바카라Rap songs give me a feeling of freÂeÂdom. When I am alone and stressed, I write rap. It heals me,바카라 says 19-year-old Rahul Insane of old Patna, a hip-hop dancer and rap singer.
There are four other equally passionate hip-hop artistes in his group. In small towns and suburÂbs of Bihar바카라a state hobbled with low growth and even lower human indices, one can easily find hip-hop artistes.
Originating among marginalised black and Latino youths in the US, hip-hop has traversed a long path바카라from an expression of frustration to a global youth fashion statement. Now, it바카라s making waves in Bihar too, with a large section of youths embracing the culture.
Rahul, who wrote his first rap in 2020, is a quintessential example of this drift. 바카라It was the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown. My father, who drives an auto-rickshaw, was out of work. My family members were not supporting my dream. Things seemed doomed for me,바카라 he says.
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One night, as he lay awake in bed till late, thiÂnÂking of how to contribute to the family incÂoÂme, his own struggle and dreams, etc., these thoughts coalesced into lyrics. He had been fond of dancing since childhood, spending hours watching dance videos on his mobile phone. Hip-hop attÂracted him, even though he had no idea of its name or history바카라because he liked the passion of the dancers.
He recollects those days. 바카라It was 2017. I used to go to the discom office to pay the electricity bill every month. There was a dance academy nearby. I would peep through a hole to see people dancing there. Later, my elder broÂther talked to the academy people. They agreed to teach me hip-hop dance. That바카라s how I got entangled.바카라
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To chase his dream, he began working two shifts바카라distributing newspapers in the morning, and running errands at a private clinic. Now, he offers dance classes to meet his own expenses.
His first rap song talks about his struggle with his self, his frustrations, loneliness and misfortunes. He writes:
Apan karna nahi chahta kuch, bolne ka mann par bol nahi pata,
Koi hai nahi paas, jise dil khol dikhata
(Don바카라t feel like doing anything, want to speak out but can바카라t
There바카라s no one near, to whom I can open my heart)
Later in the same song, he writes:
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Aaj aaine me dekha maine joker
Kyun apno ne maari mujhe thokar
Aa bolkar, dil kholkar,
Aaj likha maine rap ye rokar
Exam mere sar par, main bolun sar chadh kar
Main rap karun darkar, insane I am badhkar.
(In the mirror I see a joker
Why did my own ditch me
Come and speak frankly
In tears I wrote this rap today
Exam is near, I바카라m speaking arrogantly
I do rap in fear, am I going insane)
He continued, 바카라I couldn바카라t get the lyrics out of my head that night, so, at around 2am, I went to the room where my elder brother was studying, and begged him to record the song on my cell phone.바카라
Hip-hop in Bihar reflects the trend worldwide. There are two clear directions the culture is headed. There is a section that is exploiting its commercial value. These artistes go to TV shows, earn well by doing stage programmes. The other faction is of underground artistes, who are outside the commercial spectrum. DarÂbhanga resident Rahul Yadav, 18, is one such underground artiste. He started rapping a year ago.
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바카라Earlier, I used to dance to Bollywood numbers. But last year, there was an undÂerground 바카라battle바카라 among hip-hop dancers in Darbhanga. I went there as an audieÂnÂce, and was exposed to a different kind of dance바카라something I could immediately connect with바카라and got hooked,바카라 he says.
He comes from an economically underprivileged family. His father runs a tea shop in the suburbs. To pay for his own classes, Yadav is teaching hip-hop dance to two kids. He is also trying to form a hip-hop group in Darbhanga. He says, 바카라To develop street culture here, I바카라m looking to form a hip-hop dance team.바카라
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Unlike Rahul, Khagaria youth Ravi Singh, 29, is a commercial rapper. He writes on social issues like liquor ban, narcotic menace, media trial, Covid-19, youth issues, uneÂmployment, etc. His Covid-19 rap questioned the mismanagement of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar바카라s government.
Ankhon pe ye patti bandhe kyun baitha Kumar
Ya phir poora ka poora ye system hai beemar
Janta sadakon par roti, bhare hain shamshaan
Arre ab kab jagoge bahre tum, kab hoga nidan
(Why are you sitting blindfolded Kumar
Or is the entire system down with fever
People are crying on roads, dead bodies line crematoria
Are you deaf, when will you wake up, when will the solution come)
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He has so far written around 50 songs, and has been appearing for live performances across the state, including capital Patna.
Where바카라s da party Ravi Singh (left); Dixit Jaiswal
Ravi바카라s foray into rap was accidental. He was earning well as a freelance anchor when, in 2018, while waiting at a bus stand in Patna, he overheard a food delivery guy getting scolded by a customer over the phone. 바카라The speaker was turned on, so I overheard the conversation. But the delivery boy was unaware of it. After disconnecting, he looked here and there to ensure no one was listening, spotted me and left, sheepisÂhly. His gaze stuck in my mind and I composed and recorded my first rap at the bus stop.
There are few women, though, in Bihar바카라s emerging testosterone-charged hip-hop culture. In conversation with many artistes, though, I found that some girls have recently started learning the dance moves. Together with the existing patriarchy, families are yet to come to terms with a culture they consider abhorrent.
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Most hip-hop artistes seem to follow the global sartorial style바카라baggy tees and denims, hats and high-ankle sneakers바카라knock-off brands bought cheap from shops outside railway stations. 바카라I can바카라t afford branded clothes. So, I buy these from these shops. The complete attire came for just Rs 600-700,바카라 says Insane.
To Bihar바카라s conservative society, the signature attire itself attracts derision. InsÂaÂne says their baggy style regularly attÂracts nasty comments on the street. 바카라The comments are objectionable, and could make many give up hip-hop dancing. But I바카라m used to these, and don바카라t care much.바카라
He added 바카라Insane바카라 to his name after being called mad and clown in his own neighbourhood. 바카라At first, it felt bad, as if I was committing a crime by wearing such clothes. So I added 바카라Insane바카라 to my name. Now, such comments don바카라t make any difference,바카라 he says.
Unlike in the US, where hip-hop is a resÂult of social segregation, in Bihar, artistes from all caste and social backgrounds are trying to make it big. For many rappers thoÂugh, backwardness바카라social and econÂomic바카라are triggers. Himself a Pasi (SC), Insane바카라s group has two Doms (SC), a Sonar and a Yadav (OBCs). Darbhanga바카라s Rahul Yadav is OBC, the kids he teaches are also Yadavs.
But there are rappers from higher castes too. Dixit Jaiswal of Purnea바카라a music composer for the last seven years who has begun dabbling in rap with songs on Covid-19 and nepotism, says hip-hop culture is growing in the state, and will spread further in the coming days. 바카라Actually, rap and hip-hop are expressions of an artiste바카라s suffering. Economically and socially weaker sections suffer more, so more youths from these communities are adopting this form.바카라
Also from Purnea, hip-hop dancer Ayushman Poddar, 20, echoes Jaiswal바카라s observations. 바카라YouÂths from backward sections, with families facing finÂancial duress, do not see any briÂght career options ahead of them. The pain and discomfort is debilitating. Rap and hip-hop offers a vent for their frustrations and suffering.바카라
Ravi Singh says, 바카라I never tried to see an artiste through the prism of caste. But some rappers do use such language in their songs. And that바카라s how I find out their castes.바카라
According to street artistes, 2016-2017 was the breakout year for hip-hop in Bihar, even though the beginnings was unremarkable. 바카라Initially, underground 바카라slams바카라 were few and far betwÂeÂen. It increased since 2019. I think in the coming years, Bihar바카라s hip-hop culture will cross significant milestones,바카라 says AyushÂman, who recently organised a hip-hop worÂkshop in Purnea, involving 20 local artÂistes. The workshop was conducÂted by renowned hip-hop dancer and director of the Original Street Dance studio, Anto George.
Ayushman explains, 바카라The aim of the worÂkÂshop was not only to make the artiÂstes awaÂre of the nuances of this dance form, but also to normalise it among the public, so they don바카라t pass lewd comments at hip-hop artistes for their clothes or dance style.바카라
A street art, born thousands of kilometres away, is getting a fresh lease of life in benighted Bihar, amid verbal jousts on vulgarity in Bhojpuri and purity in Maithili. Artistes associated with this culture, though, do not get entangled in debÂates on the eminence of the dialects바카라a perpetual squabble across the state. For them, more than the language, what is impÂortant is their art. At a cusp, it will be interesting to see which way this global idiom goes, under the influence of the local culture.
(This appeared in the print edition as "Listen Without Prejudice")
