated a whole episode which was about the two artists actually making the song (in addition to the actual music video). Now, this might seem like a boring idea on paper, but because of the natural chemistry that Yashraj and Chaar Diwaari share, combined with smart editing and directing choices, the 20 minute video turns out to be very interesting and fun to watch.
According to the music video on Dumb Biryani’s channel, the song was composed, produced and mixed in 4 hours, which is a feat in itself. Both the rappers do their thing over the goofy beat with a fun bounce (courtesy Chaar Diwaari). Yashraj comes in with the hook, putting into the words the sentiments of 90% of all biryani eaters around the world (Biryani, no elaichi). He goes on to deliver witty and funny one liners with a cool and calm flow, which is his signature style. Chaar Diwaari takes the mic next, going in the opposite direction, with his loud showmanship combined with overt, aggressive and energetic delivery of his bars, ending in a song that embodies the vibe of the podcast and both the artists, perfectly.
3. Converse India x Multiple Artists
Whoever was responsible for this at Converse India really did their research because they nailed one aspect that all DHH fans love, collabs with their favourite artists. They decide to pair up different artists from different cities, different backgrounds and different styles of music (except Karun and Nanku) and really make something fresh and unique.
These collabs grouped under the name “Connect With The Unexpected” were done with the intent of just letting artists do their thing, while mentioning a very subtle and in the background Converse shoutout, so subtle that someone who doesn’t know about the collaboration might not even realise that these are promo songs.
The first track came in the form of “Capital”, with the iconic Delhi Duo Nanku and Karun, who rap about their city, living the life they wanted and painting the town red.
Pho and Bagi Munda’s track “Huliya” is about how people used to doubt them, their music and their ways. But now, after they’ve achieved success and continue to scale new heights, the same people come back and act like fans. Pho lends her fresh and airy vocals to this one, with the hook and a sung verse, while Bagi Munda lets his verses filled with hunger do the talking.
“Express Ways” is the most unexpected and perhaps absurd collaboration when you think about it. Krameri with her mellifluous and soft Hindustani classical croons, mixed with Dhanji’s in-your-face, Amdavad raps. Said out loud, it doesn’t seem like it would work, but they both flow seamlessly on the track and complement each other so well, playing to their strengths and complimenting each other’s sound perfectly.
Aksomaniac and Siege team up for the last track in this series, with “Her Vacation”. Siege, who was hot off the heels of Bubblecars then, is no stranger to writing verses that hit you deep, and it’s exactly what he did on this track with his lines, while Aksomaniac fills the spaces with his RnB hooks and sung verses.
In addition to these tracks, the brand also did a short interview/song making process video with all the artists, where fans could come to hear what their favourite artists had to say and therefore, stumble upon Converse’s page.
These examples just go to show that the idea of DHH brand promos is a win-win for all parties involved, and it works, which is why it’s picking up rapidly. With Hindustani Hip Hop only growing more and more each day, we can hope to see collabs like these become commonplace.
