Hip-hop is no longer a male bastion: ‘No gender labels, we are here because we’re artistes. Period’

In a cramped recording studio tucked behind a chai stall in suburban Mumbai, Deepa Unnikrishnan — known by her stage moniker Dee MC — steps up to the mic. “Swagat hai aapka jhamele ke iss mele mein,” Deepa raps.

For years, Indian hip-hop has had a certain image: Street cred, young male voices from underrepresented neighbourhoods and aggressive verses of defiance. But over the past decade, a quieter revolution has been unfolding, led by a group of women artistes who are challenging this narrative.‘It’s not just a phase’Dee MC, Raja Kumari, Mahi G, and emerging talents like Meba, Reble, Emcee Disha, and Rialan represent a growing tribe of women using hip-hop to break stereotypes.

Mahi G, an activist-rapper from the Mahadev Koli tribe in Kalyan, addresses issues faced by marginalised communities. “Establishing that rap can be a career for a woman, not just a hobby or rebellious phase, is difficult,” she says. For 24-year-old Emcee Disha from Ranaghat, rapping at school was a turning point: “I felt ‘seen’ for the first time.

” It’s a journey that other rappers such as Rialan (Riddhi Mondol) “identify with”.

Miles to go & stories to rap“I’ve been fighting off predators since I was a teenager and judged for the clothes I wear,” says Rialan, whose feisty musical avatar reflects her story. “Many still don’t take women rappers seriously enough — we have to constantly prove that we belong,” says Mahi. “My challenges are not limited to being a rapper alone: as a society, we have not been able to fully provide the freedom and safety to women to try new things — without judgment or restrictions,” adds Deepa.

For Disha, the hustle in itself “remains inspiring”: “When your struggle turns into a sound, it can be powerful.”

Rhymes of resistanceMahi points out that the fight is “also about whose voices are considered ‘mainstream’ and whose are left out”. She adds, “I use hip-hop to bring in my community’s stories, our language, our pain, and pride.” Gamak talks about the importance of authenticity in her song Mahadasha, which translate to: ‘I don’t have answers, passion, questions or my childhood years; in this lost time, I couldn’t find myself, I couldn’t bloom’.

“There’s incredible talent out there, but it’s not always getting the platform it deserves,” Reble.

Gender talkWhile the gender bias persists in Indian hip-hop, many reject the labels. “We’re here because we’re artistes, period,” says 21-year-old Pune rapper Gamak Sinha, who went viral recently. In an earlier chat with us, Grammy-nominated rapper Raja Kumari said: “The ‘male-dominated’ tag is just a perspective.

The more work I put out, the more I felt that perspective shift.” For Reble, it’s personal. “My story fuels my music — growing up with chaos and family struggles.

Gender doesn’t factor in; life does.” Pay gaps? “It’s about branding, not gender,” says Canada-based manager Ranjit Singh.

Creating their own spaceDigital platforms have amplified women rappers, with diversity as their USP. In Kolkata, Rialan and Emcee Disha mix Bangla rhymes with Salil Chowdhury to tackle discrimination; in Shillong, Reble and Meba rap in Khasi on identity; in Bengaluru, Sofia Ashraf raps in Kannada on corporate malpractice.

Mumbai’s all-female crew Wild Wild Women use streets as their stage. “We’re not asking for space anymore, we’re building our own,” says Preeti Sutar aka HashtagPreeti.

“There’s a hunger for non-mainstream voices.”

Creating their own spaceDigital platforms have amplified women rappers, with diversity as their USP. In Kolkata, Rialan and Emcee Disha mix Bangla rhymes with Salil Chowdhury to tackle discrimination; in Shillong, Reble and Meba rap in Khasi on identity; in Bengaluru, Sofia Ashraf raps in Kannada on corporate malpractice.

Mumbai’s all-female crew Wild Wild Women use streets as their stage. “We’re not asking for space anymore, we’re building our own,” says Preeti Sutar aka HashtagPreeti.

“There’s a hunger for non-mainstream voices.”

Voices of rappers:For me, rap was never just self-expression. It was a tool for impact, truth and transformation. But learning how to wield that tool wasn’t easy– Kalaivani Nagaraj aka Lady Kash, the first English-Tamil female rapperThe ‘male-dominated’ tag is just a perspective. The more I put out work, the more I felt that perspective shifting– Raja Kumari to Bombay TimesIt is difficult to establish that rap can be a full-time career for a woman. But when your art comes from a place of truth, people feel it. That connection is what keeps it alive– Mahi GI don’t want to be seen as a ‘female rapper’. I am a rapper, period, competing with anyone, regardless of gender. This normalisation is important to grow– Reble