Music
Tienas picks his favourite releases of 2020 in Indian hip-hop
The rapper from Mumbai lists his favourite releases in Indian hip-hop – and a few other genres – from this year.
I listen to all types of music. And sometimes I don’t listen to any music at all. But one thing’s for sure – I listen to a lot of music!
Here are my top-10 favourite songs by Indian artists which were released in 2020 (in no order of importance).
‘Paper Bags’ by Shreyas
Shreyas has been that artist for me as a rapper who does the most with as little as possible. The beat is as smooth as a silver surfer surfing through butter. The lyrics are incredible, roaming through self-doubt and fear, and everything about this track has its moments throughout. The only way for the flower boy is up, growing and reaching out to the people who are seeking help. ‘Paper Bags’ is a remedy for the broken. I said it once, I'll say it again: “Protect Shreyas at any cost.”
‘Dil Hai?’ by Nuke
I love Nukey! Not because we are in a band together, but because he is the most versatile among us all. He inspires me a lot, and to be honest it’s a good song! :P
‘MMM’ by Seedhe Maut
This song is on the way to becoming 2020's hardest track. This song goes head-first, from the beat to the beat switch for ‘Yaad’, when Seedhe Maut released their double music video. Even considering the shit these two talk about, simply put, it's HARD! Seedhe Maut is on the way to creating the foundation for this genre of pop/rap in this country, and it’s beautiful and with the right type of lyrics and music. I can now say that the right rap music is finally getting popular in India. Nothing but love for these two geniuses!
‘Kaun?’ by Absolute/Lil Abso
Absolute has been one of the most underrated rappers in the Mumbai hip-hop scene. This guy's penmanship is from another world, and he's been growing and improving with every song he drops. He has released numerous songs through EPs and on his Youtube channels. Absolute works relentlessly on his art besides his 9-to-5. Nothing but respect for one of my OGs who I consider a truly fabulous lyricist from my city. The beat is rich, with textures on it and Absolute's lyrics and rapping paint a vivid picture.
‘KaaLa’ by Bamboy (prod. by RakshaaS)
This is an important song. I repeat, this is important. I could sit down my children and play them this track because it’s more than what it seems. It is knowledge, and you have to sit yourself down to concentrate and listen to what Bamboy is talking about. Bamboy for me is easily one of my top-5s. I don’t give a fuck what your top-5 is. If Bamboy ain’t on it, it ain’t legit!
‘Chitta’ by Prabh Deep
I first heard the song when it was unreleased. I was hooked onto it. I asked Prabh in February this year to send it to me because I was hooked! The bassline by Hashbass on this one is a piece of art. Drums were also well done. Everything about this song boosts me and I absolutely love it!
‘Krantinaari’ by Krantinaari
This song is a statement and I'm all for it. Lyrically it's beautiful, crude and raw at the same time. The beat is tangled with classical vocal chops just to add more to the whole substance. We need to see more music like this. Some things have to be said twice and sometimes even more to be understood. This song is one of my favourites from this year. Power and respect to the artist on such a powerful debut!
‘Dark’ by Dhruv Visvanath
I was listening to this song just before I wrote this article! ‘Dark’ catches your attention with the arpeggiating guitar parts and it takes you for a ride right from the beginning. The lyrics are heart-wrenchingly beautiful and sad. It builds up into this giant wall of sound where you can hear it and appreciate it. It’s one of the songs where you just close your eyes and wander off into the not-so-beautiful memories of the past, because often, memories are only beautiful when they're not.
‘Kya Tum Naraaz Ho?’ by Tanmaya Bhatnagar
I heard this song when I was drunk once during social isolation. Everything about this track is lovely – the guitars, the vocals, the lyrics, the lo-fi esque vibe. It's just amazing. It's a tear-jerker, and as a writer if you can make someone cry, I consider that a great compliment. The best part is you don’t need too much to do it. Just need an instrument, the lyrics and the emotions – three things I consider important when making a great song. She got them all right, didn't she?
‘Outside the Lines’ by DefGiant featuring Shubhangi Joshi
Fresh off DefGiant’s new EP, titled In Another World, there's this song I heard and I really liked it right off the bat. The instrumentation is fantastic and the lyrics are great. Shubhangi’s vocals are what I would call ‘heavenly’ on this one. You have to step outside the lines to listen to this song and get lost in its very texture and magnificent colouring.
The Mumbai-based MC Tanmay Saxena – known popularly as Tienas or Bobby Boucher – released his second album Season Pass via Azadi Records. Listen to the album here and read about the exclusive release of the single ‘Fubu’ on Red Bull Premieres.
