Desi Hip-Hop’s Global Rise

What started as underground cyphers and self-shot music videos has now hit international
playlists. Artists like Divine, Naezy, Prabh Deep, and Seedhe Maut have taken Hindi,
Punjabi, and Marathi rap beyond India’s borders, blending local stories with global sounds.
Bollywood’s embrace of rap, streaming platforms, and viral social media moments have all
accelerated the movement. Today, desi hip-hop is no longer “India’s version” of the genre
— it’s a unique, exportable sound carving its own identity worldwide.