MTV Hustle: Elevating the bar for Indian Hip-Hop with each season

New Delhi, 27^th November 2023: The Indian Hip-hop scene has taken the desi pop-culture by storm and with each passing year, there has been a rise in the number of new artists and listeners revolutionizing the rap scene and changing the game for many! As a music critic, I often come across new trends, shows, etc. and one such show is MTV Hustle 03 REPRESENT. This show has brought Indian hip-hop to the mainstream media emerging as a nation-wide platform giving an opportunity to underground artists across the country to showcase their talent and gain insights on the different genres of Desi Rap as a whole concept, creating interest among the existing and upcoming generation of the hip-hop army. I have been personally impressed with this season’s theme, ‘REPRESENTATION’ giving the hustlers a chance to represent themselves, their ideologies and how they want to bring a change with their songs in the end making desi hip hop mainstream and be on the global map by emphasizing India’s rich artistic landscape! For me, this year, with inclusion of Ikka, MTV Hustle has made the platform even more attractive and elevated the authenticity of the stage.

Watch MTV Hustle 03 Anthem here:

Premiered last month, it is judged by one of the biggest rappers, who has taken Indian Hip Hop to international audiences, Badshah, along with Squad Bosses Ikka, EPR, Dino James and DeeMC and music producers – Karan Kanchan and Anurag Saikia who are adding their exceptional music roots, amping up the level of this show! All this has really caught the attention of music enthusiasts with an exceptional line-up of hustlers, a grandeur set-up of the stage with colourful and viral songs week after week, solidifying its presence in the industry. Contestant Kayden Sharma became an overnight sensation after his song ‘Street Celebrity’ that represents his sheher ‘Hyderabad’.

Watch ‘Street Celebrity’ here:

At this pace, I feel MTV Hustle 03 REPRESENT can become a testament to India’s underground creative talent by scaling greater heights. It is a stage that is continuously breaking barriers with diverse languages, fusing Indian musical influences with hip-hop and flipping zones as we saw in the last week’s episodes; thus, anticipating what India’s underground talent has to offer. All in all, MTV Hustle 03 REPRESENT elevates the standards of Hip-Hop and is raising the bar even higher with each passing week and I can’t wait to see what the upcoming episodes will unfold.