It is not unknown that Hip-Hop in India is male-dominated. From the artists to the audience, we aren’t used to finding a large number of women in the industry. However, things are changing for quite some time now, more female rappers are emerging from different sides of the nation. Apart from the big names such as Raja Kumari, SIRI, Dee MC, and a few others, here are our favourite seven emerging artists we found who have the potential to destroy the gender norms.
- Mrunal Shankar: The Pune-based rapper is known for her sonic prowess that she proudly imbibes in her music, her singing abilities along with her rap skills prove to make her different and original in the game. Signed to one of the biggest rap labels in India “Kalamkaar” in early 2021, Mrunal Shankar has been releasing music since late 2019. She has been a live performer before distributing her music widely. From growing her artistry in pubs and bars as a singer to collaborating with known rappers such as Deep Kalsi, Mrunal has come a long way and is in no mood to stop.
- Navz-47: Navz effortlessly transitions between Tamil, English & French, using music to connect with her roots and her audience. Her authentic style and cultural essence resonates globally. Renowned South Indian music composers have acknowledged her work, as she strives to create thought-provoking lyrics and raise social awareness among young adults. Her song “Fiyah Fiyah” has also been featured in the film “Action”, the music video of the same garnered millions of views on YouTube, which is a witness of her artistry and reach.
- Irfana: Irfana is one of the most popular female rappers in India, with more than 200 thousand listeners. The Kodaikanal-based artist’s debut EP “Ko-Lab”, released in collaboration with Taslina, received a lot of love from her fans. Signed to Def Jam India, the femcee’s themes revolve around Muslim culture, Feminism, and Anti-fascism. She has also been featured on the Netflix series “Masaba Masaba” where she added her vocals in the title track. Her early musical career includes traditional Carnatic vocals and veena training. The bilingual rapper’s signature style is hard-hitting bars and rapping in a constant flow from soup to nuts.
- Shia: Shia is a Mumbai-based artist who has been curating music since late 2020. Her music revolves around personal growth and the significance of a positive mindset. Her first single “Jah Blessings” was released after she signed to Purple Wav. Thematically, Shia always tries to bring a pragmatic concept to her tracks that leave the audience with meaning. She valiantly flexes being a brown woman entering a male-dominated industry with her sound and caliber. She has collaborated with Zero Chill and Meme Machine, some renowned musicians in the scene.
- Meba Oflia: Born and raised in Shillong, Meghalaya, Meba Oflia has been curating music since 2018. She was awarded the European Music Award for the ‘Best Indian Act’ for her debut track “Done Talking” in collaboration with Big Ri. Her track “Lady Bizz” released by Azadi Records in early 2019, was featured on “shesaid.so”, a global community for females in the music industry. Her chill-hop vibe combined with the personal feelings and first-hand experiences that he adds in her tracks beautify her pieces sonically as well as conceptually.
- Reble: Next on the list we have another Shillong-based female rapper, who has been releasing studio-produced singles since the age of 17. Her debut track “Bad” revolved around her personal experiences that she faced in an unstable family that she belonged to. The track was produced by D-Mon, a part of the Hip-Hop group “Khasi Bloodz”.She released her debut EP “Entropy” during the winter of last year. Reble is an immaculate wordsmith when it comes to her bars and wordplays, she also plays with her flows and often comes up with melodic vocals in choruses and hooks. She released her debut EP “Entropy” during the winter of last year.
- Trichia Grace-Ann: Last but not least, Trichia Grace-Ann, a Mumbai-based Musician and Educator makes her way to the list of top emerging female artists. Having a family background in Music, Trichia started her musical career at the age of four. Her debut track “Show Stoppa” was released in the summer of 2021, and she has been creating music ever since. Her recent track “One Me”, released last month was in collaboration with Irfana. She is known for her vocals and the melodies she adds in her tracks and features, except tracks such as Duchess, The Queen, and Hocus Pocus showcase her spotless rap skills.
