Discover
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Who is the highest-paid rapper in India?
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Who is one of the squad boss in MTV Hustle season 3?
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Which rapper starred in the movie ‘Gully Boy’?
The Indian music industry contains talented artists who have showcased their talent on national and international platforms for years. However, not many knew about the other music genres such as hip-hop, rap, and freestyle. The credit goes to singers like Badshah, Raja Kumari, Raftaar and many other Indian rappers for bringing rap music to the fore.
Moreover, today, Hip-Hop music fascinates youngsters. However, rap music has its fair share of negativity and controversy. There is a hidden side to it. It improves social consciousness by increasing awareness of some issues people face regularly.
Fortunately, rap music is gaining prominence all over the world. This article talks about the top 10 Indian Rappers in 2024.
Top Ten Indian Rappers In 2024
Divine
Real Name: Vivian Wilson Da Silva Fernandes
Divine’s real name is Vivian Wilson da Silva Fernandes. He is an Indian rapper of Goan Descent. Divine was born and raised in Andheri, Mumbai. He became popular after releasing his single “Yeh Mera Bombay” in 2013.
Divine was the first Indian rapper to be featured on Spotify Times Square Billboard. It happened after the release of his independent album ‘Punya Paap.’ Moreover, he was the first Indian hip-hop artist to attend and mark his debut at the Grammy Awards 2022.
He has collaborated with hip-hop artists such as DJ Nucleya, Deep Jandu, Gangis Khan, Naezy, Raja Kumari, and more. Divine founded a company named ‘Gully Gang Entertainment’ in 2019. Furthermore, the song ‘Gully Gang Cypher’ released in 2019 marked the first collaboration of the label’s rising artists. He has 2.4 million followers (as of May 2024) on Instagram.
Emiway Bantai
Real Name: Bilal Shaikh
Bilal Shaikh aka Emiway Bantai is one of the greatest names in the underground Hip Hop rap scenes. Emiway is an amalgamation of two words “Eminem” and “Lil Wayne”. In 2013, he debuted with the track ‘Glint Lock’ and got huge fame with ‘Aur Bantai’ in 2014. He has a whopping 17.8 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.
Emiway demonstrates his versatility by switching between Hindi and English with ease. Moreover, he combines complex words with emotionally resonant hooks. Emiway is a popular YouTuber, songwriter, music composer, poet, and singer in India. Subsequently, making him one of the top ten Indian rappers. Moreover, he has more than 5.8 million followers (as of May 2024) in India.
Mc Stan
Real Name: Altaf Shaikh
Mc Stan’s real name is Altaf Shaikh. He is one of the rising Indian rappers, singers, songwriters, and composers. It was his brother who exposed him to rap music. Mc Stan launched his debut song, “Wata,” in 2018. He has sung songs such as ‘Khuja Mat’, ‘Lowkey’, and ‘Khajwe Vichaar.’ Additionally, he rose to fame as a rapper in the Indian music field due to his fan base.
His debut album ‘Tadipaar,’ came out in 2020, and it produced hits like ‘Astaghfirullah’ and ‘Ek Din Pyaar.’ Moreover, being one of the top ten Indian rappers, he has worked with other rappers such as Divine, Raftaar, and Nazey. Mc Stan has over 9.42 million subscribers on YouTube and 11 million followers (as of May 2024) on Instagram. Furthermore, he can fascinate his listeners with his imaginative lyrics. Additionally, he gives rapid-fire delivery and a flawless fusion of Hindi and English.
Badshah
Real Name: Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia
Badshah’s real name is Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia. He is a famous Indian rapper, film producer, singer, and businessman. In 2006, he joined Yo Yo Honey Singh’s hip-hop group ‘Mafia Muneer.’ Later, he released his own Haryanvi single, Kar Gayi Chull. Furthermore, the song, ‘Kar Gayi Chull’ was adapted into the movie Kapoor & Sons. Moreover, he judged shows like MTV Hustle, India’s Got Talent, Dil Hai Hindustani and more.
He sang his first Bollywood song “Saturday Saturday” in 2014 with Indeep Bakshi and Akriti Kakkar. Additionally, his songs such as Proper Patola, Wakhra Swag, Bandook, Saturday Saturday, RayZR Mera Swag, Pop the Bottle, and Heartless have over a million views.
He has received awards like the GIMA Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year 2016 and Best Punjabi Music Director. Badshah has 15.1 million followers (as of May 2024) on Instagram. Thereby, making him one of the top ten Indian rappers.
King
Real Name: Arpam Kumar Chandel
Arpan Kumar Chandel aka King is a rapper and songwriter from India. In 2019, he was one of the five finalists on the MTV reality show, ‘MTV Hustle.’ Moreover, King posted his rap videos on social media profiles while he was in school. Initially, he started his YouTube channel ‘King Rocco’ in 2012. He uploaded his first video ‘Boombass’ in 2015.
Moreover, King released his debut music album, ‘Circumstances’ on October 5. Subsequently, a new version of the Hindi hit ‘Maan Meri Jaan’ (Afterlife) is a song which was released on March 10th. It is a collaboration between Nick Jonas and King. King has over 3.2 million followers (as of May 2024) on Instagram. He sings songs on the issues of self-discovery, perseverance, and social difficulties with honesty. Moreover, his lyrics resonate with his listeners.
YoYo Honey Singh
Real Name: Hirdesh Singh
Popularly known for mixing pop music with Hip Hop, Yo Yo Honey Singh is a rapper the whole world knows about. He is an Indian rapper, music producer, singer, and film actor. Born in Hoshiarpur (Punjab) on 15 March 1983 into a Punjabi family, Yo Yo Honey Singh has earned a huge name and fame in the music industry. His journey towards fame started when he received the ETC award for Best Sound for his song Glassi in 2006.
He is typically referred to as a revolutionary music changer in India. His popular hits like Brown Rang, Breakup Party, and This Party Gettin Hot are heard all over India. Yo-Yo Honey Singh is among the highest-paid rappers in India. He reportedly charged Rs. 7 million for a Bollywood song of the movies, Cocktail and Mastan. Yo Yo Honey Singh has 14 million (as of May 2024) followers on Instagram.
Raftaar
Real Name: Kalathil Kuzhiyil Devadasan Dilin Nair
Another name that pops up in everyone’s mind while talking about top Indian rappers is Raftaar. He is a lyricist, singer, composer, dancer, and producer. Did you know that before being a rapper, he was a dancer? Moreover, his songs have remarkable wordplay, linguistic abilities and fluid transitions. Additionally, he can transition between Hindi, English, and Punjabi very easily.
Moreover, he has been on the popular TV show called MTV Hustle, an Indian rap/hip-hop reality show. He made his Bollywood debut in 2013 with the track “Tamanche Pe Disco” which became a super hit song. His other song “Swag Mera Desi” also became a major hit. Raftaar has 3.8 million followers (as of May 2024) on Instagram.
Dino James
Real Name: Dino James
Dino James is an Indian rapper, singer, lyricist, composer, and actor. He is known for his style of storytelling in his songs. Before becoming a rapper, he had tried his hand at more than twenty professions. It included being an assistant director, spot boy, fitness trainer, guitar teacher, and junior artist.
After struggling for almost 8 years in Mumbai, he went to his hometown to help his father with his work. In 2016, he launched his first song, ‘Loser.’Subsequently, he became famous after his song, ‘Girlfriend’ was released on his YouTube channel on 19 October 2016. In February 2022, he signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings India. He has over one million followers (as of May 2024) on Instagram.
KRSNA
Real Name: Krishna Kaul
KRSNA is a Kashmiri Pandit who entered the world of rap at the age of 14. He was among the first rappers to gain popularity through YouTube. His first song ‘Kaisa Mera Desh’ became viral after he uploaded it on YouTube. He got signed in 2013 with Universal Studios at a time when rapping was not popular in India.
The next year, in 2014 he released his debut album, ‘Sellout’ on Universal Music. He is known for his storytelling, lyrical ability, and uncompromising genuineness. KRSNA is also a producer and songwriter. Furthermore, he became a prominent figure in the desi hip-hop landscape in the 2000s.
In 2021, he released his second album, ‘Still Here.’ It featured Indian music artists like Badshah, Raftaar and Ikka. He was also a part of the movie, ‘Gully Boy.’ KRSNA has over one million followers (as of May 2024) on Instagram.
Ikka
Real Name: Ankit Singh Patyal
Ankit Singh Patyal is popularly known as Ikka. He is a renowned singer, music composer and a brilliant rapper. Ikka belongs to Himachal Pradesh. Moreover, he began his professional career with his debut music ‘Gadbad Gadbad’ in 2014. He entered the Bollywood industry with his song ‘In Da Club’, which was for the movie Tamanchey.
Ikka was also a part of a well-known hip-hop band ‘Mafia Mundeer’. Furthermore, he has worked with rappers Honey Singh, Raftaar, Lil Golu, and Badshah while being a part of the band. He is also one of the four Squad Bosses in MTV Hustle 03. He has collaborated with artists such as Diljit Dosanjh, Deep Money, and Sherlyn Chopra.
Also, in 2015, Ikka was featured in MTV Spoken Word. Similarly, in May 2023, he appeared on the cover page of Rolling Stone Magazine. He has more than 800k followers (as of May 2024) on Instagram.
The Bottom Line
Rap music has grown leaps and bounds in the Indian music industry. All the top 10 Indian Rappers in this article, have contributed to the growth of the Rap music industry. Which is your favourite rapper? Do you want to add another rapper to this list?
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who are the top 10 Indian Rappers?
- Divine
- Emiway Bantai
- Mc Stan
- Badshah
- King
- Yo Yo Honey Singh
- Raftaar
- Dino James
- KRSNA
- Ikka
2. Who is the highest-paid rapper in India?
DIVINE
3. Who is the first Indian Rapper?
Baba Sehgal (Harjeet Singh Sehgal)
4. Who is the highest-paid rapper in the world?
Kanye West is the richest rapper in the world.
5. Currently, Who is the most trending rapper in India?
At present DIVINE is the most trending rapper in India.
6. Who is the fastest rapper in India?
Abhay Prasad, aka Devil the Rhymer is India’s fastest rapper.
7. Who is India’s No. 3 rapper?
Dilin Nair is an Indian rapper, songwriter, dancer, TV personality, and music composer best known by his stage name Raftaar.
8. Who is a rap god in India?
India’s rap god’s name is Hirdesh Singh also known as Yo-Yo Honey Singh.
9. Who is the most liked rapper in India?
Divine is the most liked rapper in India. Additionally, he is known for his unique style. Furthermore, he is the most famous Indian rapper.
10. Who is the richest singer in India?
A.R. Rahman is the richest singer in India. He is primarily known as a music director. However, he occasionally showcases his singing talent. Moreover, he has lent his voice to some of the iconic tracks such as Dil Se and O Humdum Suniyo Re.
