Rapper Brodha V Talks About Diversity & Representation In India’s Hip-Hop Culture

Brodha V
Brodha V

Brodha V has seen it all. One of the pioneering artists of India’s mighty hip-hop scene, there’s no denial that Vighnesh Shivanand, aka Brodha V, is one of the fiercest rappers we have. A multi-lingual powerhouse, Brodha V has a varied list of hits under his belt spanning across different styles and sub-genres.

Being such an O.G. and having put pen to paper before it was cool, Brodha V has seen his fair share of ups and downs, all of which has shaped into him being the artist he is today. There was a time when India didn’t embrace hip-hop culture the way it does now. Brodha V is one of the few who has sailed through that storm – victorious, but with his own share of battle scars. Due to which he has a lot of insightful knowledge to share, and much like his bars, they are hard to ignore.

“Brands and organisations need to accept and respect diversity. There are so many artists across India who have their own fan following. We need to understand that Hindi is not pan-India”, says Brodha V. Often going after the archaic label mechanics in his work, this Bangalore based rapper is no stranger to the skewed perception of India’s entertainment industry.

Brodha V

“Put in the effort and I waited so long

Waking up every day, motivated to rake up a storm

Invade the nation with bars that be made of napalms

But all I ever hear is they ain’t gon be playing my songs

On TV, I’m sitting here wondering why

These heads of programming just stutter and hide”

The above excerpt is from ‘Naachne Ka Shauq’, Brodha V’s Hindi rap collaboration with Raftaar. Arguably one of his biggest commercial hits, this song is satirical in nature as it takes subtle digs at the over-simplistic nature of club hits from mainstream Indian hip-hop. However, it does also ask the larger question of India’s cultural barriers caused due to its diverse linguistics and how it hampers the growth and recognition of non-Hindi artist across the country. He concludes, “Brands need to understand the consumers. The locals always need a connecting factor. The overall mentality should change.”

Despite these traditional hurdles, Brodha V has managed to do it all – have hits, sell-out venues and have multiple brand collaborations. But his interpretation of a great successful hip-hop artist remains the same, “Rappers need to be lyrically skilled. You should reach out to people and bring them together.”

Brodha V is all set for latter half of 2019 – after dropping a couple of collaboration with other Indian rappers, he heads out for an all India tour. As for advice for any upcoming rappers, he says, “You’ve to be your biggest fan and your biggest critic. Hone your skill and get good at it. It might take time to blow up, but you’ve to keep at it.” A solid proof of how dedication and work ethic towards your craft always reaps success. As usual, Brodha V makes it look way too easy.

Homegrown is proud to announce it’s association with Music Inc. India as official Digital Media Partners. Music Inc. is an annual two-day summit, curated by Loudest.in & Exchange4Media hosted in Mumbai on 21st & 22nd June. Catch Brodha V as a speaker on the panel – “Building The Hip-Hop Ecosystem In India”. To purchase tickets click here.

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