logo
India's Hip-Hop Renaissance: From streets to stadia with Travis Scott & Beyond

India's Hip-Hop Renaissance: From streets to stadia with Travis Scott & Beyond

First Post5 days ago
With Travis Scott set to perform two already sold-out shows in Delhi-NCR this October, it's not just witnessing a major international debut, we are witnessing hip-hop in India step into its most visible, powerful era yet. read more
The energy that once lived in street corners is now being amplified on the country's biggest live stages. There is a seismic cultural shift in India's music landscape - one that's echoing across youth culture, fashion, streaming platforms and global touring circuits. At the heart of this transformation? Hip-hop. With global rap superstar Travis Scott set to debut in India with two sold-out shows in Delhi this October, the country's hip-hop narrative is hitting an undeniable inflection point.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
What began in cyphers and street corners is now spilling into stadiums. From Divine, Raftaar, Kr$na, Hanumankind, Talwiinder, The Karan Kanchan Experience, Prabh Deep and AP Dhillon taking over the stage at Lollapalooza India, to artists like Yung Raja lighting up Nykaaland, with King opening at the Feeding India concert in 2022 produced by BookMyShow Live, Badshah performing at YouTube FanFest 2023, India has quietly built a vibrant, raw and relevant hip-hop ecosystem, and now, the world is taking note.
On October 18th and 19th, 2025, Travis Scott will perform two back-to-back sold-out shows at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium marking not just his India debut, but a cultural milestone for hip-hop fans across the country.
What was once 'underground' is now a movement that's shaping pop culture at large. Music has always been a countercultural force and hip-hop has led that charge. In India, it's more than a sound, it's a movement where marginalised communities speak for themselves and through their words, for an entire generation.
India's Hip-Hop Renaissance: From streets to stadia with Travis Scott & Beyond
From India to the world; a new era for hip-hop
With global giants like Travis Scott now entering the Indian touring circuit, the narrative is shifting. India is no longer a fringe market - it's fast becoming a strategic stop for international hip-hop tours, just like Europe or Southeast Asia. What's more, Indian artists are increasingly collaborating across borders, bringing their unique regional sounds and lyrical identities to the global stage.
How Hip-hop is no longer niche, what the data says
It's now amongst the Top 4 streamed genres in India on Spotify, with 70% of its fans being youth one of the highest age skews for any genre globally. India also ranks 8th globally in hip-hop listenership.
BookMyShow has already sold more hip-hop tickets in 2025 (Jan–May) than it did in all of 2024. Artists like Hanumankind and Diljit Dosanjh who performed at BookMyShow Live shows, went on to perform at global festivals like Coachella.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Audiences from metros and non-metros alike are tuning in top hip-hop ticket buyers in 2024 included those from cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Shillong, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Raipur, Thrissur and Nashik. It's a truly geography-agnostic genre, speaking to identity, authenticity and rebellion - themes that resonate with Indian youth today.
Reasons for the popularity of hip-hop
Hip-hop shows as 'therapeutic', 'emotionally liberating' and 'a form of collective release'. They're drawn to the lyrical honesty, genre fluidity and the emotional range hip-hop offers: from rage to loneliness to joy. The way artists rhyme and construct their lyrics resonates with me deeply. They have a unique ability to evoke a wide range of emotions—from rage to loneliness—through their words and music."
About Rap cyphers
Naman Pugalia, Chief Business Officer – Live Events, BookMyShow explains that Cyphers are the heartbeat of hip-hop. They're less about fame and more about skill, respect and the raw joy of wordplay. In a cypher, there's no autotune, no elaborate production, just bars, beats and authenticity. It's where talent is tested and sharpened. Even today, cyphers remain the truest form of expression in hip-hop culture, where emerging voices earn their stripes and veterans remind everyone why they still matter. It's hip-hop in its most democratic form where anyone can step in, but only a few can hold the floor, and that's the beauty of it.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
From underground roots to become mainstream
It's not so much a shift as it is a slow takeover. Naman says, 'This evolution has been a steady rise. Audiences started craving honesty in music and hip-hop delivered raw, unfiltered and unapologetically.'
He further explains, 'Add to that the internet penetration and audio streaming across the world and you have a generation that grew up on Kendrick, Nas, Divine and Prabh Deep where suddenly, the underground became the blueprint. Over time, as social consciousness shifted and the world became more open to diverse narratives, hip-hop found its place not just on playlists, but in advertising, cinema and global discourse. Artists stopped waiting for validation from traditional gatekeepers and instead built their own communities online.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Those things should look after themselves: Root on chasing Tendulkar's feat
Those things should look after themselves: Root on chasing Tendulkar's feat

Business Standard

time25 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

Those things should look after themselves: Root on chasing Tendulkar's feat

Born in December 1990, more than a year after Sachin Tendulkar made his iconic Test debut in Karachi, England's Joe Root grew up doing what most cricket-loving kids of his generation did -- trying to copy the Little Master. More than three decades on, Root now finds himself second only to Tendulkar in the list of all-time Test run-getters as he reflected on the Indian maestro's legacy his own journey as a youngster inspired by the Indian icon. "He's one of the greats the game has seen, hasn't he? I mean, all the things that he managed to achieve with the pressures that he had to shoulder and burden were incredible, Root said during a conversation with Harsha Bhogle on Sony Liv. The Yorkshireman surpassed Ricky Ponting's tally of 13,378 runs on Friday, day three of the fourth Test against India, and now sits at 13,409 runs from 157 Tests -- behind only Tendulkar's towering 15,921. Root made his Test debut in the 2012 Nagpur Test, a series that marked the twilight of Tendulkar's career. Recalling the surreal moment, Root said: "There's someone, again, that you watched play as a young kid and you wanted to copy and emulate and then to get the opportunity to play against him as well. "I mean, he made his Test debut before I was born and then you find yourself playing in a Test match against him. "It was an incredible experience to go to India. The whole crowd cheers because Sachin's coming into bat. It was bizarre to witness but just shows the greatness of the man and the legend that he is. Asked about chasing Tendulkar's record, Root told BBC Test Match Special: "It's not something that I will focus on. Those sort of things should look after themselves." In the all time most Test run-scores' list, Root has since gone on to eclipse the likes of Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis too. Ricky's someone that I grew up admiring, watching, trying to emulate, copy in the garden and at my local club trying to play the pull shot that he's obviously world famous for. "So even just to be spoken about in the same sentence as those guys, the people that you grew up wanting to emulate and pretending to be is pretty cool," added Root. Much of his success in recent years, Root credits to honest self-reflection during the pandemic and some crucial advice from former England skipper Nasser Hussain. I actually spoke to Nass quite a bit, Root told Sky Sports. "I said, 'can I get some footage?' and just look at modes of dismissal and if there were any trends and seeing the different ways I was getting out at different points in my innings. "One thing I've done within that period is actually try and look at the game slightly differently. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Salman Khan was once set to play Lord Ram for this movie, Sonali Bendre was given role of Sita, but the movie never released due to...
Salman Khan was once set to play Lord Ram for this movie, Sonali Bendre was given role of Sita, but the movie never released due to...

India.com

time25 minutes ago

  • India.com

Salman Khan was once set to play Lord Ram for this movie, Sonali Bendre was given role of Sita, but the movie never released due to...

While fans are eagerly waiting for Ranbir Kapoor's big-screen transformation into Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming Ramayan, few know that Bollywood's original 'Bhaijaan' was once meant to step into those very divine shoes. Back in the 1990s, Sohail Khan had envisioned a grand cinematic take on the Ramayan, casting his superstar brother Salman Khan as Ram and Sonali Bendre as Sita. The film had even started shooting, and about 40% of it was already completed. What went wrong with this ambitious project? As per a report by Mid-Day, things were running smoothly until personal dynamics started interfering with professional plans. Actress and producer Pooja Bhatt joined the project midway. That's when the buzz began, rumours of a relationship between Sohail Khan and Pooja Bhatt started making the rounds. This didn't sit well with Salim Khan, the head of the Khan family. According to reports, he disapproved of their growing closeness and advised Sohail to end the relationship. Did Pooja Bhatt walk out? Despite Salman Khan trying to manage the situation calmly, Pooja Bhatt eventually exited the film due to what seemed like emotional fallout and discomfort with the family's stance. Her exit marked the beginning of the end. Without her, the film lost momentum and was quietly shelved—never to be completed. The forgotten Ramayan before Ranbir Kapoor's Interestingly, this untitled film was being planned decades before today's multi-part Ramayan, backed by Nitesh Tiwari. The upcoming version is scheduled to be released in two parts, Part 1 during Diwali 2025 and Part 2 during Diwali 2026, with Sai Pallavi as Sita. But had things gone as planned in the 90s, Salman Khan might've already been immortalised as Lord Ram in Indian cinema, long before Ranbir picked up the bow and arrow.

Steve Aoki, Sasha announce arrival of their first child on wedding anniversary, reveals name of baby boy
Steve Aoki, Sasha announce arrival of their first child on wedding anniversary, reveals name of baby boy

Hindustan Times

time33 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Steve Aoki, Sasha announce arrival of their first child on wedding anniversary, reveals name of baby boy

Steve Aoki, the 47-year-old DJ and producer, welcomed his first child, a baby boy named Rocky77, with wife Sasha on Friday, July 25. The couple shared the news on Instagram with a close-up photo of their newborn's tiny feet, the hospital tag still visible. 'Rocky77 has arrived! We're so in love with him already,' they wrote in the caption. DJ Steve Aoki and his wife Sasha welcomed their first child on their anniversary.(Instagram/@sashaaoki) Aoki and Sasha noted that their son's birth happened to land on a special date. 'Even more special is that we get to celebrate our son's birth on the same day as our wedding anniversary,' they said. 'Surprise arrival he came out on his own time already writing his first chapter of life. Let the adventures begin,' they added. Also read: Vanessa Kirby's fake baby bump in Fantastic Four was heavier than real pregnancy: 'Gave myself a backache for no reason' Steve Aoki's pregnancy reveal The couple, who got married in 2024, first announced the pregnancy in January during Aoki's concert at Barasti Beach in Dubai. He called it their 'biggest collaboration yet' as Sasha joined him on stage. 'This is a special moment. This is my wife, and we're having a baby," Aoki told the crowd. The gender reveal was pure Aoki style. A white cake decorated with 'Aoki' in blue and pink letters was brought out. Sasha smashed the cake on his face as blue confetti and smoke filled the air, confirming they were expecting a boy. 'It's a boy,' flashed on the screen as the couple kissed. Aoki, covered in frosting, shouted to the crowd, 'We're having a boy!' On Instagram, he shared the moment, writing, 'The most important cake of my life….. IT'S A BOY @sashaaoki.' Sasha posted her own clip with the caption, 'Our biggest collaboration yet. Baby Aoki loading @steveaoki #genderreveal #babyboy.' Aoki commented, 'The best mom right here.' Sasha's pregnancy updates Sasha's pregnancy updates often came with playful captions. In April, she shared photos of her baby bump at Coachella, writing, 'My plus one is kicking. Literally.' In May, she posted a video of her belly moving as Aoki DJed behind her, joking, 'Who needs lullabies when you've got daddy's epic drops.' She added, 'EDM = early development music,' to which Aoki replied, 'Training him young .' Also read: Celebrities who welcomed babies in 2025: Lily Collins, Henry Cavill and more | Photos By June, she was still poking fun at her journey, sharing a clip from one of Aoki's shows with the caption, 'Be a housewife, they said. Didn't realize I'd take it literally.' FAQs Who is Steve Aoki's wife? He is married to Sasha Aoki. Is Steve Aoki a real DJ? Yes, Steve Aoki is a professionally trained DJ and producer, known globally for his energetic EDM performances. Is DJ Steve Aoki married? Yes, Steve Aoki married Sasha in 2024. What ethnicity is Steve Aoki? Steve Aoki is Japanese American, born in Miami to Japanese immigrant parents.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store