Author : Jennifer Stone
Image Source : thefederal.com
The Indian hip-hop and rap industry has seen a huge rise in recent years with a massive surge in popularity. Indian rappers, especially female rappers have not shied away from showing their talents, and not only the Indian audience, but the international audience as well are praising their creative choices. Once what was a male-dominated industry, it is currently being marked and marked well by female rappers.
These incredibly talented women are bringing their perspectives into the game and are not ready to be compared to any other already-established superstars in this genre. So here are the 10 best Indian female rappers that you need to look out for this year.
10/10
Rapper Annie
Annie is a born performer and a rapper from the beautiful ‘heaven on earth’ of India, Kashmir. She posted her first lyrical rap video on YouTube, titled ‘Last Ride’ which was a tribute to her friend who had recently passed away in a tragic bike accident. The founders of Cyphernama soon discovered her and her artistic talent through that video and she was invited to perform at an underground cypher. She received immense support at Cypher which had an all-male lineup except her. Her music now highlights subjects like society, politics, and emotion.
9/10
Irfana Hameed
Irfana Hameed is not only a talented artist but also made history as the first female rapper to ever join Def Jam Recordings India. Hailing from Kodaikanal, Irfana started her journey with traditional veena and Carnatic vocal training, but it was Eminem’s music that made her love rapping. In 2021, she released her EP ‘Ko-Lab’ which became an instant hit and gathered praise for the artist’s wordplay and raw delivery. Her music is primarily focused on pop sound and focuses on hard-facing subjects like feminism in the country, Muslim religion and Tamil culture, injustice against women, etc.
8/10
TribeMama MaryKali
This artist has developed her love for rap music and live performances since childhood and for that, a lot of credit goes to her family’s history in Indian circus, especially the live band performances. Originally known as Anna Katharina Valayil, she took on her stage name after two of the strongest women in India, showcasing the duality of her personality. Her career highlight was the 2020 release EP ‘Tribe Sessions’ which had influences from Indian folk music, exploring themes like self-discovery and love. Being one of the best Indian rappers in the industry, a lot of her music focuses on self-love.
7/10
Trichia Grace-Ann
Born and raised in Mumbai and then Goa, this rapper’s musical background made her fall in love with the art form. Trichia completed her former music education at the age of 14 which led her to explore genres like rap, hip-hop, and jazz. Soon she started with her unique perspective on rap music using complex chord progressions and fast-paced tempos. Elements from jazz music like bebop and scatting are regularly found in her music.
6/10
Reble
Hailing from Meghalaya, Daiaphi Lamare is officially known as Reble and is arguably one of the best female rappers in India. The artist has been rapping officially for nine years now with a desire to represent her home, northern India. Rap superstars like Eminem, Andre 3000, and Biggie are some of the inspirations that made the young talent pursue this career. She is a big believer in connecting with people rather than using too much complexity in her rap music. In 2019, she released her first single ‘Bad’, and since then has been breaking barriers with her independent music.
5/10
WON Tribe
This is the first rap duo on this list who met at a party in Mumbai and soon realized they share the same energy. Krantinaari, originally known as Ashwini Hiremath, and MC Pep, originally known as Pratika Prabune released their first single ‘Labels’ which highlighted the issue of discrimination. In an interview with SheThePeople, when asked who had the biggest influence on their music career, the duo took the name of Zack De la Rocha, the lead vocalist of Rage Against The Machine. His socio-political views and the way he portrays them through his music have impacted the duo and their musical style a lot.
4/10
Yung Illa
Originally known as Iqra Nisar, Yung Illa is one of the most fierce and honest female rappers in the country. Just like rapper Annie, she is also from Kashmir and first gained worldwide notice for her track ‘Kash-Gang’. The track is about the infamous killing of Burhan Wani, a commander in Kashmir who was armed in the resistance movement. Through her music, Illa actively addresses the violence, unlawfulness, and wrongdoings in her community. Even though she has yet to release any further projects, she is still considered one of the most talented rappers in young India.
3/10
Agsy
Agsy, born in Faridabad is an artist who releases multilingual music and is considered one of the young talents in the Indian rap music scene. In her career, the artist has won several awards and recognitions and currently works as an independent singer, rapper, lyricist, and composer. She releases songs in multiple languages like Haryanvi, Hindi, Punjabi, and English and is the only female rapper to have entered the Top 15 charts, following her success in MTV Hustle. By collaborating with other artists like Shah Rule, Shankar Mahadevan, and Deep Kalsi, she has showcased her unique desi style and a wide range of diversity. Her most popular tracks are ‘BE LIKE THAT’, ‘LOVE MUMBLE’, ‘Janini’, and ‘Khai’.
2/10
FeniFina
FeniFina is India’s one of the most followed female rappers, who is currently making waves in Toronto with her multilingual rap music. Originally hailing from Mumbai, the artist has showcased her insane visual style and lyrical talent in her infamous tracks like ‘Jism E Roohaniyat’, ‘Rukna Nahi’, and ‘Justice Now’. The artist has never shied away from being vocal about various societal injustices, such as caste discrimination, and questioning the justice system of the country. For her love of freedom, the artist has been compared to Western artists like Nicky Minaj, and Cardi B, but she begs to differ, clarifying she only has an interest in being herself. She is now actively raising her voice and using her platform for good through her music.
1/10
Sofia Ashraf
With an unapologetic attitude towards the government and society, the artist Sofia Ashraf rose to fame and popularity. Always delivering thought-provoking messages through her music, the artist has been vocal about corporations’ negligence in cleaning up industrial disasters. Tracks like ‘Don’t Work for Dow’, ‘Kodaikanal Won’t’, and ‘Dow vs. Bhopal: a Toxic Rap Battle’, have showcased her lyrical talent and rap flow. Apart from releasing independent music, she has also worked for movies like Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Maryan.
With all these talents around, it is time India recognizes these musically gifted and hardworking female rappers.
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